Albatross have likely nested in the Hawaiian Islands for millions of years, but disappeared with the arrival of humans. About 40 years ago, individual birds began returning to Kauai, and the population has gradually grown since then. Now, as their mother ship at Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands becomes more and more treacherous, Kauai may become the birds' Noah's Ark. Hob Osterlund, MSN, APRN, is an award-winning writer, photographer and conservationist living on the island of Kaua'i. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic Explorer, Audubon, National Wildlife, Nature Conservancy, Hana Hou (Hawaiian Airlines), Ms. Magazine and more. She is the founder of the Kauai Albatross Network and has served as a habitat liaison for a number of private landowners for several years. Her work includes direct services such as systematic monitoring of all Laysan albatross on those properties, assisting with predator control and serving as a link between private landowners and state and federal wildlife agencies. For five nesting seasons Hob worked as a Kaua'i Coordinator for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Cam project. As a result, Laysan albatross live streaming images were played via the "TrossCam" as the chicks grew from hatch to fledge. From 2014-2018 there were 60 million views and 450 million minutes watched by viewers from 190 countries. In 2019 Hob's primary focus is her new documentary Kalama's Journey. The film is about an albatross chick adopted by a female pair of birds on Kaua'i, and about the chick's role in facing her species' biggest threat.

Description: Many birds are brightly colored, others use patterned feathers for camouflage. How do these colors originate? What's the difference between colors from pigments and physical colors? From Yellow warblers to Anna's Hummingbirds, from Snow Geese to Brewer's Blackbirds, each species makes unique use of the feather colors it possesses. What do the colors indicate to other birds? And do birds see the same colors we do? Bob will unravel some of the mysteries of color in birds with a little chemistry, a bit of physics, and a lot of brightly colored slides. Bob Lewis trained as a chemist and worked in the energy field for 33 years. He's taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 25 years, and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon's Adult Education Committee. He's co-aught a popular Master Birding class at the SF Academy of Sciences with Jack Dumbacher and Eddie Bartley, and Birds of the Bay Area with Rusty Scalf. He taught Avian Evolution with Bruce Mast for Marin Audubon. He loves to travel and photograph birds, and has recently returned from a trip to Namibia, chasing the brightly colored birds of that area, and passing 5,000 on his life list. Image: The pigment that creates the yellow color in King Penguins is still undefined.

Most birders visit the famous spots: Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay, Golden Gate Park, Vic Fassio Yolo Wetlands, Klamath/Tulelake and Sacramento NWRs, Monterey Bay, Arcata Marsh, etc. But there is a growing number of lesser known spots, hidden gems for birding and scenery. Ruthie Rudesill will share birding stories and discuss a few special places for those who want to travel to new exciting areas of Northern California. Swainson's Hawk Courtesy of Ruthie Rudesill Speaker Ruthie Rudesill is Past President of Redwood Regional Ornithological Society. She has a Wildlife degree from Humboldt State University. She has led and participated in many Christmas Bird Counts, surveys and field trips for over 30 years. Ruthie maintains the records for rare birds in Sonoma County and sends quarterly reports to North American Birds (part of the American Birding Association).

Speaker: Allen Fish Host: Doug Waterman Start Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020 Start Time: 7:30 PM End Time: 9:30 PM Description: As Peregrine Falcons have recovered from endangered status in the 1990s-2000s, they have often been found nesting on bridges and skyscrapers. For the last two nesting seasons, a Peregrine Falcon pair has taken up residence on the Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus, fledging two chicks in 2017, and three in 2018. A team of citizen scientists led by UC Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) in cooperation with the East Bay Regional Park District and the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, has monitored the Peregrines, enhancing their nest-site, watching for threats, and serving as an information source for captivated CAL falcon-spotters. In 2019, the Cal Peregrine Team is working on getting a web-cam erected on the tower to deepen our knowledge of these urban Peregrines, and to widen interest in these charismatic falcons via the web. Beyond their sheer magnetism - the athletic hunting flights of the adults and the clumsy antics of the fledglings - the Peregrines are a profound reminder of the ornithologists of a generation ago who walked a tight-rope between science and conservation activism to bring this species back from the edge of extinction. One of their critical conservation tools? The well-kept and meticulously-labelled egg collections of natural history museums, including our own Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (ggro.org) since its founding in the mid-1980s, Allen Fish earned his bachelor's degree at UC Davis, then returned to teach Raptor Biology there in the 2000s. He was honored with the Maurice Broun Award for achievements in raptor biology in 2003, and the Bay Nature Environmental Educator Award in 2015. A fourth-generation Berkeleyan with deep CAL roots, Fish lives near campus with his wife Allison Pennell, their two kids and a coonhound. Photo by Doug Bell

Speaker: Greg Budney Host: Doug Waterman Start Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020 Start Time: 7:30 PM End Time: 9:00 PM This presentation explains the basics of how and why birds vocalize (as well as other animals) and features many interesting and astonishing examples (including a humorous Common Loon recording) and explores a range of behaviors from courtship to warning signals. Greg is the retired former Audio Curator of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, the world's largest collection of wildlife sound recordings. He is also an experienced bird sound recordist and has produced numerous audio guides to sounds of birds of the Americas. He has trained hundreds of biologists and citizen scientists in techniques for capturing the sounds of wildlife for research, conservation, and education. Photo of Greg Budney with parabola was taken by Eduardo Inigo Elias.

Join naturalist Nora Livingston for a talk about Mono Lake, one of California’s best birding spots, to learn about the natural, cultural, and political history of the lake and what birds you might expect to see there. Nora will share current news about the lake and about the exciting natural history programs she leads in the summer.

Speaker: Josiah Clark Host: Doug Waterman Start Date: Thursday, June 11, 2020 Start Time: 7:30 PM End Time: 9:00 PM Description: An online Zoom meeting, this presentation will note dozens of bird and plant species, focusing on important resources that provide for local birds and wildlife. Josiah will share conservation related information on the limiting factors of vulnerable and declining groups, including cup-nesting songbirds, precocial young and birds of open habitats. This presentation aims to help naturalists both find more species and become more informed conservation advocates. Consulting ecologist Josiah Clark grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Defining moments of birding experiences include: observation and mist-netting on Southeast Farallon Island; extensive travel, study, and tour leading in Latin America; and a 24 hour birding and bicycling marathon in Marin County during which he spotted 158 species. Josiah owns Natures Acres Nursery and Habitat Potential Consulting. Both are dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating productive wildlife habitats in the human landscape. We will post the link to the Zoom meeting in early June.

Join us for a Zoom event...

Speaker: Bob Lewis
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: October 8, 2020
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM

Description:For over 20 years, Bob Lewis has been leading birding trips to the Sierra Valley, often staying to photograph the birds and he sees. At the headwater of the Feather River, the valley is a magnet for birds and the surrounding mountains provide additional habitats.

Bob will take us to some of his favorite places and show us the birds that live there, along with a few other creatures. He has often been asked where his favorite birding spot is and Sierra Valley ranks high on the list.

Bob trained as a chemist, but his second career is very avian.  He’s served on the GGAS board where he led the Adult Education Committee.  He’s an award-winning photographer and world traveler, and frequent public speaker on avian topics at libraries and Audubon Societies.  He has co-taught Master Birding, Avian Evolution and Bay Area Birds for GGAS, and his bird life list stands at 5059.

Use the link below to access the meeting. A Q&A will follow the presentation. To ask a question use the Chat feature on Zoom.
CLICK HERE for Zoom Link

Photo taken by Bob Lewis - American Bittern

Speaker: Benjamin Jacobs-Schwartz
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: November 12, 2020
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM

Description:  International Bird guide, naturalist and photographer, Benny Jacobs-Schwartz will share his dazzling bird photos, captivating videos, and animated story-telling to bring a slice of the tropics to your screen!

Delving into topics of migration, tropical speciation, and bio-diversity, this media rich journey will share some of the fascinating and unique birds that inhabit the new-world tropics. Designed to both educate and entertain, this presentation will certainly leave you with a deeper understanding of tropical ecology, and knowledge about where some of our backyard birds spend their winters!

Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). Working seasonally as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide, Benny works in a variety of locations. Most recently bringing him to such exotic places like coastal Alaska, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ecuadorian cloud forest.

Seasonally Benny or BIJS, is based in Los Angeles, where he leads public and private birding adventures to urban hotspots. He is also a passionate photographer, specializing in birds. He uses his impressive collection of content to leverage his prolific social media presence. Benny hopes his love of the natural world will inspire others to conserve the open spaces around them and look up more often from their phones!

CLICK HERE to join the Zoom Speaker Series Event. A Q&A will follow the presentation. To ask a question use the Chat feature on Zoom.

Please contact for questions regarding Marin Audubon's Speaker Series events.

Speaker: John Sterling
Host: Doug Waterman
Date:  January 14, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM

CLICK HERE to register for the Zoom Speaker Series Event. A Q&A will follow the presentation. To ask a question use the Chat feature on Zoom.

John will discuss the changes in our knowledge of bird distribution and populations in the Central Valley since the publication of Grinnell and Miller’s book on California birds in the 1940s. Loss of habitats, creation of new habitats, reduction of ranges, invasions of new species and other topics will be explored as we reconcile the fact that more species are detected now than prior to the book’s publication.

John is a professional ornithologist and has worked for the Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service research stations, HT Harvey & Associates, Arizona and Oregon state universities among other organizations since 1981.  John has traveled extensively throughout California learning about local bird distribution and is an authority on that state’s avifauna. In 2015 he set the California's new big year record with 501 species and has many big day records as well. John currently has his own company, Sterling Wildlife Biology (www.sterlingbirds.com), specializing in tours, birding classes, research and environmental consulting for The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon’s International Alliance Program, CA Dept. of Water Resources among other organizations.

Speaker: Roger Harris
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: February 11, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
Please sign up HERE

Many of our common Marin County birds, whose abundance we now take for granted, were rare or absent only three-quarters of a century ago. Since the beginning of the Southern Marin Christmas Bird County in the 1970s, for instance, Red-shouldered Hawk detections have increased tenfold. Habitat restoration and maturation, conservation efforts, and cultural changes in the behavior of individual bird species have all contributed to shifting – and, for Marin, generally increasing – bird populations. 

Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, and Great Blue Herons, which had been extirpated from the Bay Area, returned in the mid-twentieth century.  Black-necked Stilts were first recorded nesting in our marshes in the mid-1960s, followed by American Avocets in 1984.  In 1996, Forster’s Terns nested in Corte Madera Shorebird Marsh for the first time in Marin County.

The dean of California ornithology, Joseph Grinnell, wrote in 1915 that the Ridgway’s Rail “seems destined to early extinction.”  The rail is the logo bird of the Marin Audubon Society and conservation advocacy efforts have made Grinnell’s prediction of a century ago at least premature.

Our speaker, Roger Harris, will unpack the evolving dynamics of avifaunal population change using data from Christmas Bird Counts, the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas, and a variety of other sources. Roger is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and a longtime member of the Marin Audubon Society. Once the pandemic resolves, he hopes to return to leading international eco-tours for the Oceanic Society.

Photo courtesy of Roger Harris

Speakers: Miles and Teresa Tuffli
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: March 11
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
CLICK HERE to join the Zoom Speaker Series

Photo credit: Green Heron by Teresa & Miles Tuffli

Join Teresa and Miles Tuffli as they take you on a virtual birding-by-kayak trip along the lower Russian River in Sonoma County. A leisurely paddle is an ideal way to experience the wildlife the Russian River has to offer on a gorgeous summer day. Herons, swallows, raptors, ducks, and songbirds galore are easily observed while quietly moving along the tranquil river. They'll share some of their favorite photos and audio recordings captured while kayaking and map out their preferred launch spot and route. 

Miles and Teresa Tuffli are avid birders from Guerneville who especially love helping “bird-curious” folks take the next step of getting into the field to enjoy the bird world! They lead guided bird walks and give educational presentations for local organizations including the PRNSA Field Institute, Redwood Region Ornithological Society, Laguna Foundation, and Sonoma Land Trust. Residents of West Sonoma County for 11 years, Miles and Teresa also enjoy writing about and documenting our local birds at their website: I’m Birding Right Now ( https://imbirdingrightnow.com).

Speaker: Daniel Edelstein
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: April 15th, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Register for Zoom Webinar HERE

• Which wood-warbler species typically nest annually in in Marin County and the North Bay region?
• Which are year-round residents and when do returning spring migrant species arrive?
• And why do vagrant wood-warblers in fall visit the Outer Point at Point Reyes National Seashore?

These questions and others will be addressed in this virtual, Zoom slide show highlighting one of our area’s most captivating bird families.

In creating this program, Avian Biologist and Birding Guide Daniel Edelstein utilizes his 30+ years of watching wood-warblers throughout the USA to discuss both common and rare Marin County/North Bay wood-warbler species.  

A professional Birding Guide (WarblerWatch.com) since the mid-1980s, Daniel Edelstein works full-time as a freelance, Consulting Avian Biologist, Environmental Scientist, and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Associate. He has presented birding programs and led tours in more than 20 USA states. In addition, he teaches college-level birding classes as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Biology Department at Merritt College (Oakland, CA) (Merritt.edu). His popular blog — WarblerWatch.blogspot.com — featuring wood-warbler articles and photo quizzes is now 15 years old.

Photo credit: Wilson's Warbler by Elyse Omernick

Speaker: Amie MacDonald
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: May 13, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
Register for the Zoom Meeting HERE

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, is an international collaborative research network that uses automated radio telemetry to track birds, bats, and insects. This presentation will include an overview of the Motus system, which consists of a large number of receiving-towers strategically placed all over the world. When a tagged bird (or butterfly) passes within range of a tower, its presence is recorded and incorporated into a database accessible to interested investigators wherever they may be. (And, yes, the system has also been used to track butterfly migration.) 

The network is rapidly expanding as more and more ornithologists and researchers seek to determine what can be done to conserve and enhance survival for these beautiful animals.

Amie MacDonald works as the Western Motus Coordinator for Birds Canada, and is currently working to expand the Motus Wildlife Tracking System in British Columbia. Previously, she studied Red Knots during migratory stopover on the James Bay coast, and has also spent several years working as a field technician, primarily with shorebirds in James Bay and the Bay of Fundy, but also with seabirds, passerines, and small mammals on various projects.  She loves being in the field and is interested in migration, population ecology, and the conservation of highly mobile species.

Photo: Tagged bird prepared for Motus Tracking System

Speaker: John Shewey
Date: June 10, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:00 PM
Register for Zoom meeting HERE

Hummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed enigmatic lifestyles are a blur; their startling colors and exotic behaviors are delights. Hummingbirds also inspire us—they are like tiny ambassadors with the power to usher people into a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Author John Shewey taps into the intrigue in this program based on his new book, The Hummingbird Handbook. Join John for this fun-filled program and learn more about hummingbirds, how to attract them, how to cater to them, and how to be a great hummingbird host in your yard.

Lifelong birding enthusiast John Shewey is a veteran writer, editor, and professional outdoor photographer, with credits in Birdwatching, along with dozens of other magazines and he is co-author of Birds of the Pacific Northwest, a Timber Land Press Field Guide. John has photographed birds from the mountains of Alaska to the jungles of Central America to the islands of the Caribbean, and his website chronicles many of these travels in rich photographic detail. Visit him at birdingoregon.com.

Speaker: Wendy Dreskin
Host: Missy Crowe
Date: September 9, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
Please register for the Zoom Webinar HERE

Famous for having the biggest concentrations of large mammals on the planet, Tanzania is also an exciting birding destination.  This presentation will feature birds travelers would be likely to see on a safari to Northern Tanzania in the winter, before migratory birds have left for their breeding grounds, as well as some of the large mammals. Birds you will meet include the Hammerkop, a compulsive nest-builder, the Sacred Ibis, extirpated from Egypt but easily seen in Tanzania, the vulnerable Southern Ground Hornbill, the endangered Saddlebilled Stork and other storks, Ostriches, Coursers, Bee Eaters, the Secretary Bird, and a variety of eagles.

 Wendy Dreskin is a professional nature educator.  She has been teaching the popular class, Meandering in Marin, at College of Marin for over 20 years as well as teaching nature education classes for children. She has been leading trips to Tanzania since 2014.  

Photos in the presentation are by William Dreskin, an award-winning photographer whose photographs have appeared in books and magazines including Marin, and Bay Nature. He has exhibited in numerous galleries and national exhibitions, and his photographs are in private and corporate collections.

Photo by Willam Dreskin
Photo caption: "Superb Starling"

Speaker: Alison Quoyeser 
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: October 14, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM by Alison Quoyeser
End time: 8:30 PM
Please register for the Zoom webinar HERE

Photo: Amigos Alados Bird Observation Walk by Alison Quoyeser

How do we teach the younger generation to know and care about birds? How do we raise the next generation of conservationists? This presentation will be about Amigos Alados, an environmental education and pen pal program founded 14 years ago to address those questions. Amigos Alados links school classes in California and Mexico in the study of 16 migratory birds that they share. The program uses bird studies to guide children towards becoming stewards of the environment, as well offering an opportunity for cultural and scientific exchange across the US-Mexico border.

Alison is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Amigos Alados. Upon retiring from 28 years of teaching at a local elementary school, she has been able to devote much of her time to the project. She is also a faculty member with STRAW or Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed, which is the educational arm of Point Blue Conservation Science. She works with students in the Bay Area to raise awareness of birds and their habitats, watershed ecology, and environmental restoration, as well as to instill cultural appreciation of our friends in Mexico. 

Speaker: John Sterling
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Start: 7:30 PM

Please register for the Zoom webinar HERE

Photo Caption: Northern Bald Ibis
Photo Credit: John Sterling

John Sterling will share highlights from his tours’ adventures in Morocco. With its high mountains, high desert, low Sahara desert, agricultural plains, coastal lagoons, cork oak woodland, and coniferous forest, Morocco has much to offer to birds and birders. Home to several endemic bird species as well as North Africa species not readily seen elsewhere, it is also along the major migratory pathway for European migrants including shorebirds, raptors, songbirds and others. Join us for virtual tour of the country’s birds, landscapes and culture.

John is a professional ornithologist and has worked for the Smithsonian Institution and US Forest Service research stations among other organizations since 1981.  John has traveled extensively throughout California learning about local bird distribution and is an authority on that state’s avifauna. John currently has his own company, Sterling Wildlife Biology (www.sterlingbirds.com), specializing in tours, birding classes, research and environmental consulting for The Nature Conservancy, the Kern Water Bank, the California Rice Commission, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Audubon’s International Alliance Program, CA Dept. of Water Resources among other organizations.