Marin Audubon Society

Tennessee Valley Trail
2024-11-23 08:30 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hamilton Wetlands - Novato
2025-03-14 09:00 - 12:00
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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-03-26 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM **Please note the 7:30 and 8:00 AM start times below
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on March 16 at 8:00 AM.
With early spring migration underway will be looking out for migrant wildfowl, grebes, loons, gulls, and passerines. As usual, the weather will dictate our focus with onshore northwest winds ideal for spring sea watches, while offshore easterly winds promise a good selection of late winter and early summer passerine migrants. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later at 8:00 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. A brief mid-morning ‘coffee-stop’ is planned at Headlands Center for the Arts and it would be appreciated if participants come willing to contribute via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you to the Headlands Center for the Arts for accommodating our group. This field trip is less suitable for beginners.
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 signal 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.

Piper Park & Marin Art and Garden Center
2025-03-29 08:00 - 12:00
Piper Park – Larkspur, and Marin Art and Garden Center – Ross
Saturday, March 29
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino
All participants are welcome to join this trip
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 Sapsucker. The athletic field may have Canada Geese, White-fronted Geese, Cackling Geese, American Pipits, Western Meadow Larks, Western Blue Birds, Says Phoebe, fly by White-tailed Kite and Red-shouldered Hawk.
At 10 AM we’ll drive to the Marin Arts and Gardens Center property. Here we may be lucky to see and hear early migrants, and a remaining wintering species. Possible early migrants species could be Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo and warbler species.
The field trip ends at noon. Those who want to enjoy the picnic grounds bring their meals and drinks.
Trails in both locations are flat and easy to navigate. Both locations have bathrooms and parking.
Meet at the Piper Park parking lot at 8:00 AM. Nearest exit to Piper Park from the 101 is 450A. The Park is located off of Doherty Road, behind the Central Marin Police Authority.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
2025-04-03 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, April 3, 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.

Five Brooks / Bear Valley
2025-04-05 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin | Season 10, Trip 4
Saturday, April 5, 2025
8:30 AM – mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on March 26 at 8:00 AM.
Join Jim and Bob for an easy walk around the Five Brooks pond with a chance to see beautiful Wood ducks. Our late master Rich Stallcup installed wood duck nesting boxes with a little of my help back in the 1990s. Bob and I with some consistent help refurbish the boxes each spring. We will also have a chance to see some woodpeckers including the large and loud Pileated as well as other forest birds.
The Bear Valley visitor center will be our second area to visit where we like to take another gentle walk around the Earth Quake Trail. We hope to find some recently arrived nesting birds such as Warbling Vireo, Western Wood Pewee, Black-headed Grosbeaks and Pacific Slope Flycatchers.
Bring lunch, drinks. Heavy Rain cancels.
Directions: Meet at the Five Brooks parking lot. Take Highway 1 north 17 miles from Mill Valley, or 8 miles from Stinson Beach or 5 miles South of Olema at the Sir Francis Drake Blvd intersection. There is a 1/4 mile access road up to the parking area.

Farallon Islands – A Place Like No Other
2025-04-10 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, April 10, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Pete Warzybok – Point Blue Conservation Science
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Take a deep dive into the Farallon Islands, where Point Blue biologists have spent more than 58 years living and working on the islands. Learn about the 500 thousand seabirds, tens of thousands of pinnipeds, and other wildlife who call these islands home and hear about the threats they face living in an ever-changing environment and some conservation success stories.
Speaker Bio:
Pete Warzybok is a Principal Scientist and Farallon Program Leader with Point Blue Conservation Science. Pete’s work focuses on the ecology and conservation of marine ecosystems, overseeing research activities at Point Blue’s long-term research station on Southeast Farallon Island. Pete has been with the Farallon Program since 2000, and his current research interests include the study of seabird diet and foraging ecology and the impact of ecosystem variability on breeding success and population dynamics of Farallon seabirds and pinnipeds.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-04-23 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM ** Please note start times below
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens April 13 at 8 AM.
With spring migration underway, we’ll be looking out for migrant wildfowl, shorebirds, grebes, loons and passerines. As usual, the weather will dictate our focus with onshore northwest winds ideal for spring sea watches, while offshore easterly winds promise a good selection of passerine migrants. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later at 8:15 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. A brief mid-morning ‘coffee-stop’ is planned at the Headlands Center for the Arts. Your contribution for coffee via the onsite “tip-jar” would be appreciated. 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 signal 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.

Roy's Redwoods Preserve
2025-04-30 08:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Liz Lewis
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens on April 20 at 8AM
As we saunter along the Roy’s Redwood loop trail and the newly restored floodplains and meadows, spring migrant arrivals we will be looking (and listening) for are Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Wood Pewee, Western Flycatcher and Ash-throated Flycatcher.
Besides listening and looking for migrants, we will also seek out the resident species who nest in Roy’s Redwoods: including Hairy Woodpecker, Pacific Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hutton’s Vireo and several raptors. The trail is generally flat with a gentle rise. Please remember to dress in layers and to bring water and snacks. There is a portable bathroom available at the trailhead.
Directions: Meet at Roy’s Redwoods Preserve trailhead, on Nicasio Valley Road, about 0.5 north of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. or about 3.5 miles south of Lucas Valley Rd. Parking is available along Nicasio Valley Road near the trailhead.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2025-05-01 08:30 - 12:30
Thursday, May 1, 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, 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.
