The Natural History of Foster City, California

by James K. Sayre

a draft manuscript

12 May 2005

Chapter 18: Sketches of Amphibians and Reptiles

.Fishing Pier freshwater pond

There is a small freshwater pond that lies just south of the entrance to the San Mateo Fishing Pier off Beach Park Blvd. After heavy rains in January, the pond expands to cover about one acre. In the center of the pond, there are cattails growing. Red-winged blackbirds place their nests in these cattails. Back east, we heard frog chorus what we referred to as "spring peepers." Out here they could be called "winter peepers." In February, in the late afternoon and in the evening the chorus of frogs is quite loud. This pond dries up in the summertime, with only some residual dampness remaining in the ground beneath the cattails. After several inches of rain which fell in the second week of December, 1995, the pond regained much of its watery coverage of the low areas. On 15 December 1995, at noon, the author counted seventy (70) mallards ducks in the water surrounding the cattails. They were sleeping, feeding, socializing and resting. On 15 January 1996, at noon, there were about 200 mallards, about a dozen gulls and two snowy egrets. All seemed to be enjoying themselves, feeding and resting in the seasonal, shallow pond. On 7 May 1997 the area was observed. The two feet of water in the marsh around the cattails had evaporated; the Red-winged Blackbirds had departed. Brass Button plants up to 1' high; Wild Radish blooming in great profusion.

End.

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