Will the Herons Return to Nest?

Will the Herons Return to Nest?

By Linda Sheppard For many years, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and Double Crested Cormorants have been nesting in three eucalyptus trees at the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Plant. The nesting area is not visible to the public from the Ellis Creek trails because the...
Winter Wonders at Shollenberger Park

Winter Wonders at Shollenberger Park

As winter settles in, Shollenberger Park in Petaluma, California, becomes a true sanctuary for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts. This serene wetland, bordered by the Petaluma River and a vibrant mosaic of salt marshes, is a hidden gem that comes alive in the winter...
“Oonk-a-lunk” American Bittern

“Oonk-a-lunk” American Bittern

Walking through Shollenberger the other day, I had an unexpected encounter with one of nature’s most elusive creatures – the American Bittern. I was alerted to its presence by its strange, guttural call. It is a deep, resonant “oonk-a-lunk” like a...
Owl box camera following 2 owls

Owl box camera following 2 owls

After cleaning out the large owl box in the dead Eucalyptus tree in October it has been occupied by same two owls consistently. Good chance this is now a formal pairing and we will be watching for eggs in early 2023. See this recent short video of their activity....
Shollenberger’s Cliff Swallows under Adobe Creek Bridge

Shollenberger’s Cliff Swallows under Adobe Creek Bridge

Cliff Swallow Image by Len Nelson By Mary Kadri Working my way through my bird monitoring education with PWA researcher, Len Nelson, I put aside my new fear of spiders to join him in counting cliff swallow nests under the Adobe Creek bridge at Shollenberger. (I...

Monitoring Herons & Egrets at Ellis Creek

  Photo of Linda Sheppard & Len Nelson By Mary Kadri Among the several pleasures of volunteering with Petaluma Wetland Alliance, and then volunteering to help lead researcher Len Nelson, is that I had a chance to get exclusive access to the gated community of...

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