Throughout the spring-summer breeding season, people watch carefully to see how successful “our” birds are at raising their young, and many want to hear about the year’s successes and failures.

Alameda’s long, accessible Bay shoreline offers ample opportunity for recreational fishing. At some times of the year and in some places, the fishing can be excellent. Many fisherfolk use monofilament lines on their fishing poles because it’s a versatile and amazingly strong line.

The California least tern, Sterna antillarum browni, is an endangered species. It is the smallest member of the gull family or Laridae.

That tall, greyish bird with a thick, yellow bill standing motionless in the shallow water along the Alameda shore is most likely fishing. These birds are great blue herons (yes, blue, even though they may look grey), who use their long bills to catch fish.