Pelican Way, San Rafael - Feb. 24, 2010

Walking Distance: 2 miles (estimate)
Walking Time: 1 hr., 25 min. (4:30 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Pelican Way, end of cul-de-sac, near 150 Pelican Way, San Rafael, CA

Lots of bird life by Shoreline Park. Acacia trees were in full bloom (see image).

I stopped and took pictures of a sunset over a lagoon/pond (pictured), while a cormorant swam around and dined on several little fish. This was the first time I used my iPhone to try to record some sounds of the Bay. Other than picking up some wind noise, when I was trying to record the red-winged blackbirds, it worked surprisingly well. (Unfortunately, this audio memo file format doesn't upload right now.)

Wildlife Sightings:
39 ducks; 7 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 sea gulls; 15 American avocets; 3 black-necked stilts; 1 great blue heron; 9 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 2 great egrets; 1 coot; 1 snowy egret; 2 crows; 1 Western grebe; 1 hummingbird; 2 red-winged blackbirds; 1 cormorant; 3 doves; and a cloud of gnats

India Basin Shoreline Park - Nov. 26, 2009

Walking Distance: 2.69 miles
Walking Time: 1 hour, 12 min. (2:41 - 3:53 p.m.)
Start & End Point: India Basin Shoreline Park, parking lot, San Francisco, CA

The weather stayed sunny for our second walk today, but cooled off quickly as the sun went down. Alec & I re-parked (near India Basin Shoreline Park playground area) and walked the upper segment of this (red line) trail, past the old PG&E facility, and out to the end of Heron's Head Point (Park), and back. The Point offers some nice views across the Bay, and of large ship/port activity (to the North). It was quiet due to the holiday (U.S. Thanksgiving), and there were only a few other people, out walking their dogs.

By the end of the afternoon, we had worked up an appetite, and went home to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, and bake a few pies (pecan and pumpkin).

Wildlife Sightings:
14 Canada geese on playground grass; 1 hummingbird; 1 black and white cat; 34 little brown jobs (LBJs); 7 coots; 85 ducks; 60 sea gulls; 3 American avocets; 4 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 2 pigeons; 3 snowy egrets; 3 cormorants; 1 great blue heron; 3 Western grebes; and 2 black oystercatchers, with orange beaks, that cried & flew away.