Ground squirrels and turkeys

Ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) abound throughout the marina, and if you don’t see the squirrels themselves, you can easily find their trails and burrows. This is a native species that thrives in the presence of humans, using the artificially-placed rocks of the shoreline for shelter, and indulging in the handouts of well-intentioned visitors with their bags of peanuts. The burrow systems of these rodents have multiple entrances and may be more than 100 feet (30 meters) long. The ground squirrels use the burrows for shelter, food storage, and to raise their pups. Along this section of the trail there are several burrow entrances. Look for the holes; look for the worn trails that lead from one hole to another, through their foraging areas. “Spermophilus” (part of their Latin name) means “seed lover,” and these guys are focused on the seed-bearing plants in their vicinity, but they will also eat buds, fruits, and insects. Look out for squirrels scurrying about. Look along the rocks to see if they are perched there as sentinels, on the lookout for hawks overhead or stalking dogs. With their tawny coats and sharp angled bodies they are easy to mistake for the rocks themselves. If you are quiet for a moment, you may also hear their high-pitched chirp, which sounds like the striking of steel and can be easily mistaken for a bird call.

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) moved into the marina a few years ago, and they are most active at this place. You may pass them along the trail or see them crossing the roundabout. Turkeys are omnivores that forage for seeds and insects by raking through soil or leaf litter, and you can look for their telltale surface scratchings. Though California once had native turkeys (Meleagris californica), this species went extinct in the late Pleistocene. The turkeys we find today were introduced to California in the late 1900s by officials who brought them from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas for sport hunting. Over the past 20 years, the turkey population in the East Bay has boomed, and there is active debate as to their ecological impact.