The Breeding Behavior of our Local Owls – Getting to Know our Nocturnal Neighbors
Zoom Event CA, United StatesWednesday, March 17, 2021
7 PM to 8:30 PM
With Joe Mueller
CLICK HERE to register for the Zoom Webinar
The best time of year to get to know owls is during the breeding season. This is the time when they communicate with each other and allow us a glimpse into their lives. Join Joe for a guided journey into understanding the reproductive behavior of our local owls. We’ll explore topics from territoriality and pair formation to courtship and nesting.
As a Professor of Biology for 30 years Joe has been teaching a rich diversity of courses ranging from ornithology to marine invertebrate zoology as well as leading field courses from Alaskan tundra to Costa Rican Tropical Rain Forests. His teaching style has developed from a view of life focused on systems thinking and how interrelationships make up the essential nature of life. He developed and coordinates the Natural History Program at College of Marin and is the 2008 recipient of the Terwilliger Environmental Education Award.
Rare Bird Sightings in Marin 2020
Zoom Event CA, United StatesWednesday, March 31, 2021
7 PM to 8:30 PM
With California Young Birders Club Members – Joseph Zeno, Mark Schulist, Lucas Corneliussen, and John King
CLICK HERE to Register for the Zoom Webinar
Marin County hosts some of the best opportunities to see and find rare birds. You can see a new bird in Marin every time you go outside. As you grow as a birder and begin to be able to recognize most of the local species, you will start to find new birds that may be rare where you live. The species you observe will change with the seasons. Fall migration in Marin County is exceptional for finding rare birds compared to most places on the west coast because the extent to which Point Reyes National Seashore extends into the Pacific Ocean makes it an ideal resting place for migrating birds. Some of the birds that stop there are regular migrants, and some are truly rare because they get blown off course. These are known as vagrants. This webinar will illustrate where you can find rare migrants and vagrants in Marin county, giving tips on how to find them, and these talented and enthusiastic young birders will show you some of the highlights and best experiences they had with Marin’s rare birds in 2020.
All of the young birders presenting on this date are part of the Bay Area Chapter of the California Young Birders Club. Check out their website and read about their monthly field trips throughout the state.
Young Birders
Joseph Zeno: Sophomore currently attending Terra Linda High School and part of the Marin School of Environmental Leadership (MarinSEL) program. Started birding in 2017 and likes to find and photograph birds and make photo books and calendars. Interested in studying how birds interact with other organisms in our changing environment.
Mark Schulist: Sophomore currently attending Marin Academy High School. Started birding in 2017 and enjoys photographing birds as well as any other wildlife. Interested in patterns of birds and how birds are able to migrate with such consistency.
Lucas Corneliussen: Junior currently attending Credo High School in Sonoma County. Started birding in 2011 and enjoys California county birding and birding in new locations all over the state as well as birding throughout the Point Reyes National Seashore on an almost weekly basis. Currently interested in nocturnal flight counts (NFC) and changes in migration patterns within certain species over the course of different periods of time.
John King: Sophomore currently attending Terra Linda High School. Started birding in 2017, and still enjoying the different habitats California has to offer. He enjoys birding in coastal forested areas where small passerines are abundant and in large flocks. Interested in the evolution of birds and the adaptations (structural/behavioral) they made to survive in the wild.
Discovering Wood-warblers in Marin County: When Nesters Arrive and Where to Find Them
CA, United StatesSpeaker: Daniel Edelstein
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: April 15th, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Register for Zoom Webinar HERE
- Which wood-warbler species typically nest annually in in Marin County and the North Bay region?
- Which are year-round residents and when do returning spring migrant species arrive?
- And why do vagrant wood-warblers in fall visit the Outer Point at Point Reyes National Seashore?
These questions and others will be addressed in this virtual, Zoom slide show highlighting one of our area’s most captivating bird families.
In creating this program, Avian Biologist and Birding Guide Daniel Edelstein utilizes his 30+ years of watching wood-warblers throughout the USA to discuss both common and rare Marin County/North Bay wood-warbler species.
A professional Birding Guide (WarblerWatch.com) since the mid-1980s, Daniel Edelstein works full-time as a freelance, Consulting Avian Biologist, Environmental Scientist, and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Associate. He has presented birding programs and led tours in more than 20 USA states. In addition, he teaches college-level birding classes as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Biology Department at Merritt College (Oakland, CA) (Merritt.edu). His popular blog — WarblerWatch.blogspot.com — featuring wood-warbler articles and photo quizzes is now 15 years old.
Photo credit: Wilson's Warbler by Elyse Omernick
A Worldwide Collaboration to Track Bird Migration
Zoom Event CA, United StatesSpeaker: Amie MacDonald
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: May 13, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
Register for the Zoom Meeting HERE
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, is an international collaborative research network that uses automated radio telemetry to track birds, bats, and insects. This presentation will include an overview of the Motus system, which consists of a large number of receiving-towers strategically placed all over the world. When a tagged bird (or butterfly) passes within range of a tower, its presence is recorded and incorporated into a database accessible to interested investigators wherever they may be. (And, yes, the system has also been used to track butterfly migration.)
The network is rapidly expanding as more and more ornithologists and researchers seek to determine what can be done to conserve and enhance survival for these beautiful animals.
Amie MacDonald works as the Western Motus Coordinator for Birds Canada, and is currently working to expand the Motus Wildlife Tracking System in British Columbia. Previously, she studied Red Knots during migratory stopover on the James Bay coast, and has also spent several years working as a field technician, primarily with shorebirds in James Bay and the Bay of Fundy, but also with seabirds, passerines, and small mammals on various projects. She loves being in the field and is interested in migration, population ecology, and the conservation of highly mobile species.
Photo: Tagged bird prepared for Motus Tracking System
For the Love of Hummingbirds
Zoom Event CA, United StatesSpeaker: John Shewey
Date: June 10, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:00 PM
Register for Zoom meeting HERE
Hummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed enigmatic lifestyles are a blur; their startling colors and exotic behaviors are delights. Hummingbirds also inspire us—they are like tiny ambassadors with the power to usher people into a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Author John Shewey taps into the intrigue in this program based on his new book, The Hummingbird Handbook. Join John for this fun-filled program and learn more about hummingbirds, how to attract them, how to cater to them, and how to be a great hummingbird host in your yard.
Lifelong birding enthusiast John Shewey is a veteran writer, editor, and professional outdoor photographer, with credits in Birdwatching, along with dozens of other magazines and he is co-author of Birds of the Pacific Northwest, a Timber Land Press Field Guide. John has photographed birds from the mountains of Alaska to the jungles of Central America to the islands of the Caribbean, and his website chronicles many of these travels in rich photographic detail. Visit him at birdingoregon.com.
BIRDING IN MARIN – Point Reyes Fish Docks, Lighthouse and Beaches
CA, United StatesPoint Reyes - Fish Docks, Lighthouse & Beaches
September 4th
8:30AM - Mid Afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
September provides the most birding surprises in Marin as many juvenile birds make their first migration west and south without the aid of google maps. Western migrants such as Townsends, Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers may be in the Point Reyes Tree islands with rarer eastern species. Western Tanagers may share a tree with a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Drake’s Bay begins to harbor large numbers of wintering species like scoters, loons, terns and gulls. A Wandering Tattler may join Black Turnstones, sanderlings and Godwits along the shores. This is a good time and place to witness Parasitic Jaegers harassing Elegant Terns to try to snitch a captured fish.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse sits well out into the Pacific Ocean so some pelagic birds like Shearwaters may be seen from the comfort of the shore. Peregrine Falcons are often seen, especially on mornings when the fog hides the coast, and migrating land birds may be hunted out over the ocean. The point with its few Monterey Cypress can then be a life saving vision to them.
Limit of 15 participants. All participants must be vaccinated. CLICK HERE to register for this field trip. There will be NO waiting lists at this time.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at 8:30 at the Fish Docks parking lot on the outer point. Take Sir Francis Drake thru Inverness toward the Light House. Left turn to the FISH DOCKS just after Ranch A (The Nunes Ranch) and one mile before the Lighthouse. Carpool if possible, be vaccinated and allow 1.5 hour from the San Rafael area.
VAUX’S SWIFTS AT MCNEAR BRICK AND BLOCK
CA, United StatesMcNear Brick & Block, San Rafael, CA
6 PM to 7:40 PM (depending on the weather)
Birding with Rich Cimino
Join other MAS members for an evening opportunity to witness Vaux’s Swifts during their fall migration through Marin, which occurs in September and October. Dan McNear of McNear Brick & Block has kindly allowed Marin Audubon to access this remarkable site where decommissioned smoke stacks provide an important communal roosting place for the swifts.
Watching thousands of swifts as they descend into the stacks just before night- fall is an unforgettable sight. At the peak of migration, as many as 19,000 swifts have been counted in one evening. However, keep in mind that the number of swifts varies greatly from night to night and can range from a few hundred to thousands. Like everything else in birding, there are no guarantees!
Sunset on the evening of our visit will be at 7:12 PM, so plan on arriving early to be ready. If the weather on the day of our trip is particularly cool or windy, the swifts are likely to enter the stacks early, so plan accordingly. Bring scopes, binoculars, and, if desired, folding chairs for your seating comfort. It can be chilly at dusk. Please stay with our group and do not enter any of the private areas on the property. Use soft voices and be sure to respect the privacy of local residents.
Limit of 15 participants. All participants must be vaccinated. CLICK HERE to register for this field trip. There will be NO waiting lists at this time.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 take the Central San Rafael exit. Head east on Third St./Point San Pedro Rd for about 3.5 miles. The brickyard will be on the right. The address is 1 McNear Brickyard Rd. Park as close to the San Pedro Road entrance as possible. Please do not drive to or park near the closed gate.
Birds & Mammals of Tanzania
Zoom Event CA, United StatesSpeaker: Wendy Dreskin
Host: Missy Crowe
Date: September 9, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM
End time: 9:30 PM
Please register for the Zoom Webinar HERE
Famous for having the biggest concentrations of large mammals on the planet, Tanzania is also an exciting birding destination. This presentation will feature birds travelers would be likely to see on a safari to Northern Tanzania in the winter, before migratory birds have left for their breeding grounds, as well as some of the large mammals. Birds you will meet include the Hammerkop, a compulsive nest-builder, the Sacred Ibis, extirpated from Egypt but easily seen in Tanzania, the vulnerable Southern Ground Hornbill, the endangered Saddlebilled Stork and other storks, Ostriches, Coursers, Bee Eaters, the Secretary Bird, and a variety of eagles.
Wendy Dreskin is a professional nature educator. She has been teaching the popular class, Meandering in Marin, at College of Marin for over 20 years as well as teaching nature education classes for children. She has been leading trips to Tanzania since 2014.
Photos in the presentation are by William Dreskin, an award-winning photographer whose photographs have appeared in books and magazines including Marin, and Bay Nature. He has exhibited in numerous galleries and national exhibitions, and his photographs are in private and corporate collections.
Photo by Willam Dreskin
Photo caption: "Superb Starling"
BIRDING IN MARIN – Abbott’s Lagoon and the Inverness Tennis Area
CA, United StatesOctober 2nd: 8:30AM - Mid Afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Abbott’s 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 3 miles (some in sand) and Jim likes to do a full 5 mile loop. So 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.
We have tried to show people 200 species each year and this year’s late start makes that goal a very big challenge. To help bolster our lists, 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.
Tickets will be available on September 23rd at 8AM. There is a limit of 15 participants for this trip. No waiting list at this time, and no drop-ins allowed.
All participants must be fully vaccinated.
CLICK HERE to register for this field trip
Birding at Olompali State Historic Park
CA, United StatesSaturday, October 9th
9AM - 12PM
Birding with Rich Cimino & Janet Bodle
It’s always an exciting time to birdwatch at Olompali State Historic Park! October can bring fall surprises. This year, with the fires in the northern part of the state, Olompali Park may become home to species typically not seen in the park seeking shelter. Beginning and experienced birders are invited to join leaders Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle to bird the park. We will walk the old ranch road to the park’s reservoir. We hope to see a wide variety of species that thrive in the park’s oak savanna and open grasslands. The field trip will start at 9 AM meeting in the front of the visitor center.
DIRECTIONS: Exit Hwy 101 at Atherton Ave/San Marin Dr in Novato. Follow the signs to Olompali State Historic Park. A right turn onto the Old Redwood Hwy frontage road will take you to the park. There is an $8 parking fee. Recently the park gates have been opening by 8:30AM.
Tickets will be available on September 30th at 8AM. There is a limit of 10 participants for this trip. No waiting list at this time, and no drop-ins allowed.
All participants must be fully vaccinated.
CLICK HERE to register for this field trip.
Amigos Alados: Students of the Americas Protecting Migratory Birds
Zoom Event CA, United StatesSpeaker: Alison Quoyeser
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: October 14, 2021
Start time: 7:30 PM by Alison Quoyeser
End time: 8:30 PM
Please register for the Zoom webinar HERE
Photo: Amigos Alados Bird Observation Walk by Alison Quoyeser
How do we teach the younger generation to know and care about birds? How do we raise the next generation of conservationists? This presentation will be about Amigos Alados, an environmental education and pen pal program founded 14 years ago to address those questions. Amigos Alados links school classes in California and Mexico in the study of 16 migratory birds that they share. The program uses bird studies to guide children towards becoming stewards of the environment, as well offering an opportunity for cultural and scientific exchange across the US-Mexico border.
Alison is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Amigos Alados. Upon retiring from 28 years of teaching at a local elementary school, she has been able to devote much of her time to the project. She is also a faculty member with STRAW or Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed, which is the educational arm of Point Blue Conservation Science. She works with students in the Bay Area to raise awareness of birds and their habitats, watershed ecology, and environmental restoration, as well as to instill cultural appreciation of our friends in Mexico.
Rodeo Lagoon – Marin Headlands
CA, United StatesWednesday, October 20th
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Join William and David for one of their fall migration field trips at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their longtime “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species seen and unusual sightings. On this particular trip, our group will be targeting Parasitic Jaeger, migrating shorebirds, warblers, early winter wildfowl and passerine migrants.
We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon.
Registration for this trip will be open starting on October 11 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 12 participants for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed.
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.
Click HERE to register for this field trip.
Corte Madera Ecological Reserve & Newly Restored Golden Gate Wetlands
CA, United StatesWednesday November 3rd, 2021
9:00 AM to noon
Birding with Rich Cimino
Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on October 25 at 8:00 AM. Limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop ins, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please register via TicketBud HERE
Purchased in 2016 by Marin Audubon, this important bayland property has undergone extensive restoration work in subsequent years thanks to the hard work of Marin Audubon Society board members, hired restoration specialists, and volunteers. The area is now a restored marsh that supports an important population of Ridgway’s Rails and other special status species and includes a newly created high tide refuge habitat where hired crews have planted 16,200 native upland plants.
Regularly scheduled workdays are held here for those who might like to help with the continuing restoration work, but on this particular day, we will join Rich for a tour of the area with a focus on BIRDS! Recently Rich began visiting the area regularly and will share his discoveries with us. High tide is approximately 11 AM, species we may see are ducks, long- legged waders, shorebirds, rails, plovers, White-tailed kites, Osprey, American Pipits, Savannah Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks.
No restrooms are available here. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks, planning a 1.5 to 2 mile walk, light rain does not cancel the walk.
DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s at the eastern end of Industrial Way in Corte Madera. Meet and park behind Trader Joe’s.
Birding in Marin – Las Gallinas & Hamilton Wetlands
CA, United StatesSaturday November 6th, 2021
8:30 AM - 2 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Registration for this trip will be available starting on October 27 starting at 8AM. Limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Register via TicketBud HERE.
Join Jim and Bob on an easy birdy walk of 1.5mi around the Las Gallinas ponds where we are likely to see 10 species of ducks, 5 of herons, 5 of raptors, 5 of sparrows and some rails like Ridgeway’s, Sora, and Virginia with Gallinules, coots, Swans and Geese! Shall we try to identify the duck species by females? I wonder if the Merlin will be back. These oxidation ponds, where a large portion of Marin’s waste water is converted to useful nutrients and clean enough to return safely to the San Francisco Bay ecosystem, demonstrate how we can provide for wildlife and live in harmony with nature.
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. It is remarkable that thru the 2nd World War and the Cold War years the US Air Force stayed on alert and could launch jet fighter planes in minutes from an airport here to defend the Bay Area. 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 .5mi, immediately after crossing the RR tracks, left turn and follow the road another 0.5 miles 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 Drive and turn right. Go east to Hanger Avenue and park along the levy behind Hangar 7.
Birding Adventures in Morocco
Zoom Event CA, United StatesSpeaker: John Sterling
Host: Doug Waterman
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Start: 7:30 PM
Please register for the Zoom webinar HERE
Photo Caption: Northern Bald Ibis
Photo Credit: John Sterling
John Sterling will share highlights from his tours’ adventures in Morocco. With its high mountains, high desert, low Sahara desert, agricultural plains, coastal lagoons, cork oak woodland, and coniferous forest, Morocco has much to offer to birds and birders. Home to several endemic bird species as well as North Africa species not readily seen elsewhere, it is also along the major migratory pathway for European migrants including shorebirds, raptors, songbirds and others. Join us for virtual tour of the country’s birds, landscapes and culture.
John is a professional ornithologist and has worked for the Smithsonian Institution and US Forest Service research stations among other organizations since 1981. John has traveled extensively throughout California learning about local bird distribution and is an authority on that state’s avifauna. John currently has his own company, Sterling Wildlife Biology (www.sterlingbirds.com), specializing in tours, birding classes, research and environmental consulting for The Nature Conservancy, the Kern Water Bank, the California Rice Commission, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Audubon’s International Alliance Program, CA Dept. of Water Resources among other organizations.
Birding at Willow Creek Road – Jenner CA
CA, United StatesSaturday, November 13, 2021
8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Birding with Teresa and Miles Tuffli
Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 4 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please register via TicketBud HERE.
Head up the Sonoma County coast to bird Willow Creek Road in Jenner. We’ll have the chance for multiple raptor species, including potential for Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, and maybe even Bald Eagle. Many year-round passerines will be frequenting the willows, alders, and scrub. With a view of the Russian River, we’ll look for some waterbirds as well.
We’ll meet at the Russian House #1 restaurant and bird the road’s entrance on foot. We’ll then move all cars down the road to a large pullout. We’ll bird the willows, creek area, and river view on foot before consolidating cars and continuing down the road, stopping to bird various sections. For a peek at the area, check out Miles and Teresa’s recap of birding Willow Creek Road back in July.
No bathrooms. Heavy rain cancels. Bring binoculars, layers, sunscreen, water, lunch, or snacks. Please carpool if possible.
DIRECTIONS: Russian House #1 is at 9960 Hwy 1, Jenner, CA. It is 9 miles north of Bodega Bay (15–20 minutes), directly along Hwy 1, on the right just before the Russian River bridge.
Birds of the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays Cruise with Dolphin Charters
CA, United StatesSunday, November 14, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE to register for the field trip. Registration for this trip opens October 8 at 8AM. There will be a waiting list if this trip sells out, and you will be notified if space becomes available.
San Francisco Bay, the largest and one of the most important estuaries along the Pacific Flyway, is right in our own backyard. Join us as we cruise from Berkeley toward the Golden Gate Bridge and north into San Pablo Bay, hugging the shorelines and waters that are home to thousands of wintering birds. We will pass ten islands, under two bridges, and up two creeks in four counties in search of migrating and resident waterfowl, shore-birds and marine mammals. This trip offers water bird and marine mammal viewing in stunning locations, many of which can only be seen by boat. In addition to the many ducks, loons, pelicans and gulls that come into the Bay for the winter, we can also expect to see resident cormorants, grebes, terns, and murres.
Dress in layers, and bring liquids and lunch. All participants must be fully vaccinated. Please bring a mask for any time spent inside the cabin.
The trip costs $120. Limited to 25 people.
Registered participants will receive directions to the Berkeley Marina and other instructions prior to the trip.
Rodeo Lagoon – Marin Headlands
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
7:30 AM to noon
With William Legge and David Wiechers
Click HERE to register for the field trip
Mid-November is a surprisingly active time for migrants at this Marin Headlands location, as we search for scarcer late fall migrants including winter wildfowl, loons, grebes and passerine migrants. As always, the weather will determine the focus of our search on the day. With this ‘hotspot’ producing some memorable Marin rarities in recent Novembers, including Tricolored Heron, Scaly-breasted Munia and Rusty Blackbird, almost anything is possible! We will begin the morning with a sea watch (most productive when onshore winds are blowing) and/or visible migration watch (most productive when offshore winds are blowing) at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon.
Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 8 at 8:00 AM on the MAS website Field Trips page. There is a limit of 12 participants for this trip. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins, please. All participants must be fully vaccinated.
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.
Birding in Marin – Bahia (Horseshoe Pond & Rush Creek)
CA, United StatesSaturday 12/04/21 from 8:30 to 2 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 24 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 15 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.
The Marin Audubon Society acquired and restored to tidal action the diked baylands around the residential Bahia neighborhood. As the ebbing tide exposes the mudflats thousands of shorebirds 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 101 to Bahia, also saved from development by MAS, holds Oak Titmice, White-breasted nuthatch, Hutton’s Vireo at least 4 woodpecker specie and many sparrows in the winter. It is always interesting and we have had Golden Eagles soaring above.
The horseshoe pond at the south east 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 take a look at the nearby Rush Creek area from the Airport Road which parallels the 101 freeway north of Atherton. So join Bob and Jim if you would like enjoy a day of birding and see about 80 species on the day.
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.
Birding at Jean & John Starkweather Shoreline Park
CA, United StatesThursday, December 9, 2021 - 11 AM to 1 PM - CLICK HERE to register for this field trip
Birding with Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle
Registration for this trip will be open starting on November 29 at 8:00 AM. There is a limit of 20 for this trip. There will not be a waiting list, and no drop-ins allowed. All participants must be fully vaccinated.
Join Rich for an easy bird walk on level ground during the incoming high tide high tide. We will bird the shoreline of San Pablo Bay watching for shorebirds on the rocks and diving ducks, loons, and grebes on the bay. We will also bird the fresh ponds water looking for wintering dappling ducks, warblers, White- crowned Sparrow. Bring your scope, water, and snacks. No Restrooms are available at the bird walk. Meet in the parking lot for the Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline trailhead. Heavy rain will cancel.
DIRECTIONS: From the north, take Hwy 101 to the Bellam Blvd. exit. Turn left on Bellam then right on East Francisco Blvd., which parallels I-580. Head east (toward the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge for about 1-1/2 miles. You will see a Bay Café Signage follow to the rear of parking lot at the Bay Park Center. Turn left on Pelican Way then right to the trailhead parking area. From the south you can take the exit to the San Rafael Bridge getting off at the last Marin exit, the San Quentin exit. For GPS, use the Bay Café address, 2165 Francisco Blvd., San Rafael.