Menlo Park - Dec. 30, '11

Walking Distance: 3.9 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 1 hr., 59 min. (2:05 - 4:04 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parking space, west end of Dumbarton Bridge, Menlo Park, CA

I parked at the same parking area that I did a few days ago -- at the foot of the Dumbarton Bridge (Menlo Park side) in an area marked by a "P" on the Bay Trail map. This time I walked southwest on a combined bike path/trail (shown as a solid, red line on the Bay Trail Map), along Highway 84, enjoying views of the new and old Dumbarton Bridges, and American avocets, egrets, little sandpipers, and other birds wading in the shallows of the Bay.

Note: part of the trail on today's walk was close to car and truck traffic that was hurtling forward at a good speed; so, know your route, and plan accordingly.

I turned right when I reached University Avenue -- a short section of trail that was little more than a packed dirt path/shoulder (depicted as red parallel lines on map). I turned around after passing a set of old train tracks. After walking back to Highway 84/Bayfront Expressway, I continued west on an asphalt bike/pedestrian path along Highway 84/Bayfront Expressway to the intersection with Willow Road. I crossed the road at the light, toward what recently became Facebook's corporate headquarters (the old Sun Microsystems campus).

I decided to walk the paved (asphalt) loop trail around the Facebook campus (not part of the Bay Trail, and not shown on the Bay Trail map). I passed a black cat, hunting for food in the grasses by the water. This trail, adorned by pine trees along the way, went out toward the baylands, and came back around to Highway 84/Bayfront Expressway.


I walked through a small public parking lot (10+ spots) at the east end of the Facebook campus (not shown on Bay Trail map), and nearby I crossed Highway 84 at a stoplight/intersection with University Avenue, then walked east, back to the car.

Wildlife Sightings:
33 little brown jobs (LBJs); 6 cormorants; 67 sea gulls; 2 great egrets, 1 snowy egret; 63 ducks; 7 coots; 116 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs); 18 little (sandpipers); 20 black-necked stilts; 1 great blue heron; 90 American Avocets; 2 ground squirrels; 1 black cat (feral); 1 dead wild cat; 10 Canada geese; 1 bumblebee (very slowly ambling along on asphalt trail).

Ravenswood SF2 - Dec. 28, '11

Walking Distance: 1.4 mi.
Walking Time: 1 hr., 00 min. (4:24 - 5:24 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parking area, west end of Dumbarton Bridge; Menlo Park, CA

I found a place to park -- among the remaining traces and trappings of construction -- at the foot of the Dumbarton Bridge (Menlo Park end). I walked south, past the Cargill keep out signs on one side, along a fairly new, packed dirt, short spur trail (shown as a red line on the Bay Trail map).

I enjoyed scenic views of the Bay to the East, and the Dumbarton Bridge arching up and over, toward the East Bay. And a bit further south was the old Dumbarton bridge, still mostly intact.


Interpretive signs along this trail are yet to be completely installed. But, there were enough signs to get the drift of the work that had been done in the way of habitat restoration in this area, part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

This Ravenswood "SF2" section of trail turned slightly right/west until it came to an end at a closed gate/fence. I then walked back the way I'd come.

From this trail one can spot several man made islands that now serve as nesting grounds for wild birds.

It was a great evening for sunset watching. This area was far enough out into the baylands, so that there were no buildings to block the view.
Golden light that made everything beautiful -- even some weeds highlighted against a board wall. Beautiful light is undeniable.

Wildlife Sightings:
1 great blue heron; 8 little brown jobs (LBJs); 2 snowy egrets, 1 great egret; 71 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs) + 20 little sandpipers + 16 willets; 63 ducks; 9 sea gulls; 44 American Avocets; 1 kite (bird) hovering in distance; 2 cormorants; 1 Western/Clarks grebe

Ravenswood, Palo Alto - Dec. 26, '11

Walking Distance: 3.0 mi.
Walking Time: 1 hr., 23 min. (9:40 - 11:03 a.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Baylands Athletic Center, Palo Alto, CA

Today's walk in the Palo Alto Baylands -- along a combination asphalt and packed dirt trail (shown as a red line on the Bay Trail map) in East Palo Alto/Ravenswood South trail -- was cut short due to a closed section in trail.


There was a slight overlap with a previous walk when I began this walk from the parking lot at the Baylands Athletic Center (at the end of Geng Road, off Embarcadero) and journeyed north to the San Francisquito Creek Trail toward Ravenswood.

I walked northish, following the combined bicycle/pedestrian asphalt trail - over a bridge, passing a golf course to the right/east. As is customary in this area, Canada geese had taken up residence on the course. I continued along a packed dirt/gravel, which narrowed further until this packed dirt path led to a fence with a "closed" sign/gate. The Ravenswood South trail was temporarily closed for construction around Cooley Landing (peninsula). This section was estimated to be re-opened sometime in the summer of 2012.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera; so the only two pictures that I have, of this somewhat drab winter landscape -- on a somewhat hazy day, full of palette grays and browns -- were taken two days before today's walk, when the sun was shining.

Wildlife Sightings:
77 little brown jobs (LBJs); 45 Canada geese; 9 crows; 7 sea gulls; 32 ducks; 13 coots; 2 snowy egrets, 1 great egret; 10 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs); 25 pigeons; 1 black cat (status unclear); 1 hawk (red-tailed?) on tower; 4 black-necked stilts; 1 blue jay; 1 hummingbird

Byxbee Park, Dec. 25, '11

Walking Distance: 3.2 mi. (~2.9 mi. "new" miles)
Walking Time: 1 hr., 25 min. (3:28 - 4:53 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Side of the road, near entrance to Byxbee Park, Palo Alto, CA

After a very pleasant Christmas morning, I went walking at Byxbee Park -- a converted former garbage dump (like many bayside parks). Packed dirt trails circled and covered the hills and mounds that were molded into a park-like setting, with sculptural features (primarily in the form of poles sticking up from the hills) at even intervals.

Previously, I had been focusing on these poles on the hill, and I turned right, before I should have, taking the Adobe Creek Loop Trail -- which went out to Renzel Wetlands.



So, this time I was careful to walk further out to the Bay and then Right following the trail closer to Bay - walked SE along packed dirt trail until I reached an interpretive sign titled "Interrelationships" showing the web of relationships in the baylands.

It was a cool, but clear day. The winter landscape had started to look a bit gray, and I found my eye lingering on the few bright bits of color  -- such as the small yellow blossom (shown at right).

I walked back same way I'd come, passing several people out for a holiday walk, or bicycle ride, and a very cute little dog in a santa suit out for a walk with its owner. There were a number of shorebirds and ducks in the bay visible from this trail.

Wildlife Sightings:
48 sea gulls; 172 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs); 1 willet; 4 black-necked stilts; 173 ducks; 2 killdeer; 30 coots; 6 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 crows; 1 UFO diver/grebe; 2 hawks/kestrels/falcons; 53 American Avocets; 1 kite (bird); 4 cormorants; 2 white snails 

Palo Alto Airport - Dec. 24, 2011

Walking Distance: 3.0 mi. (1.8 = "new" miles)
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 12 min. (2:30 - 4:42 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, Palo Alto, CA

Today I was joined by family in town for the holidays. Thanks to mom, sister Lisa and nieces and nephews for accompanying me on the packed dirt portion of this loop trail (shown as red line on the Bay Trail map shown at right).

We walked from the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center, which was located at the end of Embarcadero Road, past the Duck Pond.

We headed (northish) on the packed dirt portion of this trail, around the Palo Alto Airport. We stopped at the point where we were even with the end of the runway and watched small planes take off above us.

I continued to walk around this loop (red line on Bay Trail map), around the golf course to the Baylands Athletic Center, to Geng Rd., to Embarcadero Rd., past the Duck Pond (pictured), and back to the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center parking lot. Some of this loop (along Geng and Embarcadero) I'd actually covered already earlier today. After saying good-bye to family, I decided to visit "Rail Alley" behind the Interpretive Center.

The California Clapper Rail is an endangered bird that lives in very few places around the Bay; and in part because of its rarity and brownish coloring, it can be hard to spot. The clapper rail's relatively loud and distinctive cry/call is what birders are often more familiar with. Sightings are rare.

So, when I walked along the wood plank pier to Rail Alley behind the Interpretive Center, I wasn't expecting much. However, there were two clapper rails mucking about in the mud at low tide, and feeding on -- or at least poking around -- shells/shellfish with their beaks. It was a rare treat to see (and hear) them.

Wildlife Sightings:
2 killdeer; 1 kite; 220 ducks; 45 sea gulls; 58 unidentified brownish birds (UBBs); 10 American Avocets; 3 black-necked stilts; 1 great egret; 28 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 cormorants; 2 California Clapper Rails