Spring Twilight at the Sewer Ponds

From Birds090502

If we had not spent the previous evening at a wonderful cabaret, I'd think we were off our game, heading for the Redwood Shores sewer ponds at twilight on a Saturday night. But we were in luck.

The egrets -- there had been 80 of them clustered on the shore a few weeks ago -- had taken to the trees and were flying back and forth, when they weren't dotted like cotton balls on the dark foliage.

From Birds090502

There was the usual line of shorebirds, chilling out in the pond while the tide withdrew to reveal more grubs.

From Birds090502

Up on the levee Bay Trail, goslings were taking their first outings under the watchful parental eyes. One could almost overlook the goose turds littering the trail. Are the geese driving out the endangered clapper rails? Or, by littering the trail with poop, have they discouraged the joggers and brought the clapper rails some solitude?

From Birds090502

Back at the pond, some pintail ducks were in a great territorial altercation. Don't tell Eckhart Tolle, who has a great inspirational passage about how ducks, when they are upset, flap their wings and get over it. These ducks were so not getting over it, for about 15 minutes.

From Birds090502

A flotilla of ducklings were scudding along with momma and poppa, breaking away and returning in a dance.

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A very large jackrabbit with long ears appeared on the shore.

From Birds090502

We checked out the farther pond. A young night heron and a mature one were both perched on the near shore. Further out on an islet, terns were hovering in that helicopter-like way they do.

We were there for 90 minutes. The little real-life dramas are better than the movies. At least when the evenings are mild in May.