South SF - March 11, '12

Walking Distance: 8 miles
Walking Time: 4 hrs., 59 min. (11:31 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parked: Public shore pkg. lot, at end of Belle Air Rd., SSF, CA

I started today's walk by the bay under overcast skies, but it did clear up later in the afternoon, and I enjoyed this entire stretch of mostly paved (asphalt) trail (show as a red line or more developed trail on the Bay Trail Map).

From the public shore parking lot, near the wastewater treatment plant at the end of Belle Air Road, I walked north over the first of a few bridges. I passed the Colma Creek Habitat Restoration Project, and over a second bridge;

I passed by the Bay Trail Overlook spot and several Genentech buildings. I also walked by a Bike Share rack -- with a row of bicycles ready to go. A few steps away was Pt. San Bruno.

I stopped for a restroom break, and lunch at Oyster Point Bait, Tackle and Mini-Mart; and I took my microwaved chicken tamale with hot sauce out to the patio to enjoy.

After lunch, I continued along the water, and wound my way around a detour near Oyster Pt. Marina (near what I'm assuming was a ferry terminal/stop.)

It was interesting to walk around the inlet where Liberty ships were made back in the World War II era.

I passed two Marriott hotels, and turned around before the pedestrian/bicycle bridge to Brisbane.

As this was a longer walk, and a nice afternoon, I took a few 5-minute rest stops on a few benches, to enjoy bay views, on the way back.

In the last stretch of the walk, I startled a feral black and white cat; and when the cat ran across the trail to run into a bush, it flushed a handsome looking falcon or hawk into flight. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to act fast enough to capture this on film. However, I did snap one or two shots of hummingbirds feeding on flowers in bloom on the way back.

Wildlife Sightings:
6 UFO grebes/divers; 12 Canada geese; 23 sea gulls; 5 pigeons; 4 bumblebees; 155 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs), 120 tiny UBBs; 4 black-necked stilts; 182 coots; 1 pillbug; 154 ducks; 29 American avocets; 1 tern; 27 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 hummingbirds; 28 blackbirds; 45 starlings; 6 crows; 1 snowy egret; 1 snail; 1 small caterpillar; 2 white butterflies, 3 black and yellow butterflies; 1 dove; 1 feral black and white cat; 1 falcon/hawk