Date: 10/16/26 11:10 pm From: Howard Friedman via groups.io <howardnfriedman...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Flat tires, heroes, and amazing peope-Birding Arrowhead Marsh
Adventure, I like to think of our birding trips as adventures. We never know what we will see or hear and sometimes there are experiences that are not what we expect at all. The trip started with me heading north on Interstate 880 with the intention of being an hour early to scout the area and have some ideas about where we’d begin the walk. Well, I am in the number two lane with cars and trucks zipping by at super high rates of speed. All of a sudden the car starts shuddering and shaking really hard. I pulled over knowing I had a flat. Getting to the shoulder was intense to say the least. My front left tire popped from the sidewall. I had no spare tire! That is how many newer cars are designed. I called CSAA for a tow. Well that worked out. I got the tow home without me having to be present.
I then thought about the trip, which I had to lead in 40 minutes. I called Linda Pors to see if she had Dan Bloch’s phone number. Thanks for doing your best Linda. Time was of the essence. Dan was my co-lead (and future super hero) for the trip to Arrowhead Marsh. I had to get in touch with him immediately. Calling Linda was a good intention, but a dead end. Hmmm, I thought to call Carolyn Knight (My Knight in shining armor) who texted me Dan’s phone number in seconds. Unbelievably enough he was minutes behind me. Dan picked me up where the tow truck driver dropped me off at the next exit at a gas station. Needless to say, we were pretty much right on time to begin the trip.
Our group was down a few members, but the group was excited and really positive about our prospects. Prior to our arrival, everyone had already identified a Western Willet and a Black-billed Plover right away, both being very close to us. Off in the distance on the sound were three Western Grebes and a Clark’s Grebe floating on the calmest water. Several Western Gull were out on the sound as well, just chillin’.
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Not too soon after that, we began moving along the western channel, then some Rigway’s Rails began calling in unfamiliar numbers. My guess was no fewer than 7 were cackling. From the Chordgrass on the opposite side another half dozen or more were calling back! A few squadrons of California Brown Pelicans cruised by on the search for food. Although there weren’t as many birds on the channel, the few species that were present put on quite a show. The nice surprises in the sound were a solo Common Murre and a Caspian Tern diving for its meal.
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What I find interesting about Arrowhead Marsh is the proximity to so much industrialization, with the Oakland Airport nearby, the Coliseum Complex and industrial warehouses all around the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Regional Park. Somehow, nature, assisted by human science has allowed this oasis to flourish. One of our team had an amazing handheld monocular that assisted us in finding many of the birds on the far shore. There among the Canada Geese was a Cackling Goose and a Brant! A pair of Black Oystercatchers flew by. Also, along the shore were a small omniscience of Marbled Godwits and flock of Western Willets. On our side of the channel we discovered a Spotted Sandpiper bobbing about while feeding. Walking south we spotted a Black Turnstone on the shoreline picking at the riprap. Scanning the trees in the grassy picnic areas, we spied a Cooper’s Hawk hunting for the morning meal.
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In the grassy picnic areas, White-crowned Sparrows, Black Phoebes, Say’s Phoebes were busy feeding, scattering as we approached them. Heading east across the drier uplands were a Song Sparrow, some Golden and White-crowned Sparrows, a Black Phoebe, and the one Northern Mockingbird seen on this trip. When we got to the east channel, we found ten Blue-winged Teal in their breeding plumage. Nine were male and only one female/juvenile were present. As we neared the end of our trip the Rigway’s Rails began calling again. There had to be more than ten calling close by! Amazingly enough, we saw two of them lift off. They quickly hid again in the Chordgrass. Once we came to the end of the journey ,finishing up where we started, we found three Eared Grebes in the calm water close by.
This was truly an amazing trip. I have to thank Dan Bloch for his kindness, timing, generosity, and skills for helping with the trip, especially carrying my scope. Thank you to Hemant and Hemali for the ride back to San Jose. You were instrumental, compassionate, and kind for helping me out. Thank you to all the participants for your company and good humor. I look forward to seeing you all again in the field or on a trip.
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
