A saltwater marsh is a shallow area bordering on an ocean, bay, or estuary where the tidal action of salt water creates plant communities that are habitat for many birds and animals. A salt pond is similar to a saltwater marsh, but it is man-made. We get our table salt from salt ponds!

The Forster's Tern is just over 1 foot in length and has a wingspan of 2-1/2 feet. It flies over the water, bowing its head and hovering to look for fish. It then plunges straight down into the water when food is spotted. Forster's Terns can be found in sheltered waters — ponds, bays, and marshes. This bird looks similar to a gull, but it has a forked tail and its wings are longer and more slender.

The Black Skimmer is a relatively new bird to the San Francisco Bay. It is 1-1/2 feet long and has a 3-1/2 foot wingspan. It flies just above the water (skimming) with its lower beak dragging in the water. When it touches something, like a fish to eat, it snaps shut. Black Skimmers can be found in sloughs, salt ponds, or marsh areas and locally is at Charleston Slough in Mountain View.

Salt Grass is found in wetlands and grows in the upper coastal salt marsh, above the pickleweed. It has stiff wiry leaves and often grows low along the ground. Salt Grass is a halophyte, which means it rids itself of the salt by "sweating" salt crystals out onto its leaves. Salt grass is native to California.

The salt marsh harvest mouse is a tiny rodent only 4-3/4 to 6-1/2 inches long. It is well adapted to living near salt water, as it is able to drink and digest salt water. It eats seeds of grasses and builds its nest out of dried grasses and pickleweed. This mouse is an endangered species, and so protecting its habitat of salt marshes is very important.

A low-growing plant found in wetlands at the edge of coastal and salt marsh habitats. It looks like a string of small, fleshy, grey-green pickles attached end to end. Pickleweed is a halophyte, which means it is specially adapted to live and survive with its roots in salt water. The endangered salt marsh harvest mouse makes a nest of dried pickleweed. Pickleweed is native to California.

The Ruddy Duck is named for the ruddy or reddish color it turns during the breeding season. This small duck is just over 1 foot long and has a wingspan of 1-1/2 feet. To find food, it dives deep and feeds on vegetation, usually from the bottom. Ruddy ducks can be found in open ponds, salt marshes, salt ponds, and bays. When walking on land, this bird is very awkward, due to its heavy body and its legs being so close to the tail.