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August 2007

39 years and counting . . . . . To celebrate our anniversary this year, we decided to spend a few days in the Point Reyes area on the north coast of California.

No RV. No bikes.

Nonetheless, we had a great time! There's something to be said for staying in a motel and eating out, at least on special occasions.

 

Point Reyes Bird Observatory

On the drive to the coast, we stopped off at the new quarters of the Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory. PRBO is located in a business park on the southern outskirts of Petaluma off Lakeville Road.

In addition to a new research office building, there is a large pond and marsh behind the building, where many shorebirds were breeding and raising their young.

 
PRBO's brand new digs Flocks of American Avocets were in the adjacent pond
 
An adult avocet in breeding plumage was supervising a young chick. Note how the straight bill of the chick will grow into an upturned, curved bill in adulthood. Even at this young stage, the chick is beginning to form the coloration and pattern of the adult .
 

Motel Inverness

For our 39th anniversary, we splurged on a suite for two nights at the refurbished Motel Inverness on the Pt. Reyes peninsula. This is a small, 7-unit lodge with fantastic views of the Tomales Bay marsh from the rear deck.

 
This lodge caters to birders View of marsh from lobby
 
Patti never leaves home without her laptop The room has a full kitchen
 
Our back deck faces the marsh. Note the boardwalk with wind shelter at the water's edge.
 
The narrow boardwalk leading out to the wind shelter, as seen from our motel -- a very nice amenity for serious birders
 
Great egrets stalk a flock of feeding white pelicans
 
Egrets key off the pelicans to hunt for fish
 
INCOMING!!
 
The boardwalk at high tide
 
Daybreak view of the motel from the boardwalk (our room is on the left) Lobby has all the comforts -- fireplace, overstuffed sofas, pool table, coffee-bar
 
Onion-domed Lipnosky's Dacha is also owned by Motel Inverness and can be rented
 
The icon of Inverness located behind the town market
 
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