Re: [SBB] Palo Alto Baylands

["Garrett Lau" <[[email protected]]>]

When I arrived at the Palo Alto Duck Pond at 6:30pm today (Tuesday, March 13), the BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS in the trees by the ranger station were nicely lit, and people were standing in the parking lot taking pictures of them, so I did the same. After ten minutes, I finally looked toward the palm trees, and I saw the CATTLE EGRET on the fence, next to the paper that says, "Please Don't Feed Wildlife." It then flew into a palm tree where it could not be seen. A GREAT EGRET and a few SNOWY EGRETS were more visible in other palm trees.

 

As I was photographing the Great Egret, I heard a female WOOD DUCK behind me. It swam to the other side of the fence and then stood on the shore. Then a group of at least seven large ducks came and piled on each other. It looked almost like mating, but the ducks were of three different species, and the one on the bottom was often a male Mallard. The Wood Duck stayed in the water about 5 feet away from them, and she remained after they left. Later, two LESSER SCAUP came to the shore in that area. The female got there first and quacked angrily at the male when he approached.

 

My photos are at

http://www.pbase.com/garrettlau/recentbirds

 

--Garrett

 

On 3/13/07, Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]> wrote:

Folks:

This morning, 3/13/07, I stopped at the Palo Alto
Baylands.  BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS are in the palms and the
myoporum around the ranger station, as well as in trees farther away
and in the saltbush across the channel.  I estimated 76
adults/subadults around the Duck Pond, plus 14 immatures.  In the
saltbush, I counted 10 and 2 respectively.  Many birds were at nests,
particularly in they myoporum and a few were carrying sticks.  A
single CASPIAN TERN calling overhead was my first of the spring.  A
PEREGRINE FALCON was on one of the towers.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler



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