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Open Water. – The bay
itself as distinct from the bottom or the shores of the bay. Fish
swim in open water and seabirds are seen overhead. The water is
teeming with plankton. Seaweeds (algae) and submerged marine plants
such as eel grass may be present.
Mudflat. – The areas
of the shore exposed at low tide. As the name implies these areas
are generally muddy and flat. Plant life is limited to algae. Worms,
mollusks and other marine critters are found in abundance in the mud
and shore birds are seen pecking at the surface or probing below the
surface of the mud for food.
Saltmarsh. – The area
of the shore from the mud flats to the high tide line. The plants in
this area are adapted to being submerged in water and growing in
salty soils. Cord grass thrives from the mid tide region upwards.
Pickleweed is found in abundance in the high tide region and
adjacent dry land which has salty soil.
Freshwater Marsh/Pond. – Water-loving
plants such as cattails and sedges grow in and around the water.
Many of these plants can tolerate mild to moderate salinity.
Freshwater fish, crayfish and other critters live here. Numerous
ducks will be found here, particularly in winter.
Riparian. – The area
along side a river or stream or on the banks of a lake or pond. The
plants in this area like moist soil but do not necessarily grow in
the water. Willows are common. Cottonwoods and other trees and large
shrubs are found. Bushtits, finches and hummingbirds will be seen
here.
Upland. – The bluffs,
cliffs and undeveloped mesas around the bay make up the upland
habitat. The dry slopes abound with sagebrush and drought-resistant
succulents such as ice plant and cactus are found. Turkey vultures
and other birds of prey are at home here. They are seen soaring
effortlessly in the upward currents of warm air along the bluffs.
Many plants and animals may be
found in more than one habitat and the boundary between two habitats
is not necessarily well-defined. In particular, because Upper
Newport Bay is an estuary, the distinction between saltwater and
freshwater marsh is not always clear. There is a region where the
seawater coming in from the ocean and the freshwater entering from
San Diego Creek mix. Here the water is moderately saline (salty). It
is said to be brackish. This brackish region changes as a result of
both the twice-daily ebb and flow of the tide and the big seasonal
difference in flow along the creek.
One of the things that makes Upper Newport Bay so
interesting and exciting is the ability to experience so many
different habitats on a short nature walk. See
Map. At Big Canyon algae, cord grass, pickleweed, salt grass,
cattail, willow and cactus can all be seen in a quarter of a mile
hike. Terns, sandpipers, ducks, songbirds, hawks and many more birds
are found there. |
