[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt and Arrowhead Marsh Sunday

The Mount Diablo Audubon Society had a field trip to Oakland Sunday to visit 
Lake Merritt and to take advantage of the high tide at Arrowhead Marsh. 
Sorry for the late posting.

We found numerous ducks at the lake, but dipped on the Barrow's Goldeneyes. 
We did not check the western corner where the channel connects the lake to 
the estuary.  The Tufted Duck was at the extreme east end of the lake, 
eventually swimming under the divider and entering the area with the 
fountain in front of the pergola.

At Arrowhead Marsh, we enjoyed many rails out on the matted grasses, both 
Clapper Rails and Soras.  The boardwalk was packed with Marbled Godwits, 
Willets, some Black Turnstones and dowitchers. As we were leaving, a 
Virginia Rail flew along the edge.  We all waited patiently and eventually 
most of our group saw it and another which joined it.

The last of us were shown a Burrowing Owl out in the mitigation area behind 
the fence.  Altogether we had more than 65 species.

Hugh B. Harvey