My first week in the United States as an expatriate. Normally, I’d be dealing with things like applying for a Social Security Card and various procedures, but with the unfamiliarity of life here, it doesn’t feel like there’s time for that. I want to head out into the field right away (don’t worry, I’m handling everything properly). While I don’t have a formal license, I can drive a car, at least in theory.
A map of the San Francisco area. This covers roughly a radius of about 100km. Since I’m completely unfamiliar with the area, I’ll start by exploring the vicinity within this range.An enlarged view centered around the western side of San Francisco Bay. This area is known as Silicon Valley. The bay features numerous mudflats, making it a major stopover for shorebirds. Additionally, the western side of the peninsula is characterized by relatively moist forested areas, offering diverse ecosystems including coastal regions.
Now, for my inaugural field trip, I’ve chosen the Dumbarton Bridge Vista Point and Trail. It’s located at the southeastern end of the two bridges spanning the bay, known as the Dumbarton Bridge, at their base.
The view from the parking lot. By Japanese standards, the density of birds here is quite high. The loud sound of terns can be heard.A large number of terns hover repeatedly while searching for food in the water as they move.Forster’s Tern | Nikon Z8 + 500mm f5.6 PFAt first glance, it resembles a Forster’s Tern, but it’s considerably larger and its vivid orange bill stands out, making it exceptionally beautiful. It’s the Caspian Tern, the world’s largest tern.In the distant sandbars, there seem to be numerous members of the Caspian Tern, as well as various species of gulls. They’re too far away to see clearly.
