Bay Walking Tours Take in Lush Bird Life

A long-necked heron, stark white against the drab olive grass and mocha-colored mud, crouches motionless as Janet Remington stands on a bluff overlooking Upper Newport Bay and describes the rich bird life inhabiting the marshes this time of year.

“We have birds of every shape and size,” she says. “The herons are the biggest.” As if on cue, the great bird suddenly dips its head into the shallow water, apparently fishing for some breakfast. Although the heron comes up empty, Remington and the three other tour guides leading this Saturday-morning walk along the edges of the bay have their hands full.

More than 80 people have shown up for this free, 2-hour tour, led by volunteers from Friends of Newport Bay. The mile-long walking tours are given one Saturday a month from October to March, during the height of the bird migration season. Tours depart from 9 to 10:15 a.m., leaving about every 15 minutes from Eastbluff Drive and Back Bay Road in Newport Beach. The next tour will be given Dec. 10, and the remaining tours are scheduled for Jan. 7, Feb. 4 and March 4.

“This is the 21st year we’ve been offering these tours of the bay,” says Frank Robinson, who along with wife Fran was instrumental in founding the organization that helped save the 752-acre ecological reserve from development.

In the 1960s the bay was destined to become the site of a marina and luxury homes, but such groups as the Friends of Newport Bay, the Orange County Foundation for the Preservation of Public Property and the Audubon Society managed to block the development.

In 1975, following years of negotiations, law suits and committee work, the state purchased the land from the Irvine Co. and established the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, which is administered by the state Department of Fish and Game.

“Birds used to be measured here in the millions,” Frank Robinson tells tour participants before the bay-front walk. “Now they are measured in the thousands.”

Each tour includes a brief history of the bay and an introduction to its plant and bird life. Tour participants have included students from high school or college ecology classes and area residents interested in learning more about the marshlands.

The guided tours serve only as an introduction to the area, according to Alan Remington, who is in charge of this year’s walks. Participants are encouraged to come back on their own for a closer look at the approximately 165 different species of birds that have been recorded at the bay.

Remington’s wife, Janet, helps point out some of the more common birds visible on this day. In addition to the large, graceful heron, she spots a turkey vulture and a flock of small western sandpipers, which suddenly bursts into flight, flashing white against the clear, blue sky.

“Mostly what we have right now,” Remington tells her group, “are ducks from Canada and Alaska.” Although not spotted on this day’s tour, an endangered species called the light-footed clapper rail can also be found at the reserve, according to Remington.

The bay is also home to a great variety of plant life, according to tour guide Ed Sockerson. Common plants include the tall, elegant cattails, willowy pampas grass and the red-berried California holly.

The tidal range of Upper Newport Bay is about 10 feet, with the highest and lowest tides occurring in winter and summer. According to the Department of Fish and Game, 78 species of fish have been found in the bay.

With its dense grasses, rich bird life, mud flats and still waters, Newport Bay stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding urban sprawl of houses, hotels, freeways and office buildings. To learn more about the area and the tours, call the Friends of Newport Bay at (714) 646-8009 or the Department of Fish and Game at (213) 590-5126. Reservations are not required for the tours.

Friends of Newport Bay offers the following advice for those visiting the area on their own:

Keep your dog on a leash.

Do not feed the wildlife.

Do not disturb geological formations or archeological artifacts.

Do not disturb birds, nests, eggs or plants.

Do not collect specimens unless you have a special permit.

Use established trails and roads only.