Bike trail from Mountain View to Palo Alto Airport

 Bike trail from MV to Palo Alto Airport

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” ~ Sherlock Holmes author, Arthur Conan Doyle, Scientific American, 1896

On an overcast day in January, I decided to explore the trail to the Palo Alto Airport on bike.

The 8.7 mile route: Start biking from Mountain View toward Shoreline Park along Steven's Creek Trail, continue on past Shoreline Park, then on to the Byxbee Marshfront Trail to Palo Alto Regional Water Control Plant. Bike past the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, along the NW fence of the Palo Alto airport (PAO) runway to the end.

Bird watching:

Winter is a great time to spot migratory birds in the 2000 acre Baylands Nature Preserve, home to the endangered clapper rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. The Duck Pond was teeming with activity - I managed to capture a short video for your enjoyment. Birders should use this self-study guide. 

Short vide of a flock of White Pelicans feeding

Birders know that winter time is a good time to spot water birds including the migratory American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ) with snowy white plumage and black flight feathers (visible only when the wings are spread) and yellow-orange bill and legs. One of the largest flying birds they gracefully move in flocks from one feeding area to another. Though considerably larger than a Bald Eagle they are smaller than the California Condor which has the largest wingspan. White pelicans corral fish in the shallow by forming an ever-tightening arc, before feasting on the catch. 

American avocet

A flock of migratory American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) were in a feeding frenzy quite oblivious to my presence. The avocet  is a long-legged migratory shorebird that sweeps it's long upturned bill side-to-side through shallow waters to catch invertebrates. Breeding birds have a rust coloured head and neck, while non-breeding birds have a grayish-white plumage. 

Short video of Avocets feeding in the shallows

Fun fact: In response to predators, the American Avocet gives a series of call notes that gradually rise in pitch, simulating the Doppler effect and making its approach seem faster than it actually is.

American Coot (Fulica americana): In the winter, these migratory birds can be found in massive flocks mingling freely with other waterfowl. Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the lower 48 states.

Short video of Flock of coots in the Duck Pond

Fun fact: Although it looks like a duck and swims like a duck, the ubiquitous American coot does not have webbed feet and is not a duck. It is related to the gangly Sandhill crane.

Dog walkers:

Short video of a dog walker

An unexpected bonus was to see dog walkers doing their rounds.

Pro-tip: make sure to have proper sun-protection gear and plenty of drinking water - the open skies means you're at the mercy of the sun. 

Hope you enjoyed my bike ride ... see you on my next bike ride.