Arcata Marsh

wildlife sanctuary area

Click for map.

I'd kept meaning to visit the marsh area between wandering dunes and beaches and big trees, but never quite made it. Admittedly, there are tidal flats and brackish pools in other areas, so I did get a little bit of the marsh but with a fair bit fewer people hanging around. Here, I've barely entered before a large and apparently organized group passes by. I do wonder where they parked because I only found an area with three spots. There is a little bit of education out here too. Signs tell about the area. The first one I find tells about river otters that can be found around here, but are rare to see and a little hard to spot. It gives a few tips for finding them.

Heading into the well used trails. They are not the slightest bit marshy.

Pools sit beside the paths with what might be the evidence of river otter, according to the sign. A railroad used to pass through here carrying away the redwoods.

A short wander down one random path shows that they won't tell me a path goes nowhere I can go without a key until I get around the corner to see that for myself. I try again and quickly find the large parking area I had missed on the way by on the road. The other side is an overgrown pond with only a few breaks in the vegetation to see out over the water. I can't help noticing that there are a couple blackberries wound in it all and they are already sporting a few ripe fruits.

The most open area where some water is actually visible under the grasses.

Past the parking lot, I finally find my way away from the road. Well, somewhat away from the road. There is also the bike path and another road passing through the marsh area. A dirt lot only has a few users as I pass. Meanwhile, the nature of the surroundings have changed to more open and marshy and a little more like what I was expecting.

A creek winding its way through the marshy flats with a few ducks to accompany it.

Plenty of ducks floating around the water of a shallow pool.

Looking into the sun, the light shines off the partly flooded land.

The egrets are interesting to watch as they move away from some walker that disturbs them with an easy spread of their wings and a movement a few feet off. I am not certain what makes one walker disturb them while others give them no worries at all. I wander the built up levees with their trails a little further including another spur. This one makes a little more sense with a picnic table at the end. The ducks are joined by various sandpipers out in the actual marsh area. A mass of lesser sandpipers take off and perform like starlings in the air. They are particularly beautiful as they pass by near the water with all their wings reflecting the late afternoon sun and reflecting nearly perfectly in the water. It lasts only a few minutes before they settle down to feeding again.

Finding swirls in the marsh.

Mountains behind the pool on the other side.

Sandpipers of at least three sorts join the couple sorts of ducks in McDaniel Slough.

The show is not quite so good as I head back and the birds remain settled. They are finding something to nibble on in the mud as they do. I wind my way past more ponds and out to a point with quite a lot of parking that is currently getting a lot of use. Out at the end of it is a pond with a thin levee keeping it from the open bay. It seems a good path for the moment.

Old supports for a pier extend out into Humboldt Bay.

The path is a little more hardened against the action of water beside the bay.

Egrets hanging out on an artificial island and in the trees beyond.

With the sun getting low, a chill seems to swell up and I seem to be finishing my loop. It doesn't get obviously familiar until getting to the river otter sign again, then there is my short trail back to the road and my car.

Silhouettes reflected on a pond that is only a little to do with the local sewage handling.

Lines of Canada geese above the planted cypress. They are hard to miss with all the honking that goes with them.

©2018 Valerie Norton
Posted 27 November 2018