A great egret careens above the Bolinas Lagoon, intent on landing in the crown of a thick pine grove. Extending its long, spindly legs, it flaps and squawks while groping for purchase in the branches. Neighboring egrets raise a ruckus, and the new arrival clambers onto its nest, where three rapacious chicks await.
Down on the wharf, biologist Scott Jennings zeroes in on this scene with a spotting scope. The nest is one of hundreds…