Location: Novato, CA Trip Leader(s): Sande & Bob Chilvers Start Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020 Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Join our "First Thursday walk" walk of the new year in the oak woodland at Deer Island Preserve with views of the surrounding marshland visible from parts of the trail. Red-shouldered Hawks and White-tailed Kites nest here with additional resident and winter raptor sightings possible during our visit. The woodlands are home to woodpeckers, owls, juncos, and towhees, and we'll also watch for egrets and White Pelicans. As usual, birding enthusiasts of all levels are invited to join our group. We always help each other find and identify the birds. We will be walking approximately 1.5 miles on a dirt trail with some gradual up and down slopes. Dress in layers and bring binoculars, scopes, and water. There are no restrooms at this location. Heavy rain cancels. If Marin has received any rain by the date of this field trip, we may stop by Simmons Slough, a diked off tributary of Novato Creek and one of Marin Audubon's properties, to look for wintering waterfowl. This property is part of what Marin Audubon envisions as a Simmons Slough Wildlife Corridor consisting of wetlands and adjacent uplands associated with the watershed. The area is popular with ducks when the seasonal marsh becomes flooded. Directions: From Highway 101 in Novato, take the exit for Atherton Avenue east 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Olive Ave and left onto Deer Island Lane. The gate is on your right with a nearby dirt parking lot.

Ruthie Rudesill of Redwood Regional Ornithological Society fame will lead this trip as a follow up to her presentation at our Speaker Series on January 9 entitled "Little Known Great Birding Locations in Northern California." The San Joaquin River NWR is situated where three major rivers (Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin) join in the San Joaquin Valley, creating a mix of habitats that provide ideal conditions for high wildlife and plant diversity. The refuge was initially established primarily to protect and manage habitat for the Aleutian Cackling Goose but now provides important nesting habitat for Swainson's Hawks, herons, cormorants, as well as the endangered least Bell's Vireo, which was absent from the area for five decades. The refuge is also home to the largest wild population of Riparian Brush Rabbits in the world that approached extinction in the 1990's. Bring optics (scopes would be useful), lunch, and dress in layers. There is a restroom at the refuge headquarters. No fees are collected here. Heavy rain cancels. This field trip is co-sponsored by RROS and Marin Audubon. Sonoma County folks who wish to carpool can meet at the Petaluma Park N' Ride at the junction of Highways 101 and 116 at 7:15 AM. These Sonoma participants will meet up with Marinites who wish to join a carpool at the Smith Ranch Road and Highway 101 Park N' Ride at 7:35 AM. For more information about this trip, contact Ruthie at (707) 833-6026 or (707) 481-0768. Directions: From Highway 580 southbound after Altamont Pass, take the Maze Blvd Exit onto Highway 132 (east towards Modesto). The NWR is at the San Joaquin River. Turn left on North Gates Road from Highway 132. Travel northbound on Gates Road for approximately 3 miles. Turn left on Beckwith Road. Travel westbound on Beckwith Road for 2 miles to the refuge parking lot on the left side of the road. Our first stop will be at the Migratory Bird Viewing Platform on Beckwith Road. Later we will return to Highway 132 and travel to the refuge headquarters at 2714 Dairy Road, Vernalis.

Location: Corte Madera Creek Trip Leader(s): Rich Cimino Start Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2020 Start Time: 9:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Purchased in 2016 by Marin Audubon, this important bayland property has undergone extensive restoration work in subsequent years thanks to the hard work of Marin Audubon Society board members, hired restoration specialists, and volunteers. The area is now a restored marsh that supports an important population of Ridgway's Rails and other special status species and includes a newly created high tide refuge habitat where volunteers have planted 16,200 native plants. Regularly scheduled workdays are held here for those who might like to help with the continuing restoration work, but on this particular day, we will join Rich for a tour of the area with a focus on BIRDS! Recently Rich began visiting the area regularly and will share his discoveries with us. Species we may see are ducks, long-legged waders, shorebirds, rails, plovers, kites, osprey, sparrows and meadow larks. No restrooms are available here. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: CMER is located behind Trader Joe's at the eastern end of Industrial Way in Corte Madera. Meet and park behind Trader Joe's.