Bird Paradise

Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed a two-hour nature walk along the Watsonville Slough--just minutes from my home. It's a paradise for countless species of birds. What a find! I've lived in this area for a year but this was my first look at these famous wetlands in Pajaro Valley, the bird capital of the world, home to 300 species of birds and 100 species of plants. It is a stopping place for thousands of birds as they migrate to lands north and south of here. Some travel as much as 10,000 miles so it's understandable they need a water and feeding break. I wonder if anyone awards them frequent flyer miles! Thanks to our tour guide we received a first-class education. We saw a hawk, a snowy egret, a great egret, a cormorant, a turkey vulture, a cinnamon teal and Mallard ducks, amid other species. We also spotted a garden snake, dragonflies and plenty of furry brown caterpillars. I'm going to make these Sunday afternoon walks a part of my life. Just two minutes west of Main Street one can leave the cares of the world behind and commune with nature along the Watsonville Slough.