Another nesting sesaon (February 1- August 31) for the endangered California Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) has come to an end. Western Stege Marsh at the Richmond Field Station has had successful clutches of rails documented in past seasons and on August 26, 2011 a juvenile rail was observed at the Bay Trail crossing of Meeker Slough.
Early fall is a good time to observe rails in the Western Stege Marsh area as they emerge from nesting and begin to disperse for the winter. The best times to see the rails along Meeker Slough are at low tides near sunrise or sunset.
A tide prediction calculator can be found on the home page of this website.
We would appreciate reports of clapper rail sightings at Meeker Slough and will post photos and video clips on the Restoration Page of this website. Please report any observations of clapper rails. Please report sighting to the UC Berkeley Office of Environment, Health & Safety at ehs-ep@berkeley.edu (phone: 510-642-3073).