Salt Pond at Alviso Slough San Jose

Pre-summer colors at the Alviso Slough salt pond, June 8th, 2026


Salt pond colors range from blue-green to deep magenta and are created naturally by the microorganisms when salinity levels increase. All Rights Reserved.

Amtrak Capitol Corridor #529 Auburn to San Jose 1-13-2026

Taken at the re-opened Alviso Slough Trail at the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge in the Alviso District of San Jose 1-26-2026

Summer at Alviso Slough Trail San Jose

Alviso Slough Trail salt pond in Alviso (San Jose) July 2025

Alviso Slough Trail SJ 2025

Alviso Slough Trail April 2025

Overcast Day in October

Alviso Slough Trail in San Jose (Alviso) in October 2024

Colorful Salt Pond

Alviso Slough Trail at Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge in San Jose

American Advocet

American Advocet at Alviso Slough in San Jose

 

The American Advocet is a shorebird with a long, a curved bill, a long neck, and round head. Breeding Advocet’s have a rusty head and neck that turns grayish white after breeding. It walks through shallow water looking for aquatic animals. Their habitat are fresh and saltwater wetlands, salt ponds, and evaporation ponds. During winter it uses inter-tidal mudflats, tidal lagoons, rice fields, and flooded pastures.

 

 

 

Snowy Egret

 

 

 

 

 

Snowy Egrets are medium-sized herons with long, thin legs, and long slender bills. The adults have black bills, black legs, and yellow feet. Juveniles have duller, greenish legs. Egrets are generally 22.1-26 in or (56-66 cm) in length, weight about 13.1 or (370 g), and wingspan 39.4 (100 cm). The feed by wading in shallow water to spear fish and other small aquatic animals. They are common along the coast, mudflats, beaches, and inland wetlands.

 

 

Summertime at a Salt Pond

Changing Colors

 

 

 

 

 

Waning of spring

 

 

Brings change

 

 

And summer