Thursday, May 1, 2025
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 first Thursday walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas.  On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, rails and swallows. 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.

Birding in Marin, Season 10, trip 5
Saturday, May 3, 2025
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip

Registration required. Registration opens April 23 at 8:00 AM

Join Jim and Bob for a field trip to the gentle slopes of Mount Burdell where we’ll listen to and observe the impressive variety of songbirds that make this area their springtime home. Species we might see include Lark Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting and Grasshopper Sparrow, among many other possibilities. In the afternoon, we plan to continue birding at Stafford Lake or Rush Creek.

This will be a moderate hike with many opportunities to look at birds and spring wildflowers. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing. Bring water and snacks. We will meet at the end of San Andreas Drive in Novato.

DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 101 to Novato, exit at the San Marin Dr/Atherton Ave exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left (west) on San Marin Dr. Go approximately two miles and turn right on San Andreas Dr. Drive nearly to the end of the road and park on the street. No restrooms available.

Monday, May 5, 2025
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Trip Leader: Jude Stalker
Trip Cost: $120 per person
Register HERE for this Field Trip

Registration required. Registration opens April 10 at 8 AM

This trip begins at the historic Vallejo and Mare Island waterfronts and continues into a different world, one of vineyards, backwater homes, and some of the largest contiguous marshes in the Bay Area. Even before leaving the dock, you’ll spot diving ducks and grebes feeding. At Mare Island, you’ll pass Ospreys and egrets roosting in nearby trees. As the boat passes under Highway 37, you might even catch a pair of Peregrine Falcons during this springtime cruise alongside the Napa/Sonoma marshes. A variety of raptor species are common and occasionally both golden and bald eagles are seen.

The trip costs $120. A waitlist will open if the trip sells out. Join the waitlist by clicking the Contact Organizer prompt. If you cancel your registration more than one week before the start of the trip AND we can fill your spot with someone else on the waitlist, you will be reimbursed unless you would like to convert your registration fee into a tax-deductible donation to MAS.

Ticket holders will receive instructions and directions to the Vallejo Marina, approximately one week prior to the trip.