UNDERWATER TRACKING: SUNDAY SIT SPOT REPORT

Three highlights today were tracks, magpie nest, California Towhees hanging out. The underwater tracks from the egrets and raccoons were especially clear and fun to see.

I had fun comparing tracks of greater egret to snowy. All the raccoon tracks we found were 2x2 style with a front paw next to a back paw.

I don't see California Towhees as much as other birds. Kiddo and I were throwing rocks into water and doing kid stuff on first beach and these two towhees just strolled through foraging. They didn't seem to mind us much at all and eventually flew off when kiddo thought he'd walk right up to one and say hi.

We noticed little birds do the hook when we walked under the almond tree and while playing chase on the main trail in, we created a quail plow (sorry quails).

As we were leaving we saw magpies in the parking lot as we always do. I stumbled upon some info on magpies recently and learned that people travel here just to see these birds! (they seem very common to me and were one of the first birds I learned to recognize because they are distinctive!). I also learned that they make huge orb shaped nests. Well today highlight three was seeing two magpies fly up together to land right next to each other on a branch of the sycamore tree just below a nest. Then they each disappeared into the bottom of the nest! They flew out a few minutes later and went back down to the grass and walked around.

• Arrived at 8:45 (but first visit since we sprung ahead for DST)

• Down to the beach by 9:15

• No one on the snag the whole time!

• Redbuds, periwinkle, wild radish blooming

• Black (with some blue) butterflies everywhere

• Frog croaking on arrival

• Swallows at almond tree and over the river

• Turkey vultures, two hawks playing together, many geese, coots, ducks, one great egret, one snowy egret (are these guys friends? they seem to hang out somewhat regularly), acorn woodpeckers, bushtits, two California towhees walking /foraging nonchalantly on the beach pretty close to us.

• Great early morning sunlight illuminating underwater and beach tracks.

• Little gnat like bugs thick under almond tree and in shade of oak at beginning of trail on way in.

• Sort of windy