Wednesday, February 3, 2021
4 PM to 5:30 PM - NOTE EARLIER STARTING TIME
With William Wiskes
Sign up for the Zoom Webinar HERE

Like every atlas project, the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas will feature, at its core, a series of maps that track the distribution of our nesting birds. Join us for a fascinating exploration of high-tech map-making with William Wiskes. William will talk about the pleasures and pains of creating maps for a modern breeding bird atlas. He will focus especially on three classes of maps that he is developing for the Marin County BBA project: conventional paper (printable) maps, an interactive web-map, and a phone-based app that volunteers can use in the field.

William Wiskes, GIS Specialist, is the staff cartographer of the new Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas. He is currently a master’s degree candidate at San Francisco State University. An excellent field ornithologist, William has worked on numerous projects in conservation biology, including, among others, field studies of raptors, Pacific Wren, and Black Rail.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021
7 PM to 8:30 PM
With Joe Mueller
CLICK HERE to register for the Zoom Webinar

The best time of year to get to know owls is during the breeding season. This is the time when they communicate with each other and allow us a glimpse into their lives.  Join Joe for a guided journey into understanding the reproductive behavior of our local owls.  We’ll explore topics from territoriality and pair formation to courtship and nesting.  

As a Professor of Biology for 30 years Joe has been teaching a rich diversity of courses ranging from ornithology to marine invertebrate zoology as well as leading field courses from Alaskan tundra to Costa Rican Tropical Rain Forests. His teaching style has developed from a view of life focused on systems thinking and how interrelationships make up the essential nature of life.  He developed and coordinates the Natural History Program at College of Marin and is the 2008 recipient of the Terwilliger Environmental Education Award.

Point Reyes - Fish Docks, Lighthouse & Beaches
September 4th
8:30AM - Mid Afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin

September provides the most birding surprises in Marin as many juvenile birds make their first migration west and south without the aid of google maps. Western migrants such as Townsends, Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers may be in the Point Reyes Tree islands with rarer eastern species. Western Tanagers may share a tree with a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Drake’s Bay begins to harbor large numbers of wintering species like scoters, loons, terns and gulls. A Wandering Tattler may join Black Turnstones, sanderlings and Godwits along the shores. This is a good time and place to witness Parasitic Jaegers harassing Elegant Terns to try to snitch a captured fish.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse sits well out into the Pacific Ocean so some pelagic birds like Shearwaters may be seen from the comfort of the shore. Peregrine Falcons are often seen, especially on mornings when the fog hides the coast, and migrating land birds may be hunted out over the ocean. The point with its few Monterey Cypress can then be a life saving vision to them.

Limit of 15 participants. All participants must be vaccinated. CLICK HERE to register for this field trip. There will be NO waiting lists at this time. 

DIRECTIONS: Meet at 8:30 at the Fish Docks parking lot on the outer point. Take Sir Francis Drake thru Inverness toward the Light House. Left turn to the FISH DOCKS just after Ranch A (The Nunes Ranch) and one mile before the Lighthouse. Carpool if possible, be vaccinated and allow 1.5 hour from the San Rafael area.

McNear Brick & Block, San Rafael, CA
6 PM to 7:40 PM (depending on the weather)
Birding with Rich Cimino  

Join other MAS members for an evening opportunity to witness Vaux’s Swifts during their fall migration through Marin, which occurs in September and October. Dan McNear of McNear Brick & Block has kindly allowed Marin Audubon to access this remarkable site where decommissioned smoke stacks provide an important communal roosting place for the swifts. 

Watching thousands of swifts as they descend into the stacks just before night- fall is an unforgettable sight. At the peak of migration, as many as 19,000 swifts have been counted in one evening. However, keep in mind that the number of swifts varies greatly from night to night and can range from a few hundred to thousands. Like everything else in birding, there are no guarantees! 

Sunset on the evening of our visit will be at 7:12 PM, so plan on arriving early to be ready. If the weather on the day of our trip is particularly cool or windy, the swifts are likely to enter the stacks early, so plan accordingly. Bring scopes, binoculars, and, if desired, folding chairs for your seating comfort. It can be chilly at dusk. Please stay with our group and do not enter any of the private areas on the property. Use soft voices and be sure to respect the privacy of local residents.

Limit of 15 participants. All participants must be vaccinated. CLICK HERE to register for this field trip. There will be NO waiting lists at this time. 

DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 take the Central San Rafael exit. Head east on Third St./Point San Pedro Rd for about 3.5 miles. The brickyard will be on the right. The address is 1 McNear Brickyard Rd. Park as close to the San Pedro Road entrance as possible. Please do not drive to or park near the closed gate. 

October 2nd: 8:30AM - Mid Afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin

Abbott’s Lagoon on the Pacific Coast in the Point Reyes National Seashore is one of Marin’s premier birding locations sporting an eBird sum of 283 species. Fall migration south along the coast brings many birds to this area. Some that we hope to see include Ferruginous Hawk, Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Lapland Longspur, Horned Lark and Pipits. Hundreds of ducks of a dozen species, geese, herons, Peregrines and Ospreys are also likely visitors. Plus you get some exercise; out and back is about 3 miles (some in sand) and Jim likes to do a full 5 mile loop. So pack a lunch for a picnic on the beach and bring a couple of layers for the fresh ocean air and help us spot a rarity.

We have tried to show people 200 species each year and this year’s late start makes that goal a very big challenge. To help bolster our lists, we plan to stop along Tomales Bay near the Inverness Tennis club to look for Pine and Alder woodland birds. A surprising number of species have been seen here and there is a nice little beach where we usually find several kinds of gulls.

Tickets will be available on September 23rd at 8AM. There is a limit of 15 participants for this trip. No waiting list at this time, and no drop-ins allowed.

All participants must be fully vaccinated.

CLICK HERE to register for this field trip

Saturday, October 9th
9AM - 12PM
Birding with Rich Cimino & Janet Bodle 

It’s always an exciting time to birdwatch at Olompali State Historic Park! October can bring fall surprises. This year, with the fires in the northern part of the state, Olompali Park may become home to species typically not seen in the park seeking shelter. Beginning and experienced birders are invited to join leaders Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle to bird the park. We will walk the old ranch road to the park’s reservoir. We hope to see a wide variety of species that thrive in the park’s oak savanna and open grasslands. The field trip will start at 9 AM meeting in the front of the visitor center.

DIRECTIONS: Exit Hwy 101 at Atherton Ave/San Marin Dr in Novato. Follow the signs to Olompali State Historic Park. A right turn onto the Old Redwood Hwy frontage road will take you to the park. There is an $8 parking fee. Recently the park gates have been opening by 8:30AM.

Tickets will be available on September 30th at 8AM. There is a limit of 10 participants for this trip. No waiting list at this time, and no drop-ins allowed.

All participants must be fully vaccinated.

CLICK HERE to register for this field trip.

Wednesday, October 20th
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers

Join William and David for one of their fall migration field trips at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their longtime “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species seen and unusual sightings. On this particular trip, our group will be targeting Parasitic Jaeger, migrating shorebirds, warblers, early winter wildfowl and passerine migrants.
We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon.

Registration for this trip will be open starting on October 11 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 12 participants for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed.

DIRECTIONS: Head south on Hwy 101 and take the last Sausalito exit just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet turn left at the sign to the Marin Headlands (This is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see the tunnel with the five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel on Bunker Rd to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end. Meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach or join MAS birders with scopes along the nearby beach area.

Click HERE to register for this field trip.

Wednesday November 3rd, 2021
9:00 AM to noon
Birding with Rich Cimino 

Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on October 25 at 8:00 AM. Limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop ins, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please register via TicketBud HERE

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 hired crews have planted 16,200 native upland 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. High tide is approximately 11 AM, species we may see are ducks, long- legged waders, shorebirds, rails, plovers, White-tailed kites, Osprey, American Pipits, Savannah Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks. 

No restrooms are available here. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks, planning a 1.5 to 2 mile walk, light rain does not cancel the walk. 

DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s at the eastern end of Industrial Way in Corte Madera. Meet and park behind Trader Joe’s. 

Saturday November 6th, 2021
8:30 AM - 2 PM

Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin

Registration for this trip will be available starting on October 27 starting at 8AM. Limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Register via TicketBud HERE.

Join Jim and Bob on an easy birdy walk of 1.5mi around the Las Gallinas ponds where we are likely to see 10 species of ducks, 5 of herons, 5 of raptors, 5 of sparrows and some rails like Ridgeway’s, Sora, and Virginia with Gallinules, coots, Swans and Geese! Shall we try to identify the duck species by females? I wonder if the Merlin will be back. These oxidation ponds, where a large portion of Marin’s waste water is converted to useful nutrients and clean enough to return safely to the San Francisco Bay ecosystem, demonstrate how we can provide for wildlife and live in harmony with nature.

After lunch we are going to visit the Hamilton Wetlands, restored by the Army Corp of Engineers in the recent 5-10 years to the SF Bay ecosystem, which have become the winter home of some ten thousand birds. It is remarkable that thru the 2nd World War and the Cold War years the US Air Force stayed on alert and could launch jet fighter planes in minutes from an airport here to defend the Bay Area. We will try to find 10 species of shorebirds here while staying alert to many other possibilities.

Directions: From 101 north San Rafael take the Lucas Valley/Smith Ranch Road exit east. In about .5mi, immediately after crossing the RR tracks, left turn and follow the road another 0.5 miles to the Las Gallinas parking at the end.

To the Hamilton Wetlands return to 101 North, take the second exit, Nave Drive toward Hamilton. Stay on Nave, Dr.heading north, to Main Gate Drive and turn right. Go east to Hanger Avenue and park along the levy behind Hangar 7.

Saturday, November 13, 2021
8:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Birding with Teresa and Miles Tuffli

Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 4 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please register via TicketBud HERE.

Head up the Sonoma County coast to bird Willow Creek Road in Jenner. We’ll have the chance for multiple raptor species, including potential for Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, and maybe even Bald Eagle. Many year-round passerines will be frequenting the willows, alders, and scrub. With a view of the Russian River, we’ll look for some waterbirds as well.

We’ll meet at the Russian House #1 restaurant and bird the road’s entrance on foot. We’ll then move all cars down the road to a large pullout. We’ll bird the willows, creek area, and river view on foot before consolidating cars and continuing down the road, stopping to bird various sections. For a peek at the area, check out Miles and Teresa’s recap of birding Willow Creek Road back in July.

No bathrooms. Heavy rain cancels. Bring binoculars, layers, sunscreen, water, lunch, or snacks. Please carpool if possible.

DIRECTIONS: Russian House #1 is at 9960 Hwy 1, Jenner, CA. It is 9 miles north of Bodega Bay (15–20 minutes), directly along Hwy 1, on the right just before the Russian River bridge.

Sunday, November 14, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE to register for the field trip. Registration for this trip opens October 8 at 8AM. There will be a waiting list if this trip sells out, and you will be notified if space becomes available. 

San Francisco Bay, the largest and one of the most important estuaries along the Pacific Flyway, is right in our own backyard. Join us as we cruise from Berkeley toward the Golden Gate Bridge and north into San Pablo Bay, hugging the shorelines and waters that are home to thousands of wintering birds. We will pass ten islands, under two bridges, and up two creeks in four counties in search of migrating and resident waterfowl, shore-birds and marine mammals. This trip offers water bird and marine mammal viewing in stunning locations, many of which can only be seen by boat. In addition to the many ducks, loons, pelicans and gulls that come into the Bay for the winter, we can also expect to see resident cormorants, grebes, terns, and murres.

Dress in layers, and bring liquids and lunch. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please bring a mask for any time spent inside the cabin.

The trip costs $120. Limited to 25 people. 

Registered participants will receive directions to the Berkeley Marina and other instructions prior to the trip. 

Wednesday, November 17, 2021
7:30 AM to noon
With William Legge and David Wiechers
Click HERE to register for the field trip

Mid-November is a surprisingly active time for migrants at this Marin Headlands location, as we search for scarcer late fall migrants including winter wildfowl, loons, grebes and passerine migrants. As always, the weather will determine the focus of our search on the day.  With this ‘hotspot’ producing some memorable Marin rarities in recent Novembers, including Tricolored Heron, Scaly-breasted Munia and Rusty Blackbird, almost anything is possible! We will begin the morning with a sea watch (most productive when onshore winds are blowing) and/or visible migration watch (most productive when offshore winds are blowing) at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. 

Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 8 at 8:00 AM on the MAS website Field Trips page. There is a limit of 12 participants for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated.

DIRECTIONS: Head south on Hwy 101 and take the last Sausalito exit just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet turn left at the sign to the Marin Headlands (This is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see the tunnel with the five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel on Bunker Road to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end and meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach. 

Saturday 12/04/21 from 8:30 to 2 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip

Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin

Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 24 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.

The Marin Audubon Society acquired and restored to tidal action the diked baylands around the residential Bahia neighborhood. As the ebbing tide exposes the mudflats thousands of shorebirds now descend to feed while on the flood tide hundreds of ducks and some gulls float, forage and loaf about. The oak wooded ridge stretching from 101 to Bahia, also saved from development by MAS, holds Oak Titmice, White-breasted nuthatch, Hutton’s Vireo at least 4 woodpecker specie and many sparrows in the winter. It is always interesting and we have had Golden Eagles soaring above.

The horseshoe pond at the south east end of Topaz is a great place to look for wintering ducks. Goldeneyes, Scaup, Canvasbacks, Buffleheads and Mergansers seem to like it and it has been Marin’s best place for Barrow’s Goldeneyes the last few years.

After lunch we plan to take a look at the nearby Rush Creek area from the Airport Road which parallels the 101 freeway north of Atherton. So join Bob and Jim if you would like enjoy a day of birding and see about 80 species on the day.

Directions: From 101 in north Novato take Atherton Avenue east, take the Y left onto Bugeia which becomes Bahia Drive, near the end at the bottom of the hill take a right onto Topaz, follow Topaz to its end and park. 

Thursday, December 9, 2021 - 11 AM to 1 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip

Birding with Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle

Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 29 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 20 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.

Join Rich for an easy bird walk on level ground during the incoming high tide high tide. We will bird the shoreline of San Pablo Bay watching for shorebirds on the rocks and diving ducks, loons, and grebes on the bay. We will also bird the fresh ponds water looking for wintering dappling ducks, warblers, White- crowned Sparrow. Bring your scope, water, and snacks. No Restrooms are available at the bird walk. Meet in the parking lot for the Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline trailhead. Heavy rain will cancel.

DIRECTIONS: From the north, take Hwy 101 to the Bellam Blvd. exit. Turn left on Bellam then right on East Francisco Blvd., which parallels I-580. Head east (toward the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge for about 1-1/2 miles. You will see a Bay Café Signage follow to the rear of parking lot at the Bay Park Center. Turn left on Pelican Way then right to the trailhead parking area. From the south you can take the exit to the San Rafael Bridge getting off at the last Marin exit, the San Quentin exit. For GPS, use the Bay Café address, 2165 Francisco Blvd., San Rafael. 

Saturday, December 11 2021 - 1 PM to 5:30 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip

Birding with Kurt Rademacher

Registration for this trip will be open starting on December 1 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.

At the junction of the Great Central Valley and Delta, the Cosumnes River Preserve is a 46,000-acre conservation project acquired and jointly managed through the collaboration of a number of conservation organizations and agencies. Here, the last un-dammed river on the west slope of the Sierra still routinely floods up in winter, fostering bountiful habitats of wetlands, savannah and riparian forest for wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds and raptors. Tundra Swans, Shovelers, American Wigeon, Green-winged & Cinnamon Teal, Pintails, White-faced Ibis, and White Pelicans are among the winter throngs. Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes are a highlight of our tour, and we’ll end up at Staten Island for sundown to witness the spectacle of some 15% of the Pacific Flyway’s cranes noisily settling down for their nightly roost.

DIRECTIONS: We’ll meet at the Cosumnes River Preserve Visitor Center parking lot at 13501 Franklin Blvd, Galt. Allow about two hours from Central Marin via Hwys 37, 80 and 12 through Rio Vista to I-5, then north to Twin Cities Rd. exit. (Or you can take I-80 to Sacramento, then south on I-5 to Twin Cities Rd. exit.) On Twin Cities Rd. proceed east briefly to turn right (S) on Franklin Rd. about 1.7 miles to the parking area. You are wel- come to come earlier and enjoy your lunch on the Visitor Center veranda. After a briefing at 1 PM, we’ll enjoy a 1-mile loop hike on a trail and boardwalk, then drive to other key observation points on the preserve ending up at Staten Island. Come prepared with warm clothing for changeable weather including rain and mud for “Crane-down.”

January 8th, 2022 - 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip

Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin

Registration for this trip will be open starting on December 29 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.

Bob and I are pleased to share the bird rich Stinson Beach/ Bolinas birding area with you. Coupled with non freezing winter weather and many diverse habitats the CBC, Christmas Bird Counts, show this to be most specie rich, birdiest, area in Southern Marin county. These habitats include ocean, beaches, rocky shores, a large lagoon with acres of mudflats, Douglas Fir and Redwood forests, Alder riparian, parking lots, residential and more. The CBC data show an average of over 125 specie winter in this area. Plus many of these birds, like ducks, gulls and shorebirds, are rather easy to see as they float about on the water or walk along the shores. Can we find 100 specie today?

Thanks can given today to the founders of Marin Audubon and some conservation minded elders for the parks, open space, public access, and wildlife habitats in much of the country around Bolinas Lagoon. Dr Martin Griffith was instrumental in saving Bolinas harbor from a hotel and yacht club destination and is commemorated at the heron and egret rookery that we will pass along the east side of the lagoon.

So start your year list if you haven’t already. Bob is adept with ebird and will help by providing a list of the birds that we encounter today. We strive to help all of our participants to see or hear all of the birds but that is a goal, not quite reality. Let’s go birding!

DIRECTIONS: Meet at 8:30 AM at the Stinson Beach Parking Lot

Saturday Jan. 15, 2022
9:00 AM to noon
With Bryan Flaig 

Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on January 5 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list. CLICK HERE to register for this field trip. 

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. Expect high tide around 9am.

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. 

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.   

Sign up on TicketBud HERE

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.