Here a Bird, There a Bird

Egrets or your money back! (I promised.)

But first, there were many other shorebirds to see. White Pelicans, American Avocets, Cliff Swallows ... hmm, there's an idea.

We did see egrets (both Snowy and Great) hunting in the shallows. And a stately Great Blue Heron.

I led us off-route on an impromptu detour to view the cliff swallows nesting on Google's fancy new building adjacent to Moffett Field. I wasn't sure how that would play out, but I was prepared to beg forgiveness. [No issues.] After all, we were just a bunch of bird-brained cyclists milling about and peering up at the mud nests. Three chicks peeked out of one, chirping frenetically until a parent swooped in with lunch.

At the rookery, the Black-crowned Night Herons were deep in the foliage, too well-camouflaged for inexperienced eyes to pick out. The egrets, however, did not disappoint. I even managed to find a blue eggshell in the brush, much to the delight of my little tour group.

The chicks are pretty big now; we witnessed some furious feeding action, whetting our own appetites for lunch. [And, as I've found on every one of these outings: Zareen's was a hit, with one enthusiastic rider proposing that we should plan some future rides just for lunch.]

One more bonus awaited: Back at the start, it was the last day to score some fresh apricots from Sunnyvale's Heritage Orchard.

A couple of riders had biked to the start; with one headed in my direction, I enjoyed a little company for some of the ride home. A fun time was had by all; and for me, a hearty 53 miles with 1,020 feet of climbing.