Walking Distance: 3.1 mi.
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 17 min. (9:49 a.m. - 12:06 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Environmental Education Center, Alviso/North San Jose, CA
Today I returned to finish walking the Mallard Slough Trail - starting at the SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center at the end of Grand Blvd., in N. San Jose/Alviso area.
Yesterday, I had to cut the walk up the east side of this loop trail (not shown on this Bay Trail map -- but it lies to the east of the larger Alviso Slough loop trail -- which is shown as solid red line on map). Today I walked up the west side of the Mallard Slough trail and after a little more than 3 miles I reached the top of this loop -- with views of the now abandoned settlement of Drawbridge on Station Island (top right corner of map). And I got a better/closer look at the tops of some abandoned wooden structures, across a channel.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwE9Khh1KdPggdeQ5LlyF8-Y0yoIsC2OUoDWpMi6gFfIydsPlY5090nMdM027N4b7X9Ca2Z1QGpCblhyphenhyphenTxjLdo2Sikesa6fGSm1eCvp9dhBfLHfJVt2VOjcJ5MRSefCtM1rz5z3jIcdc/s200/MallardSlough.MyFavortMtn.Bay.8.20.11.600.jpg)
Fortunately, I arrived at this vantage point at the same time that a docent-led tour was being given in this same location. I was able to hear a few interesting facts about historic Drawbridge. Once a thriving community of residents and weekend hunters, and an area rich in shrimp and oysters, several factors led to its eventual decline: development, over-pumping of groundwater (which caused buildings to sink), and encroachment of the salt industry were a few of the challenges. The last resident left in 1979.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yqz7kHHq7EVY_VzPDLrxuDgQcf8FmFCSeD9o-SEzlRTZjuW2K1yPyXxjsBy26Jp3IRxl0fwj0whWD5kRI_rCmYWk_qH_SKFTOLEwmRPfGjHMyyJi5E0R1NiMYm9YAf0_1Do7tUD6Nug/s200/MallardSloughVanWindwView.8.20.11.600.jpg)
I was able to ride back to the Environmental Education Center in one of the tour vans. I'm including a photo of a view through the van window. Still a beautiful view, but I think it's a good example of how much more one can see on foot.
As with yesterday's walk in this same area, there were lots of birds to see, including a boatload of white pelicans and one lone brown pelican, successfully fishing for lunch. As usual, my rather unscientific account of wildlife spotted is published below. It's a shame to think that at least part of this trail might be closed in the future.
Wildlife Sightings:
1 orange and black butterfly; 2 fuzzy caterpillars; 8 white butterflies; 1 black and yellow butterfly; 1 coot; 2 crows; 1 UFO grebe/diver; 21 willets (or maybe some godwits); 52 Canada geese; 65 swallows (2 kinds); 4 little brown jobs (LBJs); 25 black-necked stilts; 19 great egrets, 41 snowy egrets; 50 white pelicans, 1 brown pelican; 62 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs), 28 tiny UBBs; 16 American Avocets; 7 ducks; 25 cormorants; 10 terns; 1 cloud of ankle gnats (near hunting sign); 1 turkey vulture
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 17 min. (9:49 a.m. - 12:06 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Environmental Education Center, Alviso/North San Jose, CA
Today I returned to finish walking the Mallard Slough Trail - starting at the SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center at the end of Grand Blvd., in N. San Jose/Alviso area.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxYRKKoJZTUaGpMwLj7UV5WGtX0ShYIUa8qGLfsCLmX2EewuEK43Si8U3XUkKvcMA739FOlRRus-ofyqpgXzj9ak-WRejywgHHhyphenhyphen7rNLfUfiMmbwq4q82kniRoOfCV8WNtsQbvKXFehM/s200/MallardSlough.BirdFeathers.H20.Hills.8.20.11.600.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwE9Khh1KdPggdeQ5LlyF8-Y0yoIsC2OUoDWpMi6gFfIydsPlY5090nMdM027N4b7X9Ca2Z1QGpCblhyphenhyphenTxjLdo2Sikesa6fGSm1eCvp9dhBfLHfJVt2VOjcJ5MRSefCtM1rz5z3jIcdc/s200/MallardSlough.MyFavortMtn.Bay.8.20.11.600.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7wEt_wFLuhkjkkX1b3lvq1jjeUC9AsPmfV6TqekYgJydX0j1oR2UwcQmt3ntQEtIxA96uodyA2dWAq0kBZTNwRUw6CcPizsI4B3B8KUD14_-Y9VokaBM7l9y43qeETN2SOA1z7dqz8s/s200/Drawbridge.ViewFrAcrssChannelHouse.8.20.11.600.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yqz7kHHq7EVY_VzPDLrxuDgQcf8FmFCSeD9o-SEzlRTZjuW2K1yPyXxjsBy26Jp3IRxl0fwj0whWD5kRI_rCmYWk_qH_SKFTOLEwmRPfGjHMyyJi5E0R1NiMYm9YAf0_1Do7tUD6Nug/s200/MallardSloughVanWindwView.8.20.11.600.jpg)
I was able to ride back to the Environmental Education Center in one of the tour vans. I'm including a photo of a view through the van window. Still a beautiful view, but I think it's a good example of how much more one can see on foot.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdx9HJuh25rQRmiN6bzTAwp3xiiTtVW6amckRZic0VgXHR7WkkjQwPUFYctOfBKv3iNWzPnrSypexuuURjlG-Q1VLT7m3LaqpciAtboJolpn3oL8NkZI3NeQ0VIym6gEPbWBohKVl_FQ/s200/MallardSlough.PelicanBeakLunch.8.20.11.600.jpg)
Wildlife Sightings:
1 orange and black butterfly; 2 fuzzy caterpillars; 8 white butterflies; 1 black and yellow butterfly; 1 coot; 2 crows; 1 UFO grebe/diver; 21 willets (or maybe some godwits); 52 Canada geese; 65 swallows (2 kinds); 4 little brown jobs (LBJs); 25 black-necked stilts; 19 great egrets, 41 snowy egrets; 50 white pelicans, 1 brown pelican; 62 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs), 28 tiny UBBs; 16 American Avocets; 7 ducks; 25 cormorants; 10 terns; 1 cloud of ankle gnats (near hunting sign); 1 turkey vulture
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