Location: Skaggs Island Trip Leader(s): Daniel Edelstein Start Date: Monday, February 10, 2020 Start Time: 10:00 AM End Time: 2:00 PM Description: Join Avian Biologist and Birding Guide, Daniel Edelstein, for this special opportunity to visit Skaggs Island, a rich winter birding location not generally accessible to the public. The island was formerly home to a naval facility but is now part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It often attracts uncommon visiting, non-breeding season raptors such as Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Merlin along with White-tailed Kite, and other raptors in addition to diverse shorebirds, waders, and ducks. This will be our second winter field trip to Skaggs Island. The first is scheduled on January 28, 2020 with Murray Berner (see alternate trip descriptionl). This second trip will not include a visit to Hudeman Slough. If you would like to participate in one of these trips, please contact Jeanine Starritt at . Be sure to specify whether you wish to participate in the January 28 or February 10 field trip and include the names of the people who will be attending with you. Meet on Skaggs Island Road after turning onto it from Highway 37. We’ll carpool through the locked gate far into the heavenly solitude and bird-filled environs of this amazing birding venue. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: Take Highway 101 North to Highway 37. At the intersection with SR 121 (Sears Point), continue straight on Highway 37 for approximately 4 miles to Skaggs Island Road. Please be careful crossing Highway 37 to turn onto this road because oncoming traffic is often heavy.

Location: Tomales, Lawson's Landing, and Chileno Valley Trip Leader(s): David Wimpfheimer Start Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020 Start Time: 9:00 AM End Time: 3:30 PM Description: This annual winter trip repeats David's popular guided explorations of the less familiar habitats in Marin near the town of Tomales. We will meet at the Tomales Bakery, and our itinerary for the day will cover coastal and interior habitats. Our first destination will be Lawson's Landing, a private resort near the mouth of Tomales Bay. Loons, grebes (including Red-necked Grebe), ducks, and Brant can be quite numerous here. Shorebirds are diverse here as well. After birding the coast, the rest of the day may be spent covering the open grasslands, wetlands, and forests of this part of Marin. Raptor sightings may include Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Merlin, and, if we are lucky, we may spot the now uncommon-in-Marin Loggerhead Shrike. Meet at the Tomales Bakery at 9:00 AM. Plan on arriving early to sample the delicious pastries. If the bakery is closed, the deli nearby has a nice variety of food and beverages. Check your map for your best route to Tomales. You can head west from Highway 101 at Old Redwood Highway in Petaluma or from Novato at San Marin Drive. The address of the bakery is 27000 Highway 1, Tomales. Allow about an hour from Marin. Light rain will not cancel this trip, but a heavy storm will.

Location: Nicasio, CA Trip Leader(s): Jim White & Bob Battagin Start Date: Saturday, February 15, 2020 Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 3:00 PM Description: We will meet at the backstop to the baseball field in the small West Marin hamlet of Nicasio. This is Bob's home "patch" where the riparian, open field, and wooded habitats are good for a nice variety of sparrows, gleaners, and woodpeckers. From town we'll head over to nearby Nicasio Reservoir and make several stops along the shoreline. Many water bird species hang out there while raptors grace the sky, and who knows what will be flitting around in the willows and shrubs that line the shore? In the afternoon we are likely to explore along the northern shoreline of Tomales Bay. Heavy rain cancels. Early Birds will meet at the entrance to Roy's Redwoods on Nicasio Valley Road for a short walk through bay, redwood, oak, and madrone habitats in search of Pileated Woodpecker and other forest denizens. DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 take the Lucas Valley Road exit. Turn left on Lucas Valley Road and continue approximately 10.3 miles. Keep right on Nicasio Valley Road for 0.5 mile to the town of Nicasio. The baseball field is in the center of town. For GPS, use 1 Old Rancheria Road, Nicasio, the address for the Rancho Nicasio Restaurant.

Location: Davis, CA Trip Leader(s): John Klobas & Sarah Brooks Start Date: Monday, February 17, 2020 Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 3:30 PM Description: The low lying agricultural fields, ponds, and refuges of eastern Yolo County are the focus of this trip. In February, bird diversity and numbers are at their wintertime peak, and we will seek the spectacle of those numbers. Burrowing owls are among the most threatened of California's owls. We will look for this small, ground dwelling owl in the Davis area before heading to West Sacramento's Bridgeway Pond. Sandwiched between a suburb, mega warehouses, and the deep-water shipping channel, this pond is the winter home of Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal, Sora, raptors, and perhaps some diving ducks as well. This pond was the home for several months of last year's mega rarity, a male Garganey duck, which was seen by a few members of the trip last February, a week before it was positively identified. Next we will seek habitat for Wood Ducks near the Sacramento River. Wood Ducks, usually a restive, shy species, are not as skittish here as they are in hunting areas. Our location for lunch is weather dependent, but the afternoon will find us heading back towards Davis, finishing our day at the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area (Yolo Bypass) where we will enjoy the waterfowl and water bird spectacle. In the event of flooding in the Bypass, we will bird other areas around Davis. Directions: We will meet in Davis in the El Macero Center (Nugget Market and Starbucks) to organize the day and introduce the itinerary. Exit I-80 at Mace Blvd. in Davis, turn left on the frontage road, then a quick right to Mace Blvd., then an immediate right into the El Macero parking lot. We'll be in between Nugget Market and Starbucks. Please carpool if at all possible. A smaller number of cars allows us to be much more opportunistic and lessens our carbon footprint. Allow 2 hours for an early morning winter drive to Davis from most North Bay locations. Heavy rain cancels. Dress in layers. Include rain gear. Binoculars are a must and bring a scope if you have one. This is a car-oriented trip with minimal walking. Wear shoes that can withstand muddy conditions. Bring lunch, snacks, and drinks. Nugget is a full-service market that opens at 7 AM. Let's go birding!

Location: San Francisco, CA Golden Gate National Recreation Area Trip Leader(s): Juan Garcia Start Date: Saturday, February 22, 2020 Start Time: 8:00 AM End Time: 3:00 PM Description: Within the range of a moderate walk, several extensive habitat restorations can be seen up close, with several more works-in-progress. Here's an opportunity to celebrate these vital projects and contemplate their success. Beginning at Inspiration Point, we'll slowly wind our way down Tennessee Hollow, with its carefully restored riparian and grassland habitat, and hold a sit-spot at El Polin Spring, looking for visiting warblers, among others. Next, we'll trace the path to lower Tennessee Hollow, which affords good views of slow-flowing and pooling sections. We'll proceed to Crissy Lagoon via the now well-known Tunnel Tops, which will soon form an extension of the native plant corridor. The Lagoon itself offers habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, as well as a good mixed gull flock. We'll walk the circuit of the Lagoon, stalking warblers in the willows and seed eaters foraging on Crissy Field. A small nature reserve on the beach side protects habitat for sparrows, phoebes, and a small wintering group of Snowy Plover. We'll end with telescopic views of San Francisco Bay, with its loons, grebes, cormorants, terns, scoters, and so on. Restrooms and drinking water will be accessible at several points, but you should bring snacks and or lunch. As usual in the Bay Area, wear layered warmth and bring sun protection. A birding scope will be provided, but please bring binoculars. Meet at 8 AM at Inspiration Point Link: https://www.predisio.gov/places/inspiration-point-overlook

Location: Marin Headlands Trip Leader(s): William Legge & David Wiechers Start Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 Start Time: 7:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: This trip launches our new program featuring eight field trips to Rodeo Lagoon. These trips will focus on migration with four monthly field trips planned for the spring migration and four for the autumn migration. On this date William and David promise to assist with gull identification, which proves challenging for many birders. We will also be targeting migrant ducks, grebes, loons, gulls, and wintering passerines such as Fox Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Say's Phoebe. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. 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.

Location: Novato, CA Trip Leader(s): Bob and Sande Chilvers Start Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020 Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Join us again at Pacheco Pond where we'll be watching for signs of resident breeding birds beginning the nesting season. There aren't many eBird reports from Pacheco Pond for this time of year, so help us fill in the gaps in our knowledge and compile a day list to be shared online. Pacheco Pond doesn’t have the glamour of many of our Marin birding locations, but it does have the distinction of being "the best publicly accessible freshwater'ish pond in Novato with adjacency to other bird-rich areas." (Thank you, Jack Gedney.) The area provides habitat for a variety of ducks, Black-crowned Night Heron, Common Gallinule, Sora, and Virginia Rail. The adjacent non-native eucalyptus provides additional habitat for both songbirds, egrets, and a number of raptors including Peregrine Falcon. Thank you, Bob and Sande, for continuing as our competent and friendly guides on this popular monthly walk. We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels and help each other to find and identify the birds. The area around Pacheco Pond is mostly flat, but we will be walking across some rocky, uneven surfaces. Dress in layers and bring binoculars, scopes, and water. Heavy rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: Take the Bel Marin Keys Blvd exit from Highway 101. Travel east on Bel Marin Keys Blvd for 2 miles passing through a commercial industrial section until arriving at a small parking area on the right, which faces the pond. We will meet in the parking area and walk to the trail a short distance up the road.

Location: Novato, CA Trip Leader(s): Bob Atwood Start Date: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Start Time: 9:00 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Located west of Novato, Stafford Lake is a beautiful but less birded area that is productive for waterfowl and raptors. Approximately 172 species of birds have been spotted at Stafford Lake throughout the years with our group likely to see a considerable variety of the resident as well as wintering birds. The county park has facilities and plenty of parking. The mostly level terrain and water views make for pleasant birding as we walk around a portion of the lake and the surrounding area. Heavy rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 in Novato, take the exit for San Marin Drive west 2.9 miles. Turn right onto Novato Blvd. and follow for 2.6 miles. The park is on the left. Turn left after the gatehouse and travel to the parking lot. Entrance fee is $5 per vehicle. If you have a Marin County library card, you can check out a free library park pass from any Marin County Free Library.