On the cool, breezy, mostly sunny, morning of April 6 at 8:30 AM, Donna Meyer and Linda Sue Johnson found parking a challenge at Coast Casey Forebay along Terminal Blvd. We eventually found parking on San Antonio 2+ blocks away. As we walked toward the Forebay, we immediately saw and heard American Crows cawing, CA Gulls swooping, Dark-eyed Juncos socializing, Anna’s Hummingbirds buzzing each other and heard the metallic chink of CA Towhees. Barn Swallows were swooping Coast Casey Forebay and the paved walk way. We raised our binoculars to see the following water birds feeding in the Forebay: Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Northern Shovelers, American Coots, Black-crowned Night Herons, Canada Geese, Long-billed (?) and Short-billed Dowitchers, Green-winged Teals and only 2 Black-necked Stilts.
Darting in and out of the tall grasses on both sides of the paved walkway leading to the Pump House were White-crowned and Gold-crowned Sparrows. 2 Song Sparrows sang and were visible behind the fence; one handsome bright red male House Sparrow boldly sat atop the fence. A grumpy Northern Mockingbird loudly sang its imitative phrases. Hunched in the tall grasses around the seasonal pond west of the walk was a Black-crowned Night Heron and swimming were a pair of Gadwalls.
There were surprisingly few birds in the slough: a Mallard pair, and several American Coots. We were to learn why in a few minutes.
A very Low Tide provided a grand feasting area in the exposed mud flats and edges for hundreds, maybe thousands, of water birds in view from the wooden deck, darting rapidly, wildly in what appeared to be total confusion: American Avocet, (Black-necked Stilts,) Marbled Godwit, Willets, (Green-winged Teal), Cinnamon Teal, (Long-billed?) and (Short-billed Dowitchers), Dunlin, (Snowy and Great Egrets.) There were probably more species in the undulating turmoil!
Continuing East around Shoreline in the swampy area we (along with Bob found 2 Lesser Yellow-legs, saw/hard (with Bob Reiling+scope) more Marsh Wrens, (Short-billed Dowitchers) and heard only Common Yellowthroat. Forrester Terns; (CA Gulls) flew over-head. (In A1 more Forrester Terns rested on posts.) At Shoreline Lake: one Ring-billed Gull rested on wooden pier while Ruddy Duck, Western Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe dove and fished. In tree at north side of lake, 2 Red-tailed Hawks squabbled over a roost in same tree. Killdeer were the last new species we spotted before we departed via Coast Casey Forebay.
We had saved an hour to explore a different habitat at CUESTA PARK where we spotted Mourning Doves, (more Dark-eyed Juncos), Black Phoebe, American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bushtits, (and another Red-tailed Hawk.)
We, The Bobettes, are happy to contribute to the fund-raising for children’s learning and experiencing the wonder of Birds and Wetlands.
~Donna Meyer and Linda Sue Johnson