RSVP Celeste Burrows, celesteburrows@sbcglobal.net, 510-601-1211
Eric Shroeder, ejschroeder@ucdavis.edu
510-548-2724
WHEN: Monday, May 1, 2017, 9:30/10:00 am
WHERE: Meet at the Perch Coffee Shop, on the NW corner of Grand Ave and Bellevue. 9:30 am for coffee and conversation, 10 am to walk to the lake, near the Rotary Nature Center, for birding.
The Lake Merritt bird walk will be an easy one—short and level—but we should see lots of birds. Most of the winter ducks are already gone but a few stragglers are still around. The biggest attraction will be the colony of nesting Double-crested Cormorants—these are large birds that will be easy to see. Additional species we should see include various kinds of gulls, grebes and swallows, terns, night herons, snowy egrets, Canada geese, and maybe hummingbirds. Bring binoculars if you have them. I will also bring a spotting scope so that you will get excellent looks at some of these birds.
Parking: Limited street parking on Grand and on Perkins or Staten. Paid parking on Bellevue (enter at the Fairyland entrance and drive to near the end of Bellevue, at Perkins, Ellita, or Staten, for parking.)
Carpooling: Respond to the Nature Walks email forum for carpooling.
Transit: The #12 bus (from downtown Oakland or from Albany/North Berkeley) stops at Grand and Staten, one block from the Perch coffee shop at Grand and Bellevue. The # 57 bus stops at the Grand Lake theater on MacArthur and Grand , a 6 block walk to our meeting place.
Equipment or special clothing, (if necessary): Bring binoculars if you have them. Dress warmly.
Other: Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the walk, near the Lake Merritt labyrinth, weather permitting