At the beach and on the bay (Laws Pocket Guides: San Francisco Bay Area)

This is one of the four San Francisco Bay Area habitat guides in The Laws Pocket Guide Set: San Francisco Bay Area.

Graced by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay, the Bay Area teems with aquatic life. A major migratory stop for ducks and other shorebirds, Bay Area shorelines offer tremendous opportunities to enjoy waterfowl as they flock to the area during the winter. Springtime brings other avian delights as Alcatraz Island comes alive with the activities of the gulls and cormorants that make it their nursery. Look for these birds on the water's surface following schools of herring. These tiny fish also nourish the famed Pier 39 California Sea Lions and their brethren, the Harbor Seals who haul out of the San Francisco Bay in the spring to bear pups. Explore around the bay at low tide to get the most out of the area's extensive salt marshes, which are populated by clams, crabs, and shrimp and are ideal sites for observing the feeding habits of shorebirds.