A week or so ago I biked up to the bulb & was checking out the owl enclosure, where I saw a bunch of brown & black striped birds. I was surprised a bit when they turned toward me with their very bright yellow breasts & I realized I was looking @ a flock--20-30 or so--of western meadowlarks. I'd never seen this many together & it was rather spectacular--especially when they all flushed when a raptor (red-shouldered hawk?--didn't get a really good look before the crows chased it away) zoomed in. 

I was back up there Thursday (?) & enjoyed a nice variety of ducks on the north side mudflats during low tide. Not huge numbers, but still nice. Among them were:

green-winged teal,

canvass back,

pintail,

scaup--perhaps both species,

bufflehead,

ruddy,

American wigeon, &

mallard, of course.

There were also:

avocet,

marbled godwit,

willet,

whimbrel,

other peeps that were too far out for me to ID, 

snowy egret,

d-c cormorant &

a few others I didn't get down.

Peace,

Alan Howe

North Oakland