Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
Valley
Find out what’s new in the Valley at
The
Sentinel
www.valleysentinel.com
Arts • Activities • Auto • Business • Gardening • Seniors and more...
always for the community VOL 22 NO 1 January 2017
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
Best wishes for 2017 from the Valley Sentinel
Peace on Earth
Jake Haener from Monte Vista High School wins the 2016 Pete Villa Award The Rotary Club of Danville held its 20th annual Pete Villa awards luncheon on Monday, December 12th. The winner of this prestigious award was Jake Haener from
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
See AWARD page 11
Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. 390 Diablo Road, Ste. 145 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
Get a glimpse of elegance in the marshlands By James Hale The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a small, dainty, white heron that is a permanent resident in most of California, South America, Central America, the Atlantic Coast, and Gulf Coast. It is found widespread in the ponds, marshes, sloughs, and wet fields throughout Contra Costa County, particularly in winter, when post-breeding individuals disperse from their nesting colonies. Adults are about two feet long with a wingspan that may exceed forty inches. The Snowy Egret typically weighs less than one pound. The slim black bill and long black legs with bright golden yellow feet are diagnostic. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, known as the culmen, is yellow. During the breeding season, the culmen turns red, as adult Snowy Egrets grow long, recurved nuptial
plumes on their backs for courtship displays. These beautiful plumes, called aigrettes, were in great demand by market hunters as decorations for women’s hats. The population of the species was reduced to dangerously low levels nearing extirpation. The first breeding evidence documented for California wasn’t provided until W. L. Dawson found a nest in Merced County in 1914. Fortunately, full protection in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Species Act, has allowed the Snowy Egret population to dramatically rebound. Snowy Egrets nest in isolated colonies protected by dense vegetation. Salt marsh islands, swamps, and marshes are ideal nesting habitat. They often change location year
after year. Such is the case in Contra Costa County where Snowy Egrets nest sporadically. Ninety-five nesting pairs occupied Brooks Island near Richmond in 1994. The first known nesting for Contra Costa County was at Browns Island north of Pittsburg where an estimated 100 pairs were nesting in kangaroo thorns in 1962. These sites have been abandoned and reoccupied over the years. Nesting season usually runs from April through July. After courtship, the male Snowy Egret selects the nest site with both sexes constructing the platform stick nest. Usually three to five pale blue-green eggs are laid. Both sexes incubate the eggs for twenty to twenty-four days. Nestlings fledge after thirty days. The average lifespan is about fifteen years in the wild.
The Snowy Egrets diet includes fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs, snakes, lizards, snails, worms, and rodents. They actively pursue and forage for their food. On
This month’s Special Section:
New Year New You
pages 8 - 9
See EGRET page 7