Sanctuary Boat Closure

The Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary waters are closed to boat traffic and in-water activities from October 1st through March 31st.

Ordinance:
The Richardson Bay Regional Agency issued Ordinance 92-1 in order to protect the birds utilizing the sanctuary.

Importance:
Migratory ducks, geese, and shorebirds use the Bay for re-fueling on their journeys south, or while they over-winter right here in Bay Area. Due to its critical importance to these birds, Richardson Bay has been designated as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International, and CA Audubon.

Boundaries:
Approximately 900 acres of bay waters are covered, extending from the edge of the Cove housing complex to the tip of Strawberry Point, East to Belvedere and North to Blackie’s Pasture (see map). The Sanctuary boundaries are marked with signs on pilings and buoys.

Terms:
No boats, including non-motorized boats such as kayaks, canoes or sailboats are allowed within the Sanctuary waters during this crucial season for migratory birds. Even a kayak paddling through can flush birds. We are asking for your assistance to allow these birds to rest and build the critical calories they need to continue on their long migration journeys.

These are a few of the birds that the boat closure seeks to protect.

Buffleheads, while common in the lower 48 during Winter, breed almost exclusively in boreal Canada and Alaska. Small bodied ducks, they often nest in cavity holes of woodpeckers such as the Northern Flicker! Unlike most other duck species, they tend to be monogamous for several years.

The American Coot, a familiar bird of California’s coastal habitats is an accomplished swimmer and diver, foraging underwater almost exclusively on vegetation. Unlike ducks, the Coot’s toes are individually webbed, or lobed. They often will run along the surface of the water before finally taking off!

Surf Scoter males, with their comical orange, black and white head pattern, are easily recognizable from a distance; females are mostly dull brown, but the bill shape and size help to identify them. Breeding mostly on freshwater lakes in Canada and Alaska, the male will defend a moving area around the nesting female.

 

images.fws.gov

The distinctive Ruddy Duck, with its stiff upturned tail, dark cap and bluish bill is found throughout North America. Although their populations are stable here in the North America, they are considered a pest in Europe where they have been introduced.

Western Grebes are very similar to their cousins, Clarks’s Grebes, and both are found in western North America to the Mexican plateau. They have spectacular and elaborate courtship displays involving such behaviors as “dip-shaking”, “rushing” and “bob-shaking”.

Greater Scaup are one of the few circumpolar duck species, breeding mostly in Arctic and Subarctic tundra. Along with the more abundant Lesser Scaup, their numbers appear to be declining, but since it is often difficult to distinguish between the two species, accurate data is difficult to obtain.