Once again, Carol is leading her first trip as a birding field trip leader. (She unfortunately had the flu last month and couldn't complete her official first trip.) She is enrolled at the San Francisco Master Birding Course offered by the California Academy of Sciences, which includes scientific training and at least 100 volunteer hours. Any and all beginning birders are encouraged to join her on this very leisurely stroll around a soccer field at McInnis Park and along the path adjacent to Gallinas Creek. We can expect to see Western Bluebird, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and more around the soccer field. On our stroll along the creek channel, we hope to see fall migratory waterfowl such as Ring-necked Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and, of course, our usual residents such as Great and Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Greater Yellowlegs. We'll also look for sparrows foraging on the ground and raptors soaring overhead. Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and bring water, binoculars, scopes, and your birding enthusiasm! Heavy rain cancels. Directions: We will meet at McInnis Park. From Highway 101, take the Smith Ranch Road exit east toward McInnis Park. We will meet at the first parking lot to the right after you enter McInnis Park. There is plenty of parking available.

Join Rich for an easy bird walk on level ground during a 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 look for the Puget Sound variety of White-crowned Sparrow. Bring your scope, water, and snacks. Restrooms are available at the bird walk halfway mark (Target Store). Meet in the parking lot for the Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline trailhead. Heavy rain will cancel. Directions: From the north, take Highway 101 to the Bellam Blvd exit. Turn left on Bellum 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 sign 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.

Location: Novato, CA Trip Leader(s): Sande & Bob Chilvers Start Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020 Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Join our "First Thursday walk" walk of the new year in the oak woodland at Deer Island Preserve with views of the surrounding marshland visible from parts of the trail. Red-shouldered Hawks and White-tailed Kites nest here with additional resident and winter raptor sightings possible during our visit. The woodlands are home to woodpeckers, owls, juncos, and towhees, and we'll also watch for egrets and White Pelicans. As usual, birding enthusiasts of all levels are invited to join our group. We always help each other find and identify the birds. We will be walking approximately 1.5 miles on a dirt trail with some gradual up and down slopes. Dress in layers and bring binoculars, scopes, and water. There are no restrooms at this location. Heavy rain cancels. If Marin has received any rain by the date of this field trip, we may stop by Simmons Slough, a diked off tributary of Novato Creek and one of Marin Audubon's properties, to look for wintering waterfowl. This property is part of what Marin Audubon envisions as a Simmons Slough Wildlife Corridor consisting of wetlands and adjacent uplands associated with the watershed. The area is popular with ducks when the seasonal marsh becomes flooded. Directions: From Highway 101 in Novato, take the exit for Atherton Avenue east 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Olive Ave and left onto Deer Island Lane. The gate is on your right with a nearby dirt parking lot.

Ruthie Rudesill of Redwood Regional Ornithological Society fame will lead this trip as a follow up to her presentation at our Speaker Series on January 9 entitled "Little Known Great Birding Locations in Northern California." The San Joaquin River NWR is situated where three major rivers (Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin) join in the San Joaquin Valley, creating a mix of habitats that provide ideal conditions for high wildlife and plant diversity. The refuge was initially established primarily to protect and manage habitat for the Aleutian Cackling Goose but now provides important nesting habitat for Swainson's Hawks, herons, cormorants, as well as the endangered least Bell's Vireo, which was absent from the area for five decades. The refuge is also home to the largest wild population of Riparian Brush Rabbits in the world that approached extinction in the 1990's. Bring optics (scopes would be useful), lunch, and dress in layers. There is a restroom at the refuge headquarters. No fees are collected here. Heavy rain cancels. This field trip is co-sponsored by RROS and Marin Audubon. Sonoma County folks who wish to carpool can meet at the Petaluma Park N' Ride at the junction of Highways 101 and 116 at 7:15 AM. These Sonoma participants will meet up with Marinites who wish to join a carpool at the Smith Ranch Road and Highway 101 Park N' Ride at 7:35 AM. For more information about this trip, contact Ruthie at (707) 833-6026 or (707) 481-0768. Directions: From Highway 580 southbound after Altamont Pass, take the Maze Blvd Exit onto Highway 132 (east towards Modesto). The NWR is at the San Joaquin River. Turn left on North Gates Road from Highway 132. Travel northbound on Gates Road for approximately 3 miles. Turn left on Beckwith Road. Travel westbound on Beckwith Road for 2 miles to the refuge parking lot on the left side of the road. Our first stop will be at the Migratory Bird Viewing Platform on Beckwith Road. Later we will return to Highway 132 and travel to the refuge headquarters at 2714 Dairy Road, Vernalis.

Location: Corte Madera Creek Trip Leader(s): Rich Cimino Start Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2020 Start Time: 9:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: 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 volunteers have planted 16,200 native 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. Species we may see are ducks, long-legged waders, shorebirds, rails, plovers, kites, osprey, sparrows and meadow larks. No restrooms are available here. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: CMER is located behind Trader Joe's at the eastern end of Industrial Way in Corte Madera. Meet and park behind Trader Joe's.

Location: Beginning in Winters Trip Leader(s): John Klobas & Sarah Brooks Start Date: Saturday, January 25, 2020 Start Time: 8:00 AM End Time: 3:00 PM Description: Located within a one and one-half hour drive of many North Bay locations, Yolo County offers diverse habitats ranging from Coast Range mountains to near sea level agricultural lands of the Sacramento Valley. This one-day trip will visit prime birding sites in western Yolo County during the height of winter bird diversity and numbers. We will meet in Winters where we will introduce our itinerary for the day and our target birds for the morning at Lake Solano Park. This park straddles both Yolo and Solano counties along Putah Creek at the base of the Coast Range. We will bird both outside and inside the park ($6/car day use fee) and, weather permitting, have lunch there, as well. Specialties here include Hooded Merganser, Barrow's Goldeneye, Phainopepla, Wood Duck, various raptors, perhaps even Pileated and Lewis’s Woodpecker. After lunch we will walk along Putah Creek watching for both water and land birds. The day will conclude with a stop at a raptor hot spot near Woodland where overwintering specialties may include Ferruginous Hawk among several raptor species. The companion trip to this day features eastern Yolo County and is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2020. This trip begins in Davis. Directions: We will meet at Rotary Park located at Main and Railroad Streets in Winters. From Marin take Highway 101 North to Highway 37. Then exit onto Highway I-80 East. In approximately 22 miles, take Exit 56 at Vacaville to merge onto I-505 North toward Redding. Take the Highway 128 exit (west toward Lake Berryessa) from Highway I-505. Take a left over the freeway, then stay on Highway 128 until the light at Railroad Avenue. Turn left (south), travel 2 blocks to the intersection of Railroad and Main. Rotary Park is at the south side of this intersection. We will meet at the gazebo in the park.

Trip Leader(s): Joseph Zeno & William Legge

Location: Sonoma County Trip Leader(s): Murray Berner Start Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Start Time: 9:15 AM End Time: 2:00 PM Description: Trip full. Wait list only. Space available on February 10 trip. Skaggs Island is part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The area is not open to the general public and requires special permission to access, which will be granted to Marin Audubon with our guide, Murray Berner. Because of the high level of interest in this area, we are requiring advance registration for this trip, which will begin on Monday, December 23, 2019. Registration will be limited to 25 people. If you would like to participate in one of these trips, please contact Jeanine Starritt at . Be sure to specify whether you wish to participate in the January 28 or February 10 field trip and include the names of people who will be attending with you. A second trip is scheduled for Monday, Feb 10 (see alternate trip description. To sign up for this January 28 trip, contact Jeanine Starritt at . Be sure to include the names of the people who will be attending with you. Jeanine will confirm your registration via email. Our leader, Murray Berner, has been a longtime field trip leader for Napa Solano Audubon and is the author of the Solano County Breeding Bird Atlas. Our visit will coincide with the peak season for raptors. In previous years our group has spotted Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Prairie Falcon, and Burrowing Owl, plus dozens of kites and harriers. Songbirds flock in the former residential area, harassed by Merlin and Accipiter. Please arrive promptly at the south entrance to Skaggs Island off of Hwy 37. Those arriving late may find themselves locked out! We will travel by car across the island, stopping to bird along the way, and depart through the north gate at approximately 1 PM. From this point interested birders may continue with the group to Hudeman Slough where we will bird on foot. Dress in layers and sturdy shoes and bring lunch and water. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: Take Hwy 101 north to Hwy 37 East. At the intersection with SR 121 (Sonoma Raceway), continue straight on Hwy 37 for 3.8 miles and turn left at Skaggs Island Road. No restrooms available.

Location: Boat leaves from and returns to the Anioch Marina Trip Leader(s): David Wimpfheimer Start Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020 Start Time: 8:15 AM End Time: 4:30 PM Description: Join us aboard Dolphin Charters' River Dolphin for a wonderful day of exploring the richness of the California Delta with naturalist David Wimpfheimer as our guide. Ronn Patterson, a Bay Area historian and naturalist, is captain of the River Dolphin and owner of Dolphin Charters. The boat is very comfortable, and the outer decks provide views over the levees of the amazing array of birds found in the Delta during the winter. This rich area hosts a wide variety of raptors including Swainson's Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Great Horned Owls. Large numbers of shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Snow, Canada and White-fronted Geese, ducks, as well as gulls, terns, bitterns and passerines make this cruise a highlight for birders. Uncommon mammals such as beaver, river otter, and mink often add interest to the cruise. We also will learn about the history, ecology and politics of the levees and the Delta as we travel through its meandering channels. The cost will be $110 per person for Marin Audubon Chapter Supporting Members and $145 for all others. If you are not yet a Marin Audubon Chapter Supporting Member, please sign up now at www.marinaudubon.org to enjoy the reduced cost of this trip. Online registration is now closed. If you wish to be placed on a wait list, contact Jeanine Starritt at . Include the name, email address and phone number of each possible participant. Those confirmed on the trip will receive directions to the Antioch Marina and other instructions the week before the trip.

Location: Point Reyes National Seashore Trip Leader(s): Derek Lecy & Bob Atwood Start Date: Saturday, February 8, 2020 Start Time: 9:00 AM End Time: 12:00 PM Description: Start the day with Derek and Bob at Kehoe Beach followed by a midday caravan to McClures Beach. The coastal California subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow (Z. I. nuttalli) start to sing more vigorously in January, so we should be able to hear them well as we walk through the coastal scrub habitat to these beaches. Other species on our way to the beaches include Wrentit, Peregrine Falcon, and other raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and with luck, a Bald Eagle. On the beaches, a search of the gull flocks should be fun, and a good variety of wintering gulls is expected. We will take a long look out at sea as well in an attempt to try and find all three species of scoter–Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Surf Scoter. Both beaches can be one of the more reliable places in the county to encounter Black Scoter. We will keep our eyes open for a Harlequin Duck or any alcids flying out on the ocean as well. Participants should wear sturdy, waterproof shoes and warm clothing. Light rain or fog is a strong possibility. Expect to walk a quarter mile to each beach with a total of 2 miles of hiking on this trip. Bring lunch as we will break between locations for a quick lunch. High tide looks to be around 11 AM, which may impact our beach access at McClures (which we visit second), but we can always scope from above the beach or figure something out. Bring a scope if you have one. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: We will meet at the Kehoe Beach Parking area. From San Anselmo, take Sir Francis Drake Blvd to Olema. From Olema, continue north on Hwy 1 (SFDB), take the second left turn (SFDB west), continue through Inverness, turn right (north) onto Pierce Point Road, and drive approximately 4.6 miles to Kehoe Beach.

Location: Skaggs Island Trip Leader(s): Daniel Edelstein Start Date: Monday, February 10, 2020 Start Time: 10:00 AM End Time: 2:00 PM Description: Join Avian Biologist and Birding Guide, Daniel Edelstein, for this special opportunity to visit Skaggs Island, a rich winter birding location not generally accessible to the public. The island was formerly home to a naval facility but is now part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It often attracts uncommon visiting, non-breeding season raptors such as Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Merlin along with White-tailed Kite, and other raptors in addition to diverse shorebirds, waders, and ducks. This will be our second winter field trip to Skaggs Island. The first is scheduled on January 28, 2020 with Murray Berner (see alternate trip descriptionl). This second trip will not include a visit to Hudeman Slough. If you would like to participate in one of these trips, please contact Jeanine Starritt at . Be sure to specify whether you wish to participate in the January 28 or February 10 field trip and include the names of the people who will be attending with you. Meet on Skaggs Island Road after turning onto it from Highway 37. We’ll carpool through the locked gate far into the heavenly solitude and bird-filled environs of this amazing birding venue. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: Take Highway 101 North to Highway 37. At the intersection with SR 121 (Sears Point), continue straight on Highway 37 for approximately 4 miles to Skaggs Island Road. Please be careful crossing Highway 37 to turn onto this road because oncoming traffic is often heavy.