This past Sunday, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful headed up north to the Coyote Creek trail off McCarthy Rd. for a BioBlitz.
It was an amazing turnout for this new location! With a huge turnout of 113 attendees, half of them being high school students, girl scouts, and families, there were an endless amount of species for everyone to discover.
This part of Coyote Creek is closest to the Bay, where the creek itself eventually ends and connects to the large body of water that is San Francisco Bay. Because the location is so close to the brackish water and a marsh ecosystem, many new-to-us species were found in this new spot compared to the other BioBlitzes that are usually in San Jose.
Many of the new species unraveled includes birds. During this time of year, migratory birds visit this location. Take the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, for example. These birds migrate up and down the Pacific west coast in a means for breeding and migration.
Many visitors also had the opportunity to see a flock of over 100 American white pelicans fly over Interstate 880! Pelicans are known to reside near wetlands, and we do have large flocks of them easily seen at the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso. Their mouths have a long pouch so that they can scoop their prey in the water. Think of using a spoon to collect your cereal, and that's how pelicans are able to catch their prey.
It's not just birds that caught the attention of the people! Many participants enjoyed a myriad of different species, from coyote brush flowers to aphids, including some fun spiders. Some of the participants just loved being out during this event to chat with other nature enthusiasts!
Interested in attending a BioBlitz or other KCCB events? Go to KeepCoyoteCreekBeautiful.org for more info.
Kommentare