Hayward Regional Shoreline

Elizabeth — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:04:00 +0000

Yesterday we visited Hayward, CA. It’s the first time I’ve been to the East Bay except driving through to get somewhere else. Based on my limited viewing, Hayward seems very bright and dry. I coated myself in sunscreen; there was no shade anywhere.

The view along the bay is very nice.

You can see San Francisco in the distance.

This brown pelican made some very dramatic dives while fishing.

The key attraction was the marshes, which both snowy and great egrets enjoy.

Below is a great egret in the marsh. You can see that he has a pretty large area to fish.

I love all the colors in the brush.

This egret is fishing in the shallow end.

Great egrets are so incredibly graceful when they fly.

This snowy egret was sitting on the side, all hunkered down.

Something caught his attention and he fully extended his neck. It’s amazing how much of it he can tuck into his chest.

At one point a great egret and a snowy egret were fishing the same marsh. I was really excited to get a picture that shows their size difference.

The great egret is almost twice as tall as the snowy egret.

Behind the marsh was dry grasslands. The grass attracted goldfinches, black phoebes, house finches, and some little guys that were either flycatchers or bushtits. They were too shy to get a clear picture.

I could have listened to the birds chirping all day. I really love the noises of bird communities. The wildlife refuge is a very nice place to spend an afternoon.

Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets

Elizabeth — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Driving home from Monterey Bay, we’re stuck in traffic driving 20 miles an hour and I see a great egret standing in a field. This is all I could capture before he took off:

I’m guessing that he was thinking something like, “I don’t know who this chick with the camera is, but I’m out of here.”

Just look at him! The great egret’s wingspan is 51 inches. There are three types of egrets in Northern California and the great egret is the only one with black feet.

A few months after moving to California, we were driving home after work and a great egret flew above the car in a blur of white. It happened so fast and only once, until I saw the great egret again, I wondered if I imagined him.

The Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park has a resident snowy egret. He’s been there every time I’ve visited. Here he’s hunting minnows.

Every time I see this picture, I start singing in my head, “Walk like an Egyptian.” Look at his yellow foot!

In this picture, he’s in the process of swallowing a minnow. It was great fun watching him stalk the minnows and stab the water.

If it’s possible to hire a bird, this bird is totally on the Golden Gate Park’s staff. He appeared in two different ponds, posed for pictures from tourists who failed to respect his space, and took flight several times.

Such a graceful bird. The snowy egret’s wingspan is only 41 inches. He’s not nearly as imposing as the great egret, but he’s quite graceful.

Plus, he has yellow feet.

Avian Explorer » egret

Hayward Regional Shoreline

Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets