Corte Madera Marsh

November 15, 2023

Shorebird Marsh Overlook: https://ebird.org/checklist/S154534230

(37°56’00.7″N 122°30’55.9″W)

Elevation = About Sea Level

Marta’s Marsh: https://ebird.org/checklist/S154534229

(11°00′N 75°45′W)

Elevation = About Sea Level

Site Description:

The marshes we visited for this field trip were really interesting. We were mostly near the water and it was cool to be able to just be there and take in both the birds and our surroundings. It was interesting how close to civilization these sites were, as we were walking distance from a mall and right next to the road. While walking we were literally steps away from falling into the water, and you could see San Quentin across from where we were. There were also a lot of shrubs nearby which had birds sitting both in and on them. There was land near the water too where some birds such as pelican were seen resting on.

Species Account:

Long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus)

The long-billed curlew was one of my favorite birds that I saw during the trip because of its long beak. It looked so silly and I had to take a double take as I could not believe that its beak actually looked like that. They’re so cute! The one in this photo that I took is an adult as it has sandy brownish plumage compared to the whiteish plumage of an immature one. They tend to forage for earthworms and deep-burrowing pray, which is where their long beak comes in handy. They tend to live in areas with short grasses, prairies, as well as agricultural fields. They tend to nest on the ground near rocks or pile of dirt. Something interesting is that there really isn’t a place where they are found year-round.

Narrative:

The drive to the marsh was pretty chill, and we got really lucky in that it barely rained during the trip. This is especially good as the forecast made it seem like we might have heavy rain. Once we arrived to our first marsh we stood there for a bit and looked around to see what birds would come by. This part of the trip was interesting as we were mostly stationary. We just stood there and kept an eye on what birds would come and go. We saw a lot of mallards and cool shore birds, with my favorite of the day being the long-billed curlew. After a bit of looking we made our way to the next marsh, which was really fun as it was a bit of a walk to get to it. We walked through a bunch of fennel to get there, which was overpowering the area with its smell. Once we made it to the marsh it was cool to take in how the path we were walking was right next to the water. It was calming to hear the water move beside us. We saw a few birds that would go into the marshes after being seen. The coolest part of the trip was how we first saw a Peregrine Falcon try to catch its lunch from a flock of birds, and how we saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk super close up as it tried to catch a bird. It was so close to us I thought it might crash into one of us or something. I was awe struck. Another highlight of the trip was getting In-n-Out with the class! It was really nice to be able to share a meal with everyone:)

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-billed_Curlew/maps-range