Baby barn owl found at Deer Island in Novato died from rat poison

Jul 2, 2018 | News

A baby Barn Owl found under a nest box at Deer Island in Novato died from rat poison.
Source: California News Wire Services
Link: http://patch.com/california/novato/owlet-dies-rat-poison-prompts-anti-rodenticide-campaign
Document: Owlet Dies from Rat Poison.pdf

Field Trips

Feb 05

Birding in Marin – Season 7 Trip 2 – Sausalito and Tiburon

FEBRUARY 5 @ 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Saturday, February 5th
8:30 AM – mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White & Bob Battagin

There is a limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Sausalito/Tiburon trip will be open starting on January 26 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list.

We are going to explore the bay from the Sausalito waterfront to the Golden Gate and Richardson’s Bay, around to Strawberry Point and finally on to Blacky’s pasture in Tiburon. Many ducks, loons and grebes winter on the bay waters and we may find close comparative looks at similar specie pairs like Eared and Horned or Clark’s and Western Grebes, Red-throated Loons, Pacific and Common Loons, and Greater or Lesser Scaup. We are likely to find some shorebirds too, perhaps a Spotted Sandpiper or a rather rare Wandering Tattler.

Herring runs happen around this time of year and if we are lucky they will still be numerous and they lay large numbers of eggs that they stick to eel grass that birds especially gulls love. The roe are fancied by some diners and there is a purse seining fleet hungry for profit. The Dept. of Fish and Game is trying to maintain a sustainable catch. Last year near this time I think that 10 specie of gulls were located. So brush up on your gull IDs and join Bob and I along the shore.

Directions: Meet at the east end of Harbor Drive in Sausalito. Handicap Accessible. We will park where the birding is close, near level and smooth. Thanks to enlightened development planning, Harbor Drive and the rather posh Strawberry spit have fine public shoreline paths.

Feb 06

Sacramento Delta by Boat

FEBRUARY 6 @ 8:15 AM - 4:30 PM

Sunday, February 6, 2022
(Super Bowl Sunday)
8:15 AM to 4:30 PM
Boat leaves from and returns to the Antioch Marina
With David Wimpfheimer

Online registration for this trip will begin on January 5, 2022. The cost will be $125 per person. The trip limit is 25 fully vaccinated participants.

Join us aboard Dolphin Charters’ River Dolphin for a wonderful day of exploring the richness of the California Delta with naturalist David Wimpfheimer as our guide. Ronn Patterson, a Bay Area historian and naturalist, is captain of the River Dolphin and owner of Dolphin Charters. The boat is very comfortable, and the outer decks provide views over the levees of the amazing array of birds found in the Delta during the winter.

This rich area hosts a wide variety of raptors including Swainson’s Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Great Horned Owls. Large numbers of shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Snow, Canada and White- fronted Geese, ducks, as well as gulls, terns, bitterns and passerines make this cruise a highlight for birders. Uncommon mammals such as beaver, river otter, and mink often add interest to the cruise. We also will learn about the history, ecology and politics of the levees and the Delta as we travel through its meandering channels.

There will be a waiting list. To assure a spot for yourself, we recommend booking your space asap as this is always a popular trip. Those confirmed on the trip will receive directions to the Antioch Marina and other instructions the week before the trip.

Feb 19

Corte Madera Ecological Reserve

FEBRUARY 19 @ 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Saturday February 19, 2022
9:00 AM to noon
Birding with Bryan Flaig

Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on February 9 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list.

Please register for this field trip HERE

This trip is perfect for beginning birders looking to learn how to identify waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as experienced birders interested in honing their skills

Corte Madera Ecological Reserve contains a variety of birding habitats, like tidal ponds, pickleweed marshes and a high tide refuge purchased by Marin Audubon in 2016. Much of the area has undergone extensive restoration for rare and endangered saltmarsh species.

On this field trip, we will hike a short distance to explore the marsh at high tide, searching for elusive Ridgway’s Rails and seasonal migrants. Later, we will walk to the shorebird overlook on the west side of the tidal pond, spending the majority of our time observing the wide variety of ducks, gulls, and wading shorebirds that frequent the area in winter.

Bryan Flaig has been monitoring bird activity at Corte Madera Marsh nearly every week since 2019 and recently completed Golden Gate Audubon’s Master Birding Program.

Restrooms are available at nearby stores, but not on the marsh. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Plan for a 1.5 to 2 mile walk on flat terrain. Light rain does not cancel the trip.

DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s in Corte Madera. Meet in the parking lot behind the store, accessed by the driveway on the southside of World Market.