Tennessee Valley Trail
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
The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District – San Rafael
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.
Bahia, Horseshoe Pond and Rush Creek
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.
Stafford Lake – Novato
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.
Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz More information coming soon!
Colombia: South America’s Birding Capital
Thursday, December 12, 2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Speaker; Benny Jacobs-Schwartz Register HERE for this Speaker Series Topic: Get ready for a dive into South America’s birdiest country! Together we’ll explore Colombia’s unique ecology, breathtaking scenery, and unparalleled avian diversity! Colombia holds the record with nearly 2,000 bird species and an impressive 80 endemics! During our time together, we’ll discuss what has given rise to such incredible diversity. Topics include the country’s five regions, how the Andes Mountain Range formed into three distinct cordilleras, the importance of the mighty Rio Magdalena, and national conservation successes. From sloth-eating Harpy Eagles to shy antpittas, and menageries of colorful tanagers and hummingbirds, Colombia’s astonishing diversity will leave you wanting more! Speaker Bio: Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). With a background in biology, ecology, and outdoor education, Benny has worked for over 13 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide. Benny offers guided birding outings in Southern California and small-group birding tours to his favorite tropical locales like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia. Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny is active on social media where he creates fun, educational videos and posts to inspire others about the natural world with the goal of getting folks to put down their phones and pick up their Binos. Next Speaker: Migratory Shorebirds Thursday, January 9, 2025 Speaker: Matt Reiter (Point Blue)
Cheap Thrills CBC
Covering North Marin and extending into Southern Sonoma County. Contact Susan Kelly:
Olompali State Historic Park
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.
Point Reyes CBC
Point Reyes CBC covering West Marin including Tomales Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Register HERE and to get more information on the count and dinner.
Southern Marin CBC
South Marin CBC covering much of East Marin and extending west as far as Bolinas and Stinson Beach. Contact: Alison Pence: Please fill out THIS FORM to volunteer for the Southern Marin Bird Count. Please email Alison Pence if you are willing to carpool.
Las Gallinas Sanitary District & Hamilton Wetlands
Birding in Marin, Season 10 – Trip 1 Saturday, January 4, 2025 8:30 AM to mid afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required. Registration opens at 8 AM on December 26 Bob and I are leading our Birding in Marin monthly first Saturday field trips for the tenth season sponsored by the MAS. Please join us as we go birding with a goal of finding and sharing 100 species at two of our prime wintering habitats for ducks, shorebirds, raptors and sparrows. Las Gallinas is a great example of generating wildlife habitat with ample human access. This will be a 2 mile walk over a wide, flat packed dirt walkway with plenty of scope views to share closeups. The Hamilton wetlands have been restored with intelligence, sensitivity, and precision. The birds and wildlife have appreciated this and come back in numbers that we expect to share. The walk is flat over a wide, mostly paved walkway, accessible via a ramp. DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 in northern San Rafael take Smith Ranch Road east about a mile, just crossing the tracks turn left and park in 1/2 mile near the east end. Meet at Las Gallinas VSD parking lot.
Migratory Shore Bird Project: Connecting Communities of the Americas through Research for Conservation
Thursday, January 9, 2025 7:00 - 9:00 PM Speaker: Matthew Reiter - Point Blue Conservation Science Register HERE for this Speaker Series Topic: Shorebirds are some of the most migratory species on the planet. However, their populations in the Western Hemisphere have been declining over the past 40 years. To better understand what is driving changes in shorebird populations and to turn data into knowledge and then conservation action, in 2011 Point Blue and partners launched a coordinated research, monitoring and conservation network for shorebirds in the Pacific Americas Flyway. The Migratory Shorebird Project is now a network of over 50 partners in 13 countries from Canada to Chile working together to study shorebirds and shorebird habitats and to implement conservation actions at scales that are relevant for these long-distance travelers. Speaker Bio: As a Research Director and quantitative ecologist with Point Blue Conservation Science, Dr. Matt Reiter’s work focuses on the ecology and conservation of migratory waterbirds and their wetland habitats in order to understand the impacts of threats such as habitat loss and climate change across broad migratory landscapes. Matt received an M.S. (2006) and Ph.D. (2009) in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota and has been at Point Blue since 2009. Next Speaker: Thursday, February 13, 2025 Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide Speaker: Jeff Miller
Skagg’s Island Road
Friday, January 10, 2025 10 AM to 1:30 PM Birding with Daniel Edelstein Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required. Registration opens at 8 AM on December 31, 2024 Daniel invites you to discover the joy of a wilderness-like paradise — Skaggs Island Road — that often attracts dozens of shorebird and duck family members, in addition to uncommon, visiting non-breeding raptors such as Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Merlin (along with sightings of White-tailed Kite and other raptor species). Skaggs Island Road has flat, level hiking for no more than 1.5 miles; bring your lunch, we’ll eat at the bridge approximately 0.6 mile from the parking area at Hwy 37. DIRECTIONS: Closed to the public, Skaggs Island Road is accessed by meeting our group in the parking area adjacent to Hwy 37 (approximately 3 miles east of Reclamation Rd and 2 miles east of the Hwy 121/Sears Point Raceway intersection (at the stoplight). We’ll meet on the north side of Hwy 37 where it intersects with Skaggs Island Road. Here’s a map link that shows where we’ll meet: https://bit.ly/3YYIJeg. Please be careful turning into this road when coming from Marin County. Oncoming traffic is often heavy.
Sausalito, Strawberry Point – Mill Valley
Birding in Marin, Season 10 – Trip 2 Saturday, February 1, 2025 8:30 AM to mid afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required. Registration opens at 8 AM on January 22 We get a fine view of the San Francisco Bay waters from the small park at Harbor Point and the nearby rocky shoreline. Some grebes, loons, gulls, cormorants and a few shorebirds are often visible. We hope for Black Turnstones and a Spotted Sandpiper. We will walk or take the short drive to see if Sausalito’s Yellow Crowned Night Heron has returned for another winter, usually offering a direct comparison to our Black-crowned Night Heron. We then intend to drive the 2 miles to Fort Baker under the West end of the Golden Gate Bridge to see birds in the active bay mouth and the calmer Coast Guard boat harbor. We wonder if the Wandering Tattler will be spending another winter on the breakwater. Bring lunch for a quick break for our final stop at Strawberry Point, a rather new development with a fine public path along the Richardson Bay shore. This portion of San Francisco Bay is protected from boating, hunting and fishing, so many diving ducks spend some of the winter there. If the herring are running this can be an active space. DIRECTIONS: Meet at 8:30 at the bay end of Harbor Drive. From Bridgeway in North Sausalito take Harbor Drive to the ample parking lot at its bay end.
The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District
Thursday, February 6, 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 and rails. 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.
Bay Area Wildlife Guide
Thursday, February 13, 2025 Speaker: Jeff Miller Register HERE for this Speaker Series Jeff Miller will discuss his book ‘Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide’, a quirky and entertaining wildlife guide to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, which invites readers to connect with and conserve local species. Featuring over 100 native creatures, from mammals to invertebrates, this informative primer is a treasure map for regional wildlife. Learn about the Bay Area’s furred, feathered, and fork- tongued neighbors—from “screaming death parrots” (aka peregrine falcons) to “bad-ass Looney Tunes velociraptors” (roadrunners). The book’s colorful descriptions cover each species’ natural history and fun facts, tips on when and where to find watchable wildlife, and notes on each animal’s conservation status. Jeff Miller is an amateur naturalist and professional conservationist, and is the founder of the nonprofit Alameda Creek Alliance, serving as its executive director since 1997. He is a senior conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, spearheading biodiversity protection campaigns throughout the Bay Area and California. Over the last quarter century, he has been involved in conservation efforts for dozens of the most iconic imperiled wildlife species in the Bay Area, from tule elk to steelhead trout.
Redwood-San Andreas Marsh and Piper Park – Larkspur
Saturday, February 15, 2025 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM Birding with Rich Cimino All participants are welcome to join this trip This field trip is a twofer: We will bird the Redwood-San Andreas Marsh, located behind Redwood High School in Larkspur on Lucky Drive, and Piper Park pine forest and athletic field. During low tides, the marsh supports shorebirds and waders, and during high tides, it supports many duck species and waders. We’ll meet at 8:30 AM in the DMV parking lot located at 75 Tamal Vista Boulevard Corte Madera and make a short walk to the marshlands. We’ll move on to Piper Park, which is located off Doherty Road behind the police station. Piper Park has an Oak-Pine ornamental “forest” around its picnic area, which can have Pygmy Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, three species of woodpeckers, and Red-breasted Sapsuckers. The athletic field may have Canada Geese, White-fronted Geese, Cackling Geese, American Pipits, Western Meadow Larks, Western Blue Birds, and Says Phoebe. Piper Park has a restroom. The field trip ends at noon. Those who want to enjoy the picnic grounds, please bring your lunch and drinks. Rain cancels.
Winter Birds of the Delta – Boat Trip
Sunday, February 16, 2025 8:40 AM to 4:00 PM Birding with David Wimpfheimer Register HERE for the Boat Trip The trip costs $130. Registration for this trip opens January 19 at 8AM. A waitlist will open if the trip sells out. Add your name to the list by clicking Contact Organizer prompt. If you cancel your registration 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 donation to MAS. This cruise is a winter highlight for birders and provides a specialized look at the richness and history of the California Delta. After meeting at 8:40 for sign in and instructions, we’ll depart from the Antioch Marina at 9AM. As we head east, we enter sloughs and waterways with views out over the flooded agricultural fields that provide a refuge for flocks that nest in the north but winter here. Along with the flocks of snow geese, white fronted geese and Tundra swans, numerous ducks, shorebirds, and raptors are usually spotted. Well known birder and naturalist David Wimpfheimer will provide commentary and Ronn Patterson (captain and naturalist) will fill in bits about the history of the delta as we transit this altered but still viable ecosystem. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate is provided, bring lunch and snacks. Light rain will not cancel. Ticketholders will receive instructions and directions to the Antioch Marina, where the trip begins and ends, approximately one week prior to the trip.
Valley Ford Wetlands and Dillon Beach
Birding In Marin, Season 10, Trip 3 Saturday, March 1, 2025 9:00 AM to mid afternoon Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin Register HERE for this Field Trip Registration required. Registration opens at 8AM on February 19, 2025 The Valley Ford Wetlands span the Marin/Sonoma County line less than a mile West of Highway 1 and just a few lies from the mouth of Tomales Bay and the Pacific coast at Dillon Beach. This involves for most of us a drive to the N/W corner of Marin so I’d like to recommend carpooling and delaying our meeting time to 9am. (Three can ride with me from Muir Beach at 8) Wading birds such as the Pacific Golden Plover and White Faced Ibis and many swallows including Bank Swallows have been seen there with more birder coverage in recent years. The rolling grassland pastures southwest the few miles to the coast can harbor many raptors, mostly Red Tails and Kestrels, but Ferruginous even Rough-legged Hawks and Eagles may sometimes be seen. There is a $10 dollar parking fee to visit Dillon beach, but the views and the potential Birds are good. The rocky tip of Marin, often obscured by fog, is just over a mile west, and the south edge of Bodega Bay and the mouth of Tomales Bay exchange a vast amount of water as the tide changes. Bring lunch, dress in layers. Heavy rain cancels Directions: Take Rt 1 north thru Marin or the Valley Ford road west from Petaluma to Valley Ford then from its N/W edge take Valley Ford Estero Rd west a mile where there is ample parking on the road edge and meet on the bridge. For a shorter route from San Rafael and Novato, take 101 north to Railroad Ave, exit 479 work you way west to Valley Ford and make a left on Valley Ford Estero Road, approx. one mile and park on the side of the road, near the bridge.
Beavers
Thursday, March 13th 7:00pm - 9:00pm Speaker: Heidi Perryman More information coming soon!