Sunday at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in Oakland

Today, Golden Gate Audubon volunteers joined East Bay Regional Park District staff at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in Oakland to do some weeding on a rocky island within the restored wetlands that is used by American avocets and black-necked stilts for nesting. Avocets and stilts will start breeding soon. We are starting to see more of the avocets molting into their beautiful breeding plumage. It was a great opportunity to help the birds in a tangible way just before their breeding season and to get inside the area normally closed to the public. Braving the cold and rain, we pulled out a heeping truckload of weeds and hopefully made the island more inviting to nesting birds by making a dent in the tall stinkwort.

Through the rain, we got an up-close look at several species of birds, including:

• Two Northern pintail duck drakes (males) - whose population has declined by 77 percent in 40 years
  
• Marbled Godwits - on the Audubon Watchlist
  
• American avocets
• Black-necked stilts
• Greater scaups - another common bird in decline whose population has decreased 75 percent in 40 years
  
• Northern shovelers
• American widgeons
• Buffleheads
  
• American coots
  
• Western gulls
• Ring-billed gulls
  
• Turkey vulture
• Ravens