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.