The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
Thursday, September 5, 2024 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM Birding with Mark Clark All participants are welcome to join this trip. We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels, especially beginning birders, to join leader Mark Clark on our monthly walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, rails and swallows. With fall migration underway, shorebirds are arriving from their nesting grounds and we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search. The packed dirt paths around the ponds are wide, flat and easy to navigate. Heavy rain cancels DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101, exit at Smith Ranch Rd. Drive east on Smith Ranch Rd. toward McInnis Park. Turn left immediately after crossing the railroad tracks and drive about 0.5 mile through the LGVSD gates and into the parking lot at the end of the road. Meet the group by the bridge just past the parking lot. There is a portable restroom in the parking area for public use.
Volunteer to Count Vaux’s Swifts
September begins the fall migration of Vaux’s Swift through Marin County Marin Audubon and the Bay Area Vaux’s Swifts Working Group are expanding efforts to count Vaux’s Swifts and are seeking new volunteers with various abilities to join in the effort through this Workshop. This is part of a wide effort to understand the largely unknown movement and roosting patterns of Vaux Swifts. We invite you to join us for this exciting citizen science opportunity! Volunteers will engage with knowledgeable Vaux’s Swift counters/members of the Working Group who bring years of experience to share with newly-motivated birders. Volunteers will learn about and participate in refining the methods used to count these large congregations of Vaux’s Swifts and plan future counting activities. The Workshop has two parts: - Thursday, September 5th - 7PM - a meeting on Zoom at which you will hear an overview of the conditions at the overnight roost areas, efforts to count the swifts at this local site, and the various ways you can help. Register HERE for this Zoom Workshop Program: Welcome - Barbara Salzman, President Marin Audubon Society MC – Rich Cimino Presenters – Michael Helms, Rusty Scalf - Sunday, September 8 , 6 to 8PM A site visit to the Vaux’s Swift migration roost at Mc Near Brick Yard, San Rafael for on-site experience and guidance from experts. Contact Rich Cimino for more information: via email at or text 925-353-0266