Home of the Holy Grail of rails (the Black rail), this section of Palo Alto marsh and shoreline has some of the greatest concentrations of wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors and waders in the Bay Area. Herons and egrets, stilts, Avocets, rails and shorebirds, terns, kites and harriers, Cinnamon and Green-winged teal, among many others, are fairly common from mid-fall to early spring. Occasionally Peregrine falcons grace the skies, and Burrowing owls make an appearance. Sighting forty species is common on a morning walk. We maintain a leisurely pace along the marsh trails (perhaps a mile or so) and stop at the Visitor’s Center as we enter the marsh. Hard to beat this spot for a “who’s who” of Bay Area waterbirds, all in lovely Palo Alto. Great photographic opportunities for waterbirds.