[EBB Sightings] Horned Grebe and Least Terns in Alameda

Dear E.B.Birders,

Today I went to the Boat Ramp in Alameda, off Central, near Encinal High, where Jean Richmond had reported (I believe on the bird box on 5/30) seeing LEAST TERNS.  There were a few individuals present, including a pair engaged in courtship feeding.

Next I stopped at the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary at Broadway & Shoreline where there was quite the lively scene in progress on the mud flats.  CASPIAN, FORSTER'S (with immatures), and LEAST TERNS (just a few) were all present, along with lots of BROWN PELICANS (mostly immatures), and California and Western GULLS and 1 Glaucous-winged.

>From the sanctuary, I walked southeast along the dirt path to a viewing platform, which is where I found the HORNED GREBE.  (Took me awhile to figure out what on earth it was.)

By the way, it seems that the birds congregate at low tide on mud flats near Bay Farm Island and then, as the tide rises, move to mud flats closer to Alameda (where the light is pretty bad after midday).  I drove back and forth a couple of times to get better looks, and that seemed to be what was going on.

Good birding,
Emily Serkin
Castro Valley