While we’ve all concentrated on the drama supplied by the bald eagles at Corica Golf Course, other birds have actually been silently, or possibly not too silently, embedded in their typical areas at opposite ends of Alameda.
Great blue herons
On the West End, on the Veterans Affairs’ Reserve however viewable from De-Pave Park, excellent blue herons continue to nest in 2 dead trees. Herons nest in nests, with a number of nests in one tree, broadening to more trees as the nest grows. Their acidic poop ultimately eliminates the nest tree, which is why the 2 trees in the Reserve are dead.
To see the excellent blue herons resting on their nests, drive to the southwest end of Monarch Street, past the old aircraft control tower, through evictions, simply previous Building 25, where the white wine tasting spaces lie. Park along the fence and look towards San Francisco. You will see 2 dead trees, each with big stick nests with big grayish birds sitting or basing on the nests. The trees held more nests in previous years, however as the breakable branches break, the nests fall. I’ve been enjoying the nests each spring for the last ten years, however the trees have actually hosted the herons for even longer. This year, 7 nests endured all the wind and rain. We hope these birds will hatch eggs and feed chicks that will fledge and contribute to the island’s population of Great Blue Herons.
The excellent blue heron is a big gray bird with a yellow costs and a thick black line behind the eye which, throughout the spring breeding season, causes a black plume that streams behind as the bird flies. In the air, the birds appear like flying dinosaurs, with big wings beating gradually and long legs tracking behind. excellent blue herons are primarily quiet unless they are disrupted, which takes place typically in the nesting nest. Their action is a loud squawk, a noise that appears completely incorrect for such an elegant bird. They consume fish, crickets, frogs, and other little pests and animals, so they look for food in shallow waters and in fields. They typically stand patiently waiting then promptly take the fish, swallowing it entire.
Snowy egrets
At the other end of Alameda 2 other members of the heron family breed in the trees that line the lagoon behind the shopping mall on Bay Farm Island. To see them there, stroll along the lagoon behind the library and search for in the trees, expect white poop areas on the ground, or listen for the squawking. Look for big and little white birds, both with long legs. The bigger birds, excellent egrets, are white with a yellow costs and black legs. During the breeding season, excellent egrets sport a lime-green line in between their costs and eye, and long white plumes streaming from their back. They stand about 3 feet high and weigh simply under 2 pounds. The women are a little smaller sized than the males.
The smaller sized birds, snowy egrets, are white with a black costs, black legs, and golden yellow feet— “golden slippers.” At about 2 feet high, they weigh about 1.5 pounds. Both snowy and excellent egrets are nest nesters like excellent blue herons, however the 2 egrets will share the very same nest trees. At the nest colony, excellent egrets make a squawking noise that can get loud when a number of birds squawk at the same time. Snowy egrets likewise make an extreme call when disrupted, a noise that is likewise amplified when a number of birds take part. The Bay Farm Island nest is smaller sized now than it was a couple of years back—a minimum of one tree killed by the birds’ acidic poop was gotten rid of after the nesting season since it presented a risk to individuals walking around the lagoon.
Egrets nest by the lagoon since they are fish eaters. Snowy egrets likewise consume snails, crabs, snakes, and numerous pests. Great egrets likewise consume fish, crabs, and pests, however being bigger, they can and will consume little mammals and little birds, consisting of chicks of other bird types nesting close by, such as mallards and sparrows.
After the snowy egret chicks fledge, the juvenile birds hang out along the coastline on Bay Farm Island in addition to Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary and Crab Cove on Alameda Island. I don’t see almost as numerous juvenile excellent egrets in those areas, so they might take a trip even more from the nesting location after they learn to fly and feed themselves.
Herons and egrets can be seen in Alameda year-round, however it’s possible that a few of the birds here in the summertime go south for the winter season, which birds that breed additional north might come here for the winter season. It’s enjoyable to see that their nesting websites look so comparable.
Marjorie Powell transferred to Alameda from the East Coast in 2014 and very first signed up with the Oakland Christmas Bird Count in 2019. A member of Golden Gate Audubon Society, she serves on its Alameda Conservation Committee, the Friends of the Alameda Wildlife Reserve, and attempts to go birding often.
