Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Albany Bulb Redux . . . Starring Geese & Pelicans & Tons of Other Birds

Sunset over the Marin Headlands

Long-neglected and abused,
and lately rehabbed,
the tiny parcel of land
dubbed the Albany Bulb
is an endless source
of amusement and adventure.

Breathtaking scenery looking toward Mount Tamalpais

No matter which way you cast your gaze,
million dollar views punctuate
world-famous, drop-dead gorgeous
panoramas of natural beauty:

Mudflats looking southeast toward Albany and Berkeley

From the shimmering Bay
to San Francisco's glittering skyline,
Angel Island, the Marin Headlands,
iconic Golden Gate Bridge
and resplendent Mount Tamalpais.

Never tire of the sights and attractions

For nature lovers and dog owners,
casual strollers and everyday out 'n abouters,
the reclaimed peninsula is a haven
for exploring and sight-seeing.

Eyes of the world

A regular old slice of heaven and refuge
on the edge of urban sprawl
bordering factories and warehouses
and a roaring 10-lane freeway of non-stop traffic,
but mostly you'd never know it!

Codornices Creek's final journey to the Bay from the Berkeley Hills

Fortunately, the Bulb sticks out into San Francisco Bay far enough where the noise and eyesores are not noticeable, but along the marsh and mudflats, where three East Bay creeks drain, the presence of so much negative energy is hard to ignore.

Great Blue Heron crouching down beside the Bay

But, hey, the birds don't seem to mind one bit, so busy are they occupied by their industrious searches for food afforded when the tide recedes and exposes geometric patterns of textured raised mud beds.

Albany / SF Bay mudflats exposing nutrient-rich biome

It is a veritable smorgasbord for thousands of individual birds, perhaps over 30 different species converging in the area to take advantage of the rich pickings.

Curvaceous San Francisco Bay hugging the Bulb shoreline

Once a dumping ground for industrial detritus left over from the Bay Area's post-WW II construction boom, the Bulb has since been rehabbed and nurtured into a green splotch of elevated scrub land studded with trees and surrounded by rock strewn shoreline.

Great White Egret scoping out possibilities

The Bulb is also an outdoor art museum, littered with quirky sculptures and bizarre rock paintings, resembling a mini sandbox for creative Burning Man expressions.

Rough-hewn bird sculpture

More importantly, germane to this blog, the Bulb is a phenomenal place to observe birds. Here, shorebirds, perching birds, soaring birds, all manner of birds, congregate at the Bulb
.

When the tide's out, the birds turn out in droves

In incomprehensible numbers along the shoreline, in dizzying murmurations over the mudflats, in frenzied flocks of Finches in bushes and small trees, everywhere you turn, there are birds to see!

Vibrant colors and serenity of the waning day

What follows are some of my favorite shots
of the various birds I've been fortunate
to encounter and photograph at the Bulb.

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron
just sitting on a cement embankment not a stone's throw from I-80
looking every bit as content and at home in "the wild"
as though spotted at Point Reyes National Seashore

White-tailed Kite
a beautiful raptor I came upon perched in a treetop
with some dead bit of provender
he later flew off with it clutched in his talons
perhaps headed to a high nest somewhere
to nourish a young hungry brood

Marbled Godwits and Whimbrels
in flight lifting off from the mudflats
where they'd been feeding on microbiota
dredged up from tidal action

Snowy Egrets
wondering what to think about
the Mallard encroaching upon their territory

Great White Egret
stalking shallow waters of mudflats
exposing raised geometric patterns
rich with worms, invertebrates, snakes and frogs

Anna's Hummingbird
with fan tail and wings in abstract motion
creating a special kind of uplift
unique to Hummingbirds

Red-winged Blackbird
waiting for mate to return
usually they flock in droves
creating spectacular murmurations
turning and twisting in the sky
flashing their red markings

Finch
reaching for some tasty tidbit
they love to flock in large bunches
flying about from tree to tree
bush to bush
seeking seeds and berries
that abound at the Bulb

Fox Sparrow
fairly common Bulb resident
livening things up with their vocalizations
their sweet whistling calls

Whimbrel
a funny looking bird
with a scimitar like beak
a specialized curved "utensil"
for foraging in tiny holes and cracks
in the mudflats and beneath rocks

Anna's Hummingbird
tiny witness to
dramatic backdrop of Mount Tamalpais

Black-crowned Night Heron
juvenile hunter stalking
learning the trade of survival

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
out 'n about, frisky as heck
makin' the rounds in search
of food and perhaps a mate

Brown Pelican
once on the brink of extinction
ready to dive bomb for a meal
capable of descending in water 20 feet
to scoop up fishy edibles in their big gullets

Golden-crowned Sparrow
flocks in large numbers
ground feeding for seeds and worms
in rich soil habitat at the Bulb

Anna's Hummingbird
baring her flaming purple gorget
enveloping entire head
amazing spectacle of polychromatic wizardry

Finches
mates perching atop brushy foliage
when the light strikes them just right
revealing tropical-like colors
of otherwise prosaic but always pretty bird
s

White-crowned Sparrow
(Dark-lored Adult)
flocking, ground-feeding pretty bird
always a joy to spot them

Mallard
resting in the grass
taking in the world

Canada Goose
framed in triptych of blending colors

American Avocets
feeding on rich picking in mudflats
Northern Shoveler in view

Northern Mockingbird
they love the Bulb
more than any other in East Bay Wild
lively, mocking birds seen engaging crows
bullying smaller birds for rights to the best berry bushes
sitting atop their domain
tweeting out to the world:
don't mess with me

Sandpipers
gathering on rock in bay
fantastic flocks of them
murmurations of them
hovering gracefully over the mudflats

Black Phoebe
perched on snag of rusting art installation
abandoned in small inlet of bay

Western Grebe
plying smooth bay waters
later seen engaged
in elaborate synchronized courtship display

Coots
swimming peacefully together
in shimmery blue waters

Snowy Egret
familiar denizen of wetlands and marshes

Anna's Hummingbird
perched on a thin branch tip
a magical extension of a colorful wand

Gray Pelicans and Gull
co-existing in time and space

Great Blue Heron
wading in the golden light of dusk

Shorebirds
in their mudflat milieu
feeding and playing

Golden-crowned Sparrows
couple of lovebirds

Sanderling
in a moment of calm
along the peaceful shoreline

Anna's Hummingbird
perched in repose one second
gone the next
in a flash of glittery flight

Heron and Ducks
nothing much going on
except everything
in their aquatic world

Snowy Egret
Adept stalker of the marshes
Patience rewards the hungry hunter

Belted Kingfisher
gracefully darting here and there
expertly diving from your perch
to haul in your
catch of the moment

American Pipit
ground feeder
seed eater
a new bird for me today

Ducks and Shorebirds
congregating
amassing
in avian conviviality

Cormorant
often flamboyant
beautiful diver and swimmer

Snowy Egret
in never-ending search
for sustenance

Avocets
peacefully feeding
in beautiful scene

Common Goldeneye
nothing common
about this little lovely

Osprey
prey is part of the name
of this powerful raptor
keenly aware of his
environment and surroundings

Gambolin' Man
birding at the Bulb
always on the lookout
eyeballs peeled
to make a connection
to experience the mystery
to feel in the magic
to revel in the majesty
of every miracle
large and small
magnificent and minute

Read more bird-related essays
from Gambolin' Man's bird blog
about Albany Bulb & the San Francisco Bay shoreline:




Northern Pintail
first sighting at Albany Bulb

Check out Gambolin' Man's post on Albany Bulb:


White-tailed Kite
checking on mate

Check out Gambolin' Man's FLICKR albums
on hundreds of BULB landscape, art and birding scenes:

San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais
viewed from the Bulb

Take your choice of 46 live-action videos
of various birding & outdoor adventure scenes
from Albany Bulb & shoreline areas:


Cross-legged Whimbrel