[EBB Sightings] more about the Delta Trip

Dear Birders:

Once again Bob Lewis put together a rewarding birding trip. Originally
scheduled for the previous Friday and cancelled because of rain,
yesterday's rescheduled trip offered up the best of early spring
weather.  Thirty of us spread out over the boat and even before leaving
the Antioch Marina, we were rewarded with close looks at Common
Moorhens -- the males with their vermilion beaks -- a Green Heron
standing among the rushes, and a bevy(?) of five river otters.

We travelled east, sometimes with levees close on either side, other
times across open water, but always with the double bulk of Mount
Diablo as a point of reference. Ahead, on this clear day, the Sierra
Nevada range revealed white snow under the edge of its cloud bank.

The best birding views were from the upper deck where Bob directed our
attention to the various birds along the way.  The largest numbers were
the geese, shorebirds, and the long-legged Sandhill Cranes feeding in
the fields beyond the levees. Raptors (see Bob's list) are always
abundant in this rodent-rich landscape. Both returning Tree and Cliff
Swallows gave the sky a certain liveliness.
 
At the helm, Captain Ronn, who knows the Delta intimately, provided not
only specific information about bird and plant life (two copies of
Sibley are at the ready on the shelf about the wheel) but fascinating
information about the Delta itself. Stepping into the cabin was like
entering a well-stocked natural history library, and a welcome refuge
from the bright, breezy open decks. 

We were back in the Marina by 4pm, refreshed by sun and Delta breezes,
with new knowledge of a landscape unfamiliar to many of us.

Phila Rogers  






 
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