Turkey Vultures, California Condors, and the Migration of Raptors Through the Desert
Thursday. March 10 at 7:00 PM
By Kurt Leuschner
Photo: “Turkey Vulture Sunning Wings” by Stephen Myers
Please register for this event HERE
Each Fall and Spring the desert comes alive with migrating birds. Turkey Vultures are one of the earliest and most interesting of these migrants. Where are the going and what special habits and traits set Turkey Vultures apart from other migrating raptors? Are they really raptors or scavengers or both? Many of the secrets about Turkey Vultures, California Condors, and the migration of birds will be unveiled in this presentation.
Kurt Leuschner is a Professor of Natural Resources at College of the Desert where he teaches courses on Conservation, Entomology, Field Ornithology, Native Plants, and GPS Navigation. He is the founder of the Desert Cities Bird Club and is the past President of Western Field Ornithologists and the Natural Science Collaborative of the Desert. His most recent publications are the Palms to Pines Birding and Nature Trail map and brochure and a Field Guide to Desert Golf Course Wildlife.
Corte Madera Ecological Reserve
CA, United StatesSaturday March 12, 2022
9:00 AM to noon
Birding Bryan Flaig
CLICK HERE to register for this field trip
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on March 4 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list.
This trip is perfect for beginning birders looking to learn how to identify waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as experienced birders interested in honing their skills
Corte Madera Ecological Reserve contains a variety of birding habitats, like tidal ponds, pickleweed marshes and a high tide refuge purchased by Marin Audubon in 2016. Much of the area has undergone extensive restoration for rare and endangered saltmarsh species.
On this field trip, we will hike a short distance to explore the marsh at high tide, searching for elusive Ridgway’s Rails and seasonal migrants. Later, we will walk to the shorebird overlook on the west side of the tidal pond, spending the majority of our time observing the wide variety of ducks, gulls, and wading shorebirds that frequent the area in winter.
Restrooms are available at nearby stores, but not on the marsh. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Plan for a 1.5 to 2 mile walk on flat terrain. Light rain does not cancel the trip.
DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s in Corte Madera. Meet in the parking lot behind the store, accessed by the driveway on the southside of World Market.
Mt. Tam & Corte Madera Marshes – Birding in Marin Season 7 – Trip 4
CA, United StatesSaturday, April 2, 2022
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Register for this field trip HERE
Registration for this trip opens at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, March 23. 8:00 AM. Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. There will not be a waiting list.
Mount Tamalpais, rising like an icon above Marin, hosts some birds uncommonly seen in the rest of the county such as Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, and in the winter 1or 2 Townsend’s Solitaire. About twenty years ago our friend Dave MacKenzie discovered a TOSO feeding on mistletoe berries in some Sargent Cypress trees along the trail to Barth’s retreat and the bird or its children have returned every year since! But the trail, built by the CCC, California Conservation Corp, back in the 1930s has not withstood the test of time quite as well. So, if you are up for a vigorous though short (3.5mi) hike, join us to see what we can find.
After our lunch break back at Rock Springs with fine picnic Tables and a restroom, we intend to drive down to sea level to look at the Corte Madeira marshes. This area is very birdy so depending on the tidal height we expect to see a lot of birds there. Wintering shorebirds are gearing up for the return to their arctic nesting grounds so we may be able to see why how Black-bellied Plovers got their name. As the shorebirds molt into their breeding plumage, if we are diligent, we might even be able to tell the two Dowitcher species apart.
Directions: Meet at Rock Springs at 8:30. From Highway 1 in Stinson Beach or up 3.3mi from Tam Junction, take Panoramic Drive to it’s crest then go uphill 1 mile on Pantoll Road to the Rock Springs parking lot.
Eye, Mind, Hand, Line: Identifying Birds Through the Eyes and Words of an Artist
CA, United StatesTHURSDAY, April 14 at 7:00 PM
Speaker: Keith Hansen
Register for this Speaker Series HERE
Illustration by Keith Hansen
Our program focuses on highlights from Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada, artist-naturalist Keith Hansen’s sixteen-year project to illustrate the birds of the Sierra Nevada. From the tiniest hummingbirds to condors with nine-foot wingspans, Keith brings his artist’s perspective to the identification and characteristics of his avian subjects through his beautiful illustrations and unique descriptions.
Keith’s path to his life’s work began as a barefoot kid exploring the woods of Maryland. Captivated by birds, he began drawing them as a teenager. Gathering fundamental experience regarding avian anatomy, he studied and banded hundreds of birds over the years on California’s Farallon Islands through the Point Reyes Bird Observatory. His life has been a generous mix of art and travel as he illustrated numerous books, ornithological publications and countless private commissions.
Corte Madera Ecological Reserve – April
CA, United StatesSaturday April 23, 2022
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Bryan Flaig
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Corte Madera trip will be open starting on April 13 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins please.
Join us for a spring bird walk to outer Corte Madera Marsh. We'll start by visiting the Marin Audubon Restoration Area and continue out to the edge of San Francisco Bay. We'll complete a 2.5 mile loop back to the flood control pond and finish at our starting location. The winter residents should be leaving and spring visitors arriving. We can expect to see red-wing blackbirds, several species of swallows, sparrows and boisterous Western Meadowlarks. We may also catch a glimpse of the resident osprey and peregrine falcon. We'll stop along the trees that line the main hiking trail to check for migrating warblers! This trip requires several miles of walking on flat terrain at a comfortable pace. It's the perfect trip for beginning birders and those who want to explore more of Corte Madera Marsh.
Restrooms are available at nearby stores, but not on the marsh. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Light rain does not cancel the trip.
DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s in Corte Madera. Meet in the parking lot behind the store, accessed by the driveway on the southside of World Market.
Olompali State Historic Park – Novato
CA, United StatesSaturday, April 30, 2022
9 AM to 12 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino & Janet Bodle
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Olompali trip will be open starting on April 20 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins please.
It’s always an exciting time to birdwatch at Olompali State Historic Park! Some think spring is the best time. Beginning and experienced birders are invited to join leaders Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle to bird the park. Late spring arrivals should be on hand as we 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: raptors, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, woodpeckers, nuthatches, thrushes, and Hooded Oriole. The field trip will start at 9 AM in the parking lot. Heavy rain cancels.
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.
Mount Burdell / Stafford Lake – or – Rush Creek
CA, United StatesSaturday, May 7, 2022
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Mount Burdell trip will be open starting on April 27 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list.
Join Jim and Bob for a field trip to the gentle slopes of Mt. Burdell where we’ll listen to and observe the impressive variety of songbirds that make this area their springtime home. Species we might see include Lark Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, and Grasshopper Sparrow, among many other possibilities. In the afternoon we plan to continue birding at Stafford Lake or Rush Creek.
This will be a moderate hike with many opportunities to look at birds and spring wildflowers. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing. Bring water and snacks. We will meet at the end of San Andreas Drive in Novato.
Birding at Stafford Lake or Rush Creek will be decided the day of the event when we meet at Mt. Burdell.
DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 101 to Novato. Take the San Marin Dr./Atherton Ave. exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn west (left) on San Marin Dr. Go approximately two miles and turn right on San Andreas Dr. Drive nearly to the end of the road and park on the street. No restrooms available.
Northern Spotted Owl Monitoring in Marin County
CA, United StatesThursday, May 12 - Start Time 7:00 PM
Speaker: Renee Cormier
Register for this Speaker Series HERE
Please join us for a presentation by Point Blue Conservation Science's, Renée Cormier, to learn about Northern Spotted Owl natural history, conservation of this iconic species, and the long-term monitoring of this species in Marin County. Northern Spotted Owls are federally "Threatened" and state "Threatened" in California, but Marin County – at the southernmost extent of their range – is a stronghold for this subspecies. Renée is an avian ecologist at Point Blue, where she started as an intern in 2002. In addition to her work on long-term landbird studies at the Palomarin Field Station, and migration studies of songbirds, and she has been working with Spotted Owls in Marin County since 2006.
Photo Caption; Adult Northern Spotted Owl
Credit: Maggie Brown/Point Blue
Bear Valley & Five Brooks – Birding in Marin – Season 7, Trip 6
CA, United StatesSaturday, June 4, 2022
8:30 AM to 3 PM
With Jim White & Bob Battagin
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration for the Bear Valley/Five Brooks trip will be open starting on May 25 at 8:00 AM. There will not be a waiting list.
Join Jim and Bob on this trip as part of their yearly series of Marin walks. We will start our day at Bear Valley in search of nesting birds. Next, we’ll travel to Olema Marsh and Whitehouse Pool for a look at some different habitats. Our final stop of the day will be Five Brooks where we have a chance of finding Wood Duck at the retired logging pond. We will also look for birds in the Douglas Fir forest.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 take Sir Francis Drake Blvd toward Point Reyes for about 20 miles. At Olema turn right onto Hwy 1.
In 600 feet, turn left onto Bear Valley Rd. In approximately 0.5 mile, turn left at the entrance to Point Reyes National Seashore Headquarters at Bear Valley. We will meet at the picnic tables near the parking lot.
Become a chapter supporting member of the Marin Audubon Society starting at $35 a year, or RENEW your membership today! Your membership helps to fund important efforts such as our ongoing habitat restoration projects, the Monarch Rescue Project, and our Northern Spotted Owl Outreach program. We cannot do these important projects, along with our many other efforts, without the support of our dedicated members!
Tricolored Blackbird Ecology and Conservation in California’s Central Valley and Sierra Foothills
CA, United StatesThursday, June 9 at 7:00 PM
Speaker: Dan Airola
Register for the June Speaker Series Zoom program HERE
The Tricolored Blackbird has declined dramatically from its historical abundance to become a state-listed species, as a result of massive land-use changes in California’s Central Valley. The species has adapted and now occupies a variety of novel habitats, including agricultural fields and grazing lands in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Dan Airola has studied Tricolored Blackbirds over the last decade in the valley and foothills to understand their population status, habitat requirements, future land use threats, and conservation management. He offers a conservation assessment addressing both the challenges of land use change and encouraging efforts to conserve the species.
Raised in Marin County, wildlife biologist and ornithologist Daniel Airola conducts research and conservation efforts for birds of concern in northern California. He is a member of the statewide Tricolored Blackbird Working Group and leads its Research Committee. Other research species include the Purple Martin, Yellow-billed Magpie, Swainson’s Hawk, and Osprey. His recent book on 30 years of Purple Martin research and management is available at cvbirds.org.
Lunar Viewing Event – Bahia
CA, United StatesFriday, June 10, 2022
8:30 -10:30 pm
With Ken George
No registration required!
Join Ken George, longtime member of San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, to share his homemade astronomical telescope to view the Moon at its optimal viewing angle and phase for the month. Ken has been giving free public night sky viewings for over 12 years at various locations in the North Bay Area, including Chabot Space and Science Center and many Marin Public Libraries. He also meets with fellow “Sidewalk Astronomers” on Mt. Tam once a month for free public star parties.
Directions: Exit 101N at Atherton/San Marin Dr (exit 463). At end of exit ramp, turn east (right) onto Atherton. In 0.8 miles, turn left onto Bugeia Ln. In approx. 1/2 mile, slight right onto Bahia Dr, continue approx.1 mile to stop sign. Turn right onto Topaz until near the end of the road. Meet at gate entrance across from Bahia Clubhouse.
Muir Beach & Redwood Creek
CA, United StatesSaturday, June 11, 2022
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with young birders John King, Joseph Zeno, and Mark Schulist
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 20 fully vaccinated participants on this trip. Registration opens on June 1.
Join John, Joseph, and Mark for a field trip to the coastal riparian habitats of Muir Beach and Redwood Creek where we’ll observe some of Marin’s nesting songbirds and catch the tail end of Spring Migration. We will meet at the Muir Beach parking lot, and then bird the Green Gulch Trail. We will likely encounter breeding warblers, flycatchers, and other small passerines. Next, we will travel to another portion of Redwood Creek’s Riparian corridor just down the road to find more songbird species in the vegetation around the creek. Finally, we will end our trip at the Muir Beach overlook where encounters with Peregrine Falcons are common and we can eat lunch with a nice view of the ocean.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at Muir Beach parking lot. From Hwy 101, take exit 445B and merge onto CA-1S, in approx. ½ mile, turn left onto CA-1N, in 5.1 miles, left onto Pacific Way, continue straight 0.2 miles to parking lot.
BIG ROCK & LAS GALLINAS – Birding in Marin – Season 7, Trip 7
CA, United StatesSaturday, July 2, 2022
8:30 AM to 3 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration opens on June 22.
Trails at Big Rock, rather steep, allow us to view some of the expansive grasslands and forested ravines in Marin. Some of the grassland nesting birds we will be looking for include Lazuli Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Horned Lark, and Ash-throated Flycatcher. We will also have a vast amount of sky visible so swallows, swifts, and raptors may appear with a chance for a Golden Eagle.
At midday we expect to drive Lucas Valley Road to Las Gallinas where we will be looking for American and Least Bitterns, Green Heron, Cinnamon Teal, Common Gallinule, and Great-tailed Grackle.
Fully vaccinated participants can register for the Big Rock/Las Gallinas trip starting on June 22 at 8:00 AM on the MAS website Field Trips page.
DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 in San Rafael, exit on Lucas Valley Rd and go west approximately 5.5 miles (look for the big rock). We will be walking approximately 3 miles. Because this area can get quite hot this time of year, be sure to wear a hat, use sunscreen and carry plenty of water.
Sky Trail & Limantour – Birding in Marin – Season 7, Trip 8
CA, United StatesSat, 8/6/22 - 8:30 AM to mid afternoon
With Jim White and Bob Battagin
Meet; at Sky Trailhead at 8:30 AM, near the crest of Limantour Rd. Directions below.
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration opens on July 27.
The Sky Trail, called “the misty spine of Bear Valley”, takes us through a maturing Douglas Fir/ Bishop Pine forest. Forest birds are more active early and moving birds often follow ridges so I would like to look and listen on our walk through this habitat. We may see or hear a Pileated Woodpecker, Band Tailed Pigeons, Stellar’s Jays, Swainson’s Thrush, Osprey, nuthatches and surely Acorn Woodpeckers and Chestnut-backed Chickadees. Northern Spotted Owls, Western Screech and Saw-whet Owls live here but we would need to be here at dusk or dawn to hear them.
After we leave, we drive down to the great beach of Limantour with its miles of sand, its tidal estuary the open expanse of Drakes Bay and the Pacific ocean beyond. We will gather at 9:30 in the ample parking lot with restrooms nearby. We’ll pack our lunches, shoulder our scopes and head out and up the beach. We can hike far enough to find Snowy Plovers to get our exercise and to cross over to the estuary side for our walk back. Gulls, terns, cormorants, loons, grebes, pelicans, murres, and guillemots will garner our attention and I’m always interested what the Pacific will bring close to shore. Shorebirds too, some already back from their breeding excursion to the Arctic, may decorate the shore or be gathering along the estuary shores and shallows. Some ducks, hawks, and herons will show up too.
Directions to Sky Trail: From CA 1 South, right (left from CA 1 North) onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd for 0.7 miles, left onto Bear Valley Road for 0.5, then right onto Limantour Road for 3.4 miles to the Sky Trailhead. Roadside parking is available near the trailhead.
From Sky Trailhead, the drive to the Limantour beach parking lot is 4.3 miles.
Abbott’s Lagoon – Pt. Reyes National Seashore
CA, United StatesSunday, August 21, 2022 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Rusty Scalf
Registration for the August 21 Abbott’s Lagoon trip will be open starting on August 11 at 8:00 AM
Register HERE for this field trip
There will be a limit of 25 fully vaccinated participants for this trip.
We will bird the coastal scrub, lagoons, and ocean. We hope to find migrant shorebirds and resident Snowy Plovers. Abbott’s Lagoon has historically been good for Baird’s Sandpiper and we may get lucky. Meet at 9AM at the Abbott’s Lagoon parking lot (bathrooms but no water). Bring scope, liquids, lunch. Plan on walking 4 miles round-trip; relatively flat but trail consists partially of sand. Prepare for wind.
This trip is free but advance registration is required. There will not be a waiting list. No drop-ins allowed.
DIRECTIONS: From Point Reyes Station on Hwy 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 Abbott’s Lagoon parking lot is on the left in about 3 miles. Carpool if you can.
THE PONDS AT THE LAS GALLINAS VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT (LGVSD) San Rafael
CA, United StatesThursday, September 1, 2022
9 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required for this trip.
Fully vaccinated guests only please.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. We especially welcome beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds. Special thanks to Bob and Sande Chilvers for volunteering once again to lead our monthly walks in search of waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds. Among other birds, we will see various species of rails, swallows and teals. With fall migration underway, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search.
We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels. We all help each other to find and identify the birds, and there are usually several experienced birders to assist. You don’t even have to arrive on time because we spend the first 30-60 minutes studying the birds around the first pond, and our group is easy to find.
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 an outhouse in the parking area for public use or you can use the bathrooms at nearby McInnis Park.
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Become a chapter supporting member of the Marin Audubon Society starting at $35 a year, or RENEW your membership today! Your membership helps to fund important efforts such as our ongoing habitat restoration projects, the Monarch Rescue Project, and our Northern Spotted Owl Outreach program. We cannot do these important projects, along with our many other efforts, without the support of our dedicated members!
ABBOTT’S LAGOON AND THE INVERNESS TENNIS AREA – Birding in Marin Series
CA, United StatesSaturday, September 3, 2022
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration opens on August 24 at 8AM.
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.
To help bolster our participant’s species lists to our yearly goal of 200, 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 ABBOTT’s Lagoon parking lot is on the left in about 3 miles. Car Pool if you can, allow 1.5 hours from San Rafael and please be vaccinated.
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Become a chapter supporting member of the Marin Audubon Society starting at $35 a year, or RENEW your membership today! Your membership helps to fund important efforts such as our ongoing habitat restoration projects, the Monarch Rescue Project, and our Northern Spotted Owl Outreach program. We cannot do these important projects, along with our many other efforts, without the support of our dedicated members!
RODEO LAGOON – Marin Headlands
CA, United StatesWednesday, September 7, 2022
7:30/8:30 AM to noon
Birding with With William Legge and David Wiechers
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration opens on August 28 at 8AM
Join William and David for this fall migration field trip 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, and other passerines. 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.
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.
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Become a chapter supporting member of the Marin Audubon Society starting at $35 a year, or RENEW your membership today! Your membership helps to fund important efforts such as our ongoing habitat restoration projects, the Monarch Rescue Project, and our Northern Spotted Owl Outreach program. We cannot do these important projects, along with our many other efforts, without the support of our dedicated members!
Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change
Zoom Event CA, United StatesThursday, September 8th - 7:00 PM
Speakers: Rob Badger and Nita Winter
Register for the September Speaker Series Zoom Program HERE
Internationally acclaimed conservation photographers Rob Badger and Nita Winter take you behind the scenes of their 27-year journey photographing wildflowers throughout California and the West. As the climate changes, and development impacts the natural world, wildflowers are vanishing. This program shows how two dedicated photographers continue to use their art, and the voices of a diverse group of scientists, environmental leaders and nature writers, to inspire hope and action regarding climate change, land conservation and species extinction.
Bob and Nina’s work has been featured in Time, Mother Jones and Sierra Magazines, the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times. They are recipients of the Sierra Club’s 2020 Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography. In their new, award-winning book, “Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change”, art and science are woven together to celebrate California’s wildflowers and promote Rob and Nita’s conservation and climate change messages.
Photo caption – Desert Candles, Carrizo Plain NM
Photo by Rob Badger and Nita Winter
Vaux Swifts at McNear Brick and Block
CA, United StatesSaturday, September 17, 2022
6:00 to 7:40 PM depending on the weather
With Rich Cimino
Register HERE for this field trip
Limit of 15 fully vaccinated participants for this trip. Registration opens September 7 at 8AM
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 three decommissioned chimneys provide an important communal evening roosting place for the Vaux’s swifts.
Watching tens of thousands of Vaux’s 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 7:11 PM, so plan on arriving on time 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.
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.