On Saturday November 26, 2011,
extreme tides were predicted. At the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor, the tides
were expected to reach a high of 9.2 feet at 12:19 PM and a low of -1.1
feet at 8:23 PM. To see the effect of the tides, I went out to
the Baylands just before noon and stayed until sunset. These pictures
below were taken on that day and show the effects and changes of the
tides and lighting throughout the day. For more information about the
area and pictures taken at other tidal conditions, see the Palo Alto
Baylands links on the left.
Besides seeing the effects of the tides, the primary motivation for
going out to the Baylands was to try to capture a picture of the holy
grail of Bay birdwatchers: a clapper rail. I had read that high tides
were the best time to see that elusive and
endangered bird. High tides supposedly flush the birds out of
their hiding places in the marsh. I did see one eventually, but not
where I expected.
High water in San Francisquito Creek near the Baylands Athletic Center,
10:55 am
Interpretive sign by the Bay Trail at the Palo Alto Yacht Basin, 11:01
am
High water in the former Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Basin, now a tidal
marsh, inundating most of the vegetation, 11:02 am
Trail running next to the Yacht Harbor Basin, leading to the former
home of the Sea Scouts and future home of the
Environmental Volunteers Ecocenter,
11:06 am
Bird watchers watching a great egret in the marsh near the sailing
station dock, 11:13 am
Great egret flying over the marsh near the parking lot. The water is
almost up to the level of the road. 11:15 am
The Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center next to the lagoon
fed by pipes under the causeway leading to the center, 11:21 am
Walkers along the lagoon near the duck pond, 11:24 am
This is the causeway leading to the nature center parking lot. The
water in the Yacht Harbor Basin is almost up to the road. Water flows
under the causeway in large pipes, filling up the lagoon on the other
side, 11:28 am
The pier leading out to the sailing station dock, 11:33 am
The shoreline on the bay side of the sailing station dock at the mouth
of the Yacht Harbor Basin, 11:34 am
Looking into the Palo Yacht Harbor Basin from the sailing station dock,
with Byxbee Park in the background, 11:35 am
The boardwalk at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center,
12:04 pm
Great egret in the marsh next to the boardwalk, with the Dumbarton
Bridge in the background, 12:04 pm
Marsh hawk, 12:09 pm
This is "Rail alley," the channel in the marsh where clapper rail are
sometimes
spotted feeding along the muddy banks of the channel, 12:19 pm. Even
though the pickleweeds are inundated, the other vegetation, like the
gum plants shown here, are tall enough that the clapper rails can still
remain hidden.
The viewing platform on the Bay at the peak of high tide, 12:19 pm
Boaters on the Bay, with the Newark salt mounds in the background,
12:22 pm. If that boat was there at low tide, they might be stuck in
the mud.
Great egret feeding in the marsh, with Hangar One at Moffett Field in
the background 12:30 pm
While I searched the marshes in
vain for a live specimen, this is the only clapper rail I saw this day.
This is a stuffed clapper rail in
the interpretive center. They are an endangered species that live in
the pickleweed marshes around the Bay, particularly in the marsh next
to the center. They are shy, reclusive, and are rarely seen, but can be
heard making a clapping sound, which gives the bird its name. The bird
was once common, but were hunted in great numbers in the early 20th
century. Over-hunting, along with habitat destruction due to marsh
reclamation and the introduction of non-native predators nearly caused
their extinction. Species and habitat protection in recent years has
caused their numbers to slowly increase, though they still face danger
from predators.
Greater yellowlegs, 1:15 pm
Black-necked stilt in the foreground, seagulls and snowy egret on the
PG&E catwalk behind it, the Nature Center's boardwalk, and the
inactive Dumbarton train crossing trestle in the background,1:21 pm
Snowy egret, black-necked stilts, and the PG&E catwalk, 2:14 pm
A giant bird heading for the Palo Alto Airport, 2:19 pm
The Yacht Harbor Basin and the Ecocenter, 2:25 pm
The Yacht Harbor Basin and the hills of Byxbee Park, 2:26 pm
The chevrons at Byxbee Park, pointing towards the Palo Alto Airport,
overlooking the Yacht Harbor Basin, with the Ecocenter in the
background, 2:32 pm
This sign shows the expansion of Byxbee Park due to closure of the
Palo Alto Landfill. 36 acres were added to the existing 29-acre park on
7/1/11. 10 more acres will be added on 12/1/11. The final 51 acres will
be added in 2013.
The new area of Byxbee Park is bare so far, with an asphalt trail and
some graded dirt trails marked by temporary trail markers, 2:49 pm
Flocks of birds on Mayfield Slough, below Byxbee Park, 3:17 pm
The Byxbee Park Pole Field, 3:29 pm
The receding tide in the Palo Alto Yacht basin, 3:19 pm
Looking towards the Sailing Station on the left at the mouth of the
Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Basin, with Hooks Island on
the right, 3:46 pm
Pickleweed on the shore above Mayfield Slough, with Moffett Field in
the background, 4:04 pm
This is the point where the waters of the Bay touch the Bay trail
(left), with Mayfield Slough on the right, 4:12 pm
San Francisco Bay reaches the shoreline on the right, with Hooks Island
in the background on the left, 4:13 pm
Mayfield Slough, 4:32 pm
Mayfield Slough, Byxbee Park, 4:33 pm
Sunset, on the trail between Byxbee Park on the left and the Yacht
Harbor Basin on the right, 4:34 pm
Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Basin, same
spot as at 3:19 pm above, 4:35 pm. Notice how much the water has
receded. The lowest tide would be 4 hours later at 8:23 pm, when the
tide would be -1.1 feet. Such an extreme low tide would not have been
noticeable in the Yacht Harbor Basin, which would have drained long
before that. It would be more noticeable in the Bay itself, with huge
areas of mudflats and underwater channels being revealed.
Byxbee Park Pole Field, 4:37 pm (see above at 3:29 pm)
The duck pond by the Palo Alto Airport, 4:53 pm
