Depending on how much rain falls on Saturday, water levels in the main impoundment should be low all weekend as maintenance work continues on the pilings.
The Least Bittern was seen on Friday along the Marsh Discovery Trail. Friday morning we saw a Peregrine Falcon strafing gulls in the main impoundment, and Friday afternoon we saw a female Northern Harrier wheeling by the Trail.
On Friday we also saw umpteen Yellowlegs, a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers, Ruddies, Shovelers, and dozens of egrets and Great Blue Herons.
We have not seen a Sora or plover since Wednesday.
i saw a sora this afternoon, but not in the usual spot. entering the marsh discovery trail from the transco trail, along the “east pool”, i proceeded past the platform that faces the turnpike, and stopped on the platform that faces the buildings. looking to the left, i did not find any soras, where i had seen them before on several days.
i continued along, foregoing the bird blind at the end of the long boardwalk, and stopped at the next blind (on the right.) from this blind, there have lately been both snowy and great egrets, great blue herons, and various yellowlegs visible. just before actually entering the “building”, i scanned along the phrags on the immediate right, and observed a fairly cooperative sora within thirty feet.
on my way back along this trail half an hour later, i again had (presumably the same) sora, this time to left of the blind, again within a short distance.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pensandfeathers/3975133563/
in retrospect, if you feel this is too specific a description of the location, please delete. it didn’t occur to me until after i’d posted, and i can’t seem to delete or edit it myself.
given that soras have been present and relatively frequently seen over the past two weeks, it didn’t immediately occur to me to treat my description of their location more generally. reviewing posts to the blog when mentioning soras, i can’t tell if i’m being overly concerned or if i should have been more vague.