Wanderings: July 10, 04

Saturday, July 10, 2004

July 10, 04

July 10, 04
after breakfast
planter in the parking lot of Gayle's Cafe, Capitola

morning
Elkhorn Slough
high overcast, light breeze, cool

Lots of little swallow-types diving over the open field, look like they're catching insects on the wing.

Coastal Live Oak - not as large as our great valley oaks, a little more squatty and twisted, lovely in it's own way.

We hike around and down to the south marsh loop trail, only occasionally seeing other hikers. The feeling of a sanctuary is almost palpable here, no sounds of traffic or industry heard, no need to speak too loudly.

Old Elkhorn Dairy Barn now home to little singing birds whose voices echo in the rafters.

Walking down the path, I spy a clearing through the trees, then see a metal catwalk with a "keep out" sing draped on a low chain - over I go and find a view of Cattail Swale.

Suddenly, there's rustling and flapping of large wings - I had disturbed a black-crowned night heron roosting just above. Another then flies across the water. Back out on the trail and around the bend, another view of Cattail Swale opens.

Eucalyptus seedpods cover the ground, inches deep. A pair of great blue herons take off and then land again as we watch in awe. We can hear their huge wings beat in the quiet air.

Farther again down the trail we can look up and back to see great white egrets tending their young in nests at the tops of eucalyptus trees as the young squawk and beg quite loudly. Occasionally a black cormorant flies overhead.