Marin Audubon Society

Hamilton Wetlands - Novato
2025-03-14 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Friday, March 14, 2025
9 AM to 12 PM
Birding with David Sexton and Matt Keller
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens at 8AM on March 4.
Join us for an exciting morning of birding at Hamilton Wetlands with Point Blue Conservation Science! The site is one of the largest wetland restoration projects in the North Bay Area, home to the endangered Ridgway’s Rail. We will search for a dozen shorebird species, including Snowy Plover and Black-necked Stilt, Canvasback and other wintering ducks, herons and egrets, elusive rails, raptors such as White-tailed Kite, and songbirds like wintering Golden-crowned Sparrow.
Anyone is welcome to join, from those with no birding experience to the most seasoned birders. Binoculars will be provided if needed. We recommend bringing water, sun protection, layers of clothing, and comfortable walking shoes. Our walk will be on a wide, flat compacted dirt/gravel levee, possibly with some mud. A fully accessible bathroom will be available at the start and end of the event.
Directions: meet at Point Blue’s Novato Baylands native plant nursery at 737 Aberdeen Road, Novato, CA From Hwy 101 take exit 458 to merge onto Nave Dr toward Hamilton Field. Turn right onto Hamilton Pkwy. Turn left through an open gate onto Aberdeen Rd, then keep to the right at the fork to proceed to the nursery. From there, we’ll carpool a short distance to the middle of the site.

Beavers
2025-03-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, March 13th
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Heidi Perryman
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Beavers and their dams create wetlands, store and filter water, augment fish populations, raise the number of migratory and songbirds, and have a dramatic positive impact on biodiversity. Dr. Perryman will discuss how working to help people understand and coexist with this single species will continue to have a beneficial trickle-down impact on both humans and wildlife and improve resilience to ongoing climate changes.
Speaker Bio:
Heidi Perryman, Ph.D., is a child psychologist who became an accidental beaver advocate when beavers moved into her hometown in 2006. She started the organization “Worth A Dam” to coordinate solutions and educate others about their value in the watershed. She has helped coordinate information and network support with other beaver advocates across North America and Europe, and her website martinezbeavers.org is an important source of information and advocacy for the species.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
2025-03-06 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, March 6, 2025
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 first Thursday walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, rails 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 restroom in the parking area for public use.

Valley Ford Wetlands and Dillon Beach
2025-03-01 09:00 - 15:30
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.

Winter Birds of the Delta - Boat Trip
2025-02-16 08:30 - 16:00
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.

Redwood-San Andreas Marsh and Piper Park - Larkspur
2025-02-15 08:30 - 12:00
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.

Bay Area Wildlife Guide
2025-02-13 19:00 - 21:00
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.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District
2025-02-06 08:30 - 12:00
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.

Sausalito, Strawberry Point - Mill Valley
2025-02-01 08:30 - 15:30
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.

Skagg's Island Road
2025-01-10 10:00 - 13:30
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.

Migratory Shore Bird Project: Connecting Communities of the Americas through Research for Conservation
2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00
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

Las Gallinas Sanitary District & Hamilton Wetlands
2025-01-04 08:30 - 15:00
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.

Southern Marin CBC
2024-12-28
South Marin CBC covering much of East Marin and extending west as far as Bolinas and Stinson Beach. Contact: Alison Pence: smcbc.marinaudubon@gmail.com
Please fill out THIS FORM to volunteer for the Southern Marin Bird Count. Please email Alison Pence if you are willing to carpool.

Point Reyes CBC
2024-12-19
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.

Olompali State Historic Park
2024-12-15 09:00 - 12:30
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.

Cheap Thrills CBC
2024-12-14
Covering North Marin and extending into Southern Sonoma County.
Contact Susan Kelly: cheepthrills@icloud.com

Colombia: South America’s Birding Capital
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:00
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)

Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz
More information coming soon!

Stafford Lake - Novato
2024-12-07 09:00 - 13:00
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.

Bahia, Horseshoe Pond and Rush Creek
2024-12-07 08:30 - 16:00
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.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2024-12-05 08:30 - 12:00
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.

Tennessee Valley Trail
2024-11-23 08:30 - 14:00
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

OVERNIGHT TRIP - San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area & Merced Wildlife Refuge
2024-11-16 10:00 - 2024-11-17 17:00
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, alipence9@gmail.com

Blackie's Pasture -Tiburon
2024-11-16 09:00 - 12:00
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.

Christmas Bird Count
2024-11-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, November 14, 2024
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Speaker: Josiah Clark
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Josiah will speak to us about the upcoming Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the annual early-winter bird census conducted in December. Josiah will be discussing counting strategies and best practices for counting birds and covering areas on the count, including the virtues of the count circle, methods for preventing undercounting, tips on note taking and how good CBC coverage and data collecting habits set the stage for increasing numbers of detections and the accuracy of counts. He will also discuss strategies for promoting the CBC and attracting younger birders.
Speaker Bio:
Josiah Clark grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Some of his defining 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 runs Habitat Potential, dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating productive wildlife habitats in the Bay Area human landscape.

Next Speaker – Thursday, December 12, 2024
Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2024-11-07 08:30 - 12:00
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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands | November
2024-11-06 07:30 - 12:00
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.

Las Gallinas and Hamilton Wetlands - Birding in Marin - Season 9, Trip 11
2024-11-02 08:30 - 15:00
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.

OVERNIGHT TRIP - Gray Lodge Wildlife Area and Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
2024-10-29 12:00 - 2024-10-30 15:00
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: smcbc.marinaudubon@gmail.com

Raptor Quest: Chasing America's Raptors
2024-10-10 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, October 10th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Scott Harris (Author & Photographer)
Register HERE For this Speaker Series
Scott Harris will be discussing his book “Raptor Quest: Chasing America’s Raptors”, which documents his 17-month adventure tracking 53 raptor species across 34 states in the US, from the common (Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons) to the rare (Bat Falcon, Steller’s Sea Eagle and Eurasian Eagle Owl). He will share photographs and stories of the many species he encountered; and relate stories of the places and various individuals he met along the way, including adventures, mid-adventures, successes and failures.
Scott is a wildlife photographer, author and speaker, who moved to South Carolina from southern California in 2020, when he first started birding, a hobby he never imagined himself participating in, but now can’t imagine living without. While in California, he had a syndicated newspaper column and two weekly radio shows and has authored over fifty books, mostly Westerns and Children’s books, and has just returned from safari in Africa.
Photo: Bald Eagle by Scott Harris
Next Speaker – Thursday, November 14, 2024
Josiah Clark – Christmas Bird Count
