[EBB Sightings] American bittern, sora, and Ross's geese at Lake Elizabeth

Around 1:30 today, my friend spotted an American bittern well-camouflaged in the reeds on the east side of New Marsh, the small pond on the northeast side of Lake Elizabeth in Fremont's Central Park.  The bird stayed, preening and looking around, for about 40 minutes - long enough for my friend's daughter to bicycle over to the lake with a camera! Unfortunately, my scope was at home, and the camera doesn't have much of a zoom lens.  The best of the lot can be seen here:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/AMBI1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/AMBI6.jpg

We drifted off to see if the two Ross's geese were still around and promptly found them on the lawn near New Marsh:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/ROSS1.jpg

By the time we got back to New Marsh some 20 minutes had passed, and we could not re-find the bittern.  However, a sora had now appeared standing knee-deep in the water up against the reeds on the northern end of the pond.  The sora then took to swimming in and out of the reeds for about 10 minutes before disappearing from view.  We have no usable photos of the sora.

To get to New Marsh, take I-880 south to Stevenson Blvd in Fremont. Go east on Stevenson about three and a half miles, crossing Paseo Padre Pkwy and staying on Stevenson as you pass the library, police station, animal shelter, etc.  Turn right on Gallaudet Dr and park in the lot near the tennis courts. Follow the path south towards the lake, past the red restrooms, and you'll come to New Marsh.  The Ross's geese have been hanging out with the Canada geese on the lawn north of the pond. 

Stephanie Floyd
Fremont