On a recent kayaking trip in the Alviso slough(No, not this one), I spotted a "basic" bird called a "willet". Willets don a plumage that is nothing to write home about. The only time most people recognize them is during flight when they display a black and white stripe along their wings. Here is one, who couldn't make up its mind if I was a predator or a reporter coming over to ask it "if wearing face masks causes brain damage".

Notice the black and white patterns along its wings just before it flies away.

Marsh Wrens are fascinating because males will build "incomplete" nests among the cattails and bulrushes to attract a female and start a family. These nests will have everything that a male deems mandatory for a nest. That includes only the essentials like a pool table, a sink that only dispenses liquor, tons of sports memorabilia and a recliner. If the female decides she can rehabilitate this male, she will move in to start a family and renovate the nest to make it baby proof. Below is an example of one such nest.

But the males dread the thought of changing the diapers of their babies. So what do they do next? How do they get rid of the constant nagging of the baby mama to take care of their kids? Well, they will constantly bring up the classic "urgent business trip" excuse to escape these responsibilities. What they do instead is build multiple nests and attract other females and start multiple families.

One can identify wrens by their loud calls and their upright tails. Below is a Marsh Wren advertising about a house that is move-in ready.

Recently as part of the neighborhood "Face Mask Watch", I was tasked with peeking into people's apartments from my patio and spotting if they are wearing face masks inside their homes and shouting at them if they aren't. Anyone who would complain about me peeking into their personal lives and invading their privacy was treated with a stern "B'coz I don't want my Granny to die, okay!" answer.

Anyways, during my shift, I observed something hidden among the shrubs. See if you can spot and identify the offender.

Turns out the offender was another member of the Wren family: a Bewick's Wren. Like other wrens you can identify them with their upright tails. This fella is terrible at using an eyeliner and will extend it well beyond its eyelashes.

Moving back to the marshes, have you wondered why some creatures are so prolific? Is it the fear of going extinct or because their religion said so or the high infant mortality rates or even limited access to contraception. Whatever reason you choose to believe, you can't help but be in awe of this fly spotted in the marshes who would mate with everything in its way whether moving or not.