Alcatraz in the Spring

One of our Spring day trips was to Alcatraz. We drove through pouring rain on the way to catch the train to San Francisco, and we wondered just how wet we would get on the Ferry and on the island. By the time we got to the Embarcadero, the sky had lightened, and the rain had stopped. The 10 minute ride over was a pleasure.

This is the last page article I read in my favorite Bay Nature Magazine about the colonies of birds on Alcatraz Island and wanted to see them. The gulls and cormorants were very visible as we walked around the buildings. Click on the link to see the art and notes of John Muir Laws. 

Our last exploration was in the gardens where we heard, 'Glub. Glub,' and then 'Gobble. Gobble.' Snowy Egrets filled the trees and bushes next to the path. These beautiful birds visit our local creek, but I'd never heard them 'glub and gobble.' I could have reached out and touched them! There was no way for me to get a good picture, so I borrowed both of these photos from the National Park Service site.

If you want to check out the historical and cultural sights on Alcatraz, go to this informative web site:

http://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm

If you want to see more of what got me so excited, go to the same web site but to the nature and science section here:

http://www.nps.gov/alca/naturescience/index.htm

Wishing for Molted Feathers,

With Heart