There are many other nature reserves and parks around Dumbarton Bridge that I recently visited. Since they all seem good for observing tidal flats, I’ll explore them one by one.
This time, I came to Ravenswood Open Space Preserve, which is very close to the bridge.
There is a small park called Cooley Landing Park that juts out into the tidal flats. There seems to be a visitor center, but it was closed.Rock Doves look the same no matter where you see them. Maybe there are regional differences if examined closely.The tidal flats are bustling with many shorebirds.The smallest among those I observed was the Western Sandpiper. It is widely seen in North America.There were also Dunlins. You can see that the Western Sandpiper is slightly smaller. Dunlins are widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, so they can also be seen in California.There’s mud on the beak, so I can’t tell the distinctive two-tone color, but it’s probably a Marbled Godwit.The confusing Long-billed Dowitcher and Short-billed Dowitcher, which also appeared at Dumbarton Bridge. Which one is which…?Last time I focused on the sides, but this time I can’t see the sides. During the breeding season, the pattern on the coverts can be a clue. In the Short-billed Dowitcher, the white or buffy edging on the coverts extends in a U-shape along the feather.The same pattern only appears at the tip of the feather in a W-shape in the Long-billed Dowitcher. This is tricky.Willets. The tidal flats are right in front of you here, making observation easier than at Dumbarton Bridge.
