• Rodeo Lagoon – Marin Headlands

    With early spring migration underway will be looking out for migrant wildfowl, grebes, loons, gulls, and passerines.  As usual, the weather will dictate our focus with onshore northwest winds ideal for spring sea watches, while offshore easterly winds promise a good selection of late winter and early summer passerine migrants. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later at 8:00 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.

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  • The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) – San Rafael

    Thursday, April 2, 2026 8:30 AM to noon Birding with Mark Clark Registration is not required. 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 swallows. 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 restroon in the parking area for public use.

  • Birds, Plants and Wildflowers of Mt. Burdell

    On this moderate 4-mile hike, we will look and listen for birds, and also stop to appreciate native plants and habitat, particularly wildflowers which should be in abundant bloom.

    Mount Burdell, a Marin County Open Space Preserve located just west of Novato, is a hotspot of plant and avian diversity, with diverse oak woodlands, grasslands, serpentine outcrops and a vernal pool (Hidden Lake).  Some of the birds we’ll hope to see include spring migrants like orange-crowned warblers, house wrens, lark sparrows, and Bullock’s orioles, as well as year-round residents like oak titmice, Bewick’s wrens, western bluebirds, and multiple species of woodpeckers.  This trip is suitable for all levels of birders and plant enthusiasts. READ MORE

  • Adelie Penguins: Their Past, Present and Future in a Changing Antarctica

    Point Blue Conservation Science has monitored the Adelie penguins of Antarctica for decades, witnessing firsthand the profound effects of climate change, including the recent, rapid decline in Ross Sea ice that is now threatening their survival.  Grant will share recent research made possible by their advanced technology and extensive, multi-decade datasets, including new findings into the evolutionary past of penguins,
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  • Dominican University – San Rafael

    Spring migration birding on the Dominican University grounds will take us to riparian, sycamore and oak habitat. Species we hope to see might be, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Cassin Viero as well resident birds.
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  • Rodeo Lagoon – Marin Headlands

    With early spring migration underway will be looking out for migrant wildfowl, grebes, loons, gulls, and passerines.  As usual, the weather will dictate our focus with onshore northwest winds ideal for spring sea watches, while offshore easterly winds promise a good selection of late winter and early summer passerine migrants. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later at 8:00 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.

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