Field Journal #3

Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020

Location: Bolinas Bay, Marin, CA (37.90484, -122.65189)

Site descriptions: Our sighting locations were by the coast of Bolinas Bay. The area was marsh-like and mostly covered in water. Not many trees were nearby, but our main sightings were seabirds and mallards. Some of the key species included the American Wigeon, Long-billed Curlew, Snowy Egret, and Nothern Pintail.

Species account: A species we came across towards the end of the trip was the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). This species was easily observable because of its large size, long neck, and legs. The grey/dark-blue plumage was distinguishable along with its sharp yellow bill. When we came across this species, it remained still in the same spot in water for nearly 10 minutes with slight to no movement. Great Blue Herons often forage in shallow wetlands and wait for fish to spear with its long bill. Besides fish, herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They use their strong mandibles to grab prey in a quick, swift motion. This species regularly forages alone. Great Blue Herons nest mainly in trees. Males first settle on nest sites and court passing females, who have a clutch size of about 4-6 eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for 4 weeks.

Narrative: During this trip, we remained close to the coastline, along the wetlands of the Marin. We drove to a few spots around Bolinas Bay, many with the same type of wetland ecosystem. The weather was cloudy and the air was cold. We came across numerous species of ducks, which were difficult to distinguish at first, but after pointing out differences, we were able to identify more than five species. We were able to see an Osprey, which stayed perched on a wooden stake for a long period of time.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64424354?share=true

Work Cited:

“Great Blue Heron.” NatureMapping, naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/great_blue_heron_k6.html.

“Great Blue Heron Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory.

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