Birding in Marin - Series 9, Trip 10 Saturday, October 5th, 2024 8:30 AM to mid-afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 26th at 8:00 AM. Abbotts 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 2 miles (some in sand). 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. After leaving Abbotts Lagoon, 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. DIRECTIONS: From Point Reyes Station on Highway 1 go just south of town, right turn onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd, follow that thru Inverness up over Inverness ridge into the Point Reyes National Seashore then go north on Pierce Point Road. The Abbotts Lagoon parking lot is on the left, in about 3 miles. Car Pool if you can, allow 1.5 hours from San Rafael.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 7:30/8:15 AM to noon **Note start times below Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 29 at 8 AM Join William and David for this fourth fall migration field trip at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their long-time “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species and a good chance of an unusual sighting. On this trip, our group will be targeting scarcer passerines and other mid-fall migrants. We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch from Rodeo Beach at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:15 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. A brief mid-morning ‘coffee-stop’ is planned at Headlands Center for the Arts and it would be appreciated if participants come willing to contribute via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you to the Headlands Center for the Arts for accommodating our group. This field trip is less suitable for beginners. 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. 

OVERNIGHT TRIP - Tuesday, October 29, 2024 to Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Birding with Wildlife Naturalist Lori Grieves (Grey Lodge) and a member of Friends of Sacramento NWR (Colusa) Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration is required. Registration opens on October 19 at 8 AM. Participant limit is 15. This trip is Accessible! Gray Lodge Wildlife Area has paved trails and an auto trail. For mobile birders it has two blinds and 150 acres of hiking trails. Gray Lodge is about 60 miles north of Sacramento and is known for its winter migratory waterfowl including sand hill cranes, snow geese, and all manner of ducks. We will meet at the Rail House Pub in Gridley at 12:00 PM for a meal before traveling to Grey Lodge Wildlife Area in Parking Lot 14 for a tour at 2 PM. The tradition is to stay for the sunset and watch the migrators take off for another night of flight. Then we will continue West and South to Colusa for approximately a half hour to our overnight at a local motel. Suggested accommodations, the Riverside Inn or the River Valley Lodge. In the morning, we will explore Colusa NWR, part of the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Complex. There is an auto trail and a short, level trail to viewing areas. In the afternoon, some birders may also want to explore Delevan NWR, about a 12 minute drive, or the Sacramento River NWR (25 minutes). For more information or if you are interested in carpooling to the field trip, please contact Field Trip Coordinator, Alison Pence:

Birding in Marin, Season 9 – Trip 11 Saturday, November 2, 2024 8:30 AM to mid afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration will be open starting on October 23 at 8 AM. Join Jim and Bob on an easy, birdy walk of 1.5 miles around the Las Gallinas ponds where we are likely to see 10 species of ducks, five of herons, five of raptors, five of sparrows and some rails like Ridgway’s, Sora, and Virginia with Gallinules, coots, swans and geese! 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.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 0.5 miles, immediately after crossing the RR tracks, left turn and follow the road another 0.5 mile 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 Dr and turn right. Go east to Hanger Ave and park along the levee behind Hanger 7.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024 7:30/8:15 AM to noon **Note start times below Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on October 27 at 8 AM Join William and David for this fifth fall migration field trip at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their long-time “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species and a good chance of an unusual sighting. On this trip, our group will be targeting scarcer passerines and other mid-fall migrants. We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch from Rodeo Beach at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:15 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. A brief mid-morning ‘coffee-stop’ is planned at Headlands Center for the Arts and it would be appreciated if participants come willing to contribute via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you to the Headlands Center for the Arts for accommodating our group. This field trip is less suitable for beginners. 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. 

Thursday, November 7, 2024 8:30 AM to noon 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 and Rails. Ducks are now arriving, we are seeing teals, pintails, and shovelers. 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.

Saturday, November 16, 2024 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Birding with Lisa Hug Register HERE for this field trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on November 6 at 8 AM. This field trip is an eBird workshop for those participating in the CBC in Marin County. We will start our walk on Tiburon's Old Rail Trail, making observations using eBird. We will see waterfowl and shorebirds in the estuary as well as upland suburban residents. Tiburon is a count area on the South Marin CBC coming up on December 28. Experienced birders and Christmas Count leaders as well as eBird newbies can enjoy counting and compiling together in an informal and fun setting. Directions: From Tiburon Blvd. take a right on "Blackie's Pasture". There is plenty of parking and facilities. Meet at the Harvey Rogers Garden at the Old Rail Trail trailhead.

OVERNIGHT TRIP Saturday, November 16, 2024 10:00 AM to early evening Sunday, November 17, 2024 8:30 AM to mid-afternoon Register HERE for this field trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on November 7 at 8 AM. We will explore the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation area with John Fulton, an experienced birder from Stanislaus Audubon. At 4 PM we will move on to Merced NWR for a walk with the Park Naturalist who is also giving a Sandhill Crane Fly- In Presentation to the public at 5. We will be staying overnight in Merced. Sunday morning will find us back at the Reserves for more birding! San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area is about a 3 hour drive from San Rafael. We will meet at 10 AM on November 16 at the Recreation Area parking lot on CA-33, one half mile north of CA-152. For further information, contact Field Trip Coordinator Alison Pence,

Wednesday, November 23, 2024 8:30 AM – after lunch Birding with Durrell Kapan Register HERE for this field trip Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on November 13 at 8 AM This field trip is a workshop for those participating in the CBC in Marin County. We will start with an eBird refresher based on the MAS November 14 Speaker Series program and then practice taking data to the beach and back. Time permitting, we will climb to the coastal battery for a sea watch and sit, rest, and have a snack or sandwich. This will be great scouting for the CBC! Don’t forget to be prepared for all weather—bring warm layers, a light rain shell, and sunscreen! Meeting place: Tennessee Valley Parking Lot 701 Tennessee Valley Road, Mill Valley

Thursday, December 5, 2024 8:30 AM to noon 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 and rails. Ducks are now arriving, we are seeing teals, pintails, and shovelers. 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 9 – Trip 12 Saturday, December 7, 2024 8:30 AM to mid afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this field trip Registration is required and opens November 27 at 8 AM MAS acquired and restored to tidal action the diked bay lands around the residential Bahia neighborhood. As the ebbing tide exposes the mudflats thousands of shore- birds 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 Hwy 101 to Bahia, also saved from development by MAS, holds Oak Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hutton’s Vireo, at least four woodpecker species and many sparrows in the winter. Horseshoe Pond (Homeowners Lagoon) at the southeast 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 look at the nearby Rush Creek area from the Airport Rd which parallels Hwy 101 north of Atherton. 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. 

9 AM to 1 PM Birding with Bob Atwood No registration or participant limit for this trip. Located west of Novato, Stafford Lake is a beautiful but less-birded area that is productive for waterfowl and raptors. Stafford Lake has had approximately 172 species of birds spotted at it through the years. 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. Rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 in Novato, take the exit for San Marin Dr 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.

Sunday, December 15, 2024 9 AM to 12:30 PM Birding with Rich Cimino (Yellowbilled Tours) and Evan Weissman (Olompali State Historic Park) No registration or participant limit for this trip Join us to admire the winter birds of Olompali State Historic Park in Novato. We’ll explore grassland, savannah, and riparian habitats, as well as the remnants of the 150-year-old Victorian garden. Expect to see and hear overwintering birds such as kinglets, warblers, sparrows, and maybe a Red-breasted Sapsucker or Say’s Phoebe, as well as year-round residents including six woodpecker species, raptors, and quail. We’ll walk at a fairly slow pace, about 1.5 miles roundtrip, on wide gravel and dirt trails, with moderate slope in portions. Bring binoculars if you have them; we’ll also have a few to loan. Rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: Meet at 9 AM in the Olompali State Historic Park parking lot. There is no charge for the trip, but parking is $8, payable by cash, check, or via smartphone with QR code at the parking lot. No fee is charged if you borrow a free State Park pass from your local public library.