Marin Audubon Society

Islands and Avian Evolution
2023-05-18 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA, United States
Thursday May 18, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Bob Lewis
Please register HERE for this Speaker Series
Islands have played a key role in both the development of new avian species and the extinction of others. Because they are isolated land masses, species which arrive on islands evolve separately from their parent group and through genetic drift eventually become unique. But because island species are restricted to small areas and have small populations, they are also susceptible to chance events, human-caused pressures, and predation by introduced species and introduced diseases.
In this presentation, we will focus on the wonders of these unique island species, as well as discuss some of the issues and threats to island avians.
Bob Lewis trained as a chemist and worked in the energy field for 33 years. He’s taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 25 years and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon’s Adult Education Committee. Recently he’s been giving classes and talks via Zoom. Bob was honored with American Birding Association’s “Chandler Robbins Award” for Education and Conservation in 2016, and Golden Gate Audubon’s “Paul Covel Education Award” in 2010 and 2017. He loves to travel and photograph birds and has chased birds in over 40 countries. His life list is over 5000 species.
Photo Credit: Bob Lewis

Bear Valley & Five Brooks - Birding in Marin - Season 8, Trip 6
2023-06-03 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
June 3rd – 8:30 AM – Mid Afternoon
Birding with Jim White & Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration for the Bear Valley/Five Brooks trip will be open starting on May 24 at 8:00 AM.
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.

King Mountain Preserve - Larkspur
2023-06-09 08:00 - 10:30 | CA, United States
Friday, June 9, 2023
8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Birding with Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle
All participants are welcome to join this trip. No registration required.
Join us on King Mountain for a bird walk that welcomes beginners as well as experienced birders. This accessible Preserve, rising above the main streets in Larkspur, is frequented by hikers, but not so much by birders. Janet and I survey King Mt. as part the Marin Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas project. We would like to introduce Marin Audubon birders to this location.
It’s breeding season so any of the breeding migrants are probable, such as Lazuli Bunting, Black-throated Grey Warbler, and Yellow Warbler. Resident birds such as Wrentit and Pileated Woodpecker have been seen recently.
While the steep trail provides some excellent views, it can get quite warm. Bring liquid and wear a wide brimmed hat.
Directions from the corner of Magnolia Ave and Ward St in Larkspur: coming from north, turn right on Ward (left from the South), right on Hawthorne Ave, left on Willow Ave. Park and meet at trail head gate (Citron Fire Rd.) on Willow Ave.
Contact Cell – (925) 353-0266

Marin Audubon Society Properties
2023-06-15 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday June 15, 2023, 7:00 PM
Speaker: Jude Stalker
Register for this Speaker Series HERE
For almost twenty-five years Marin Audubon Society (MAS) has been acquiring wetlands (or historical wetlands) and adjacent upland properties in Marin County; restoring, stewarding, and preserving the land as valuable wildlife habitat. Some of these properties came very close to being developed but ended up with MAS due to the perseverance of those individuals who early on understood the value and importance of wetland habitat. Some have been stewarded by an impressive group of dedicated volunteers and enjoyed for their beauty and bountiful birdlife by many people throughout the years.
Jude Stalker will take you on a virtual tour of several of these properties and fill you in on the interesting ways that they were acquired and of how they have been restored, enhanced, and stewarded to support the many native plants and animals that are populating them now.
Jude is a wetland biologist who has worked in and around the SF bay wetlands for over twenty years. She is a long-time member of the board of MAS and spends much of her free time volunteering to help steward the MAS (and other) properties.
Photos: Bahia Property
Photo by: Jude Stalker

Big Rock and Las Gallinas - Birding in Marin, Season 8, Trip 7
2023-07-01 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Saturday, July 1, 2023
8:30 AM to 3 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on June 21 at 8:00 AM
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.
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 and Limantour Beach - Birding in Marin
2023-08-05 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Birding in Marin – Season 8, Trip 8
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Saturday 8/5/22
8:30AM – 3PM
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on July 27 at 8 AM on our TicketBud Site.

Meet at Sky Trailhead, near the crest of Limantour Rd. Directions below.

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, Steller’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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-08-23 07:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Wednesday, August 23, 2023 7:30/8:30 AM to noon **See notes below about start times.
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. 15 Participants max. Registration opens on August 13 at 8 AM.
Join William and David for the first of four fall migration field trips at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their long-time “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species and the chance of an unusual sighting. On this trip, our group will be targeting Elegant Terns and Parasitic Jaegers, migrating shorebirds, and western passerine migrants including warblers. We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM from Rodeo Beach. 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.

Abbott’s Lagoon – Pt. Reyes National Seashore
2023-08-26 09:00 - 14:00 | CA, United States
Saturday, August 26, 2023
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Rusty Scalf
All participants are welcome to join this trip. No registration required.
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 Abbotts 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.
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.

Point Reyes Lighthouse to Drakes Beach - Birding in Marin
2023-09-02 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Point Reyes Lighthouse to Drakes Beach – Birding In Marin – Series 8, Trip 9
Saturday 9/2/2023
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens August 23 at 8AM.
This is the place to be for fall birding. Many migrants like hawks, jaegers, shorebirds and loons follow the coast south. Many songbirds, migrate at night and seem to have a compass bearing in mind, momma said to fly “15 degrees east of due south for 4 days.” Millions of recently fledged birds undertake a journey of 2-4000 miles without a google assistant and many without further parental guidance. Some get lost.
Imagine that you are a dyslexic Connecticut Warbler hatched in early June in the boreal forest of north central Canada. It is your second night flight, you are flying west instead of east or south, you crossed some mountains so that you are flying sort of high, morning is approaching so you descend thru the clouds and there is nothing but water. A fog shrouded coast was not in your flight plan. You reverse directions, trying to avoid the gulls and jaegers pursuing you, when you see trees miles away on a point sticking above the fog. Relief, a place to land, to rest, and to find something to eat. These vagrant warblers and other eastern songbirds are the reasons that the tree islands of the Point Reyes peninsula are so popular with birders
We intend to visit the nearby Fish Docks after The Light house then work our way back to Drake’s Beach for lunch and much more birding.
Directions: Meet at 8:30 at the Lighthouse parking area. The Lighthouse parking area is at the west end of S F Drake. Going north thru Inverness follow Drake to the Lighthouse. Allow 30 min from Inverness or 1.5 hour from San Rafael.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD)
2023-09-07 08:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Thursday, September 7, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
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.

Hummingbirds
2023-09-14 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday September 14, 2023
7:00pm – 9pm
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
From Alaska to the high Andes of South America, join us as we explore the magic of hummingbirds!
With 360 species recognized globally, we’ll discuss their remarkable biology, expansive range, ecological significance, and the best way to attract them to your yard! Mouth-watering media and local hummingbird ID section included!
Speaker Bio: Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). Working professionally for over 10 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide, Benny has worked in a variety of locations coast to coast, including exotic places such as coastal Alaska, Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny uses his ample collection of nature-based content to leverage an active social media presence. BIJS uses his passion for the natural world to inspire others to put down their phone and pick up their binoculars.
Photo: Sword-billed Hummingbird
Photo by: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-09-20 07:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
7:30/8:30 AM to noon **See Notes Below
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 10 at 8 AM
Join William and David for this second fall migration field trip at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their long-time “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species and a good chance of an unusual sighting. On this trip, our group will be targeting Parasitic Jaeger, migrating shorebirds and migrant passerines. We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch from Rodeo Beach 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.

Golden Gate Raptor Observatory at Hawk Hill - Marin Headlands
2023-09-27 09:45 - 12:30 | CA, United States
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
9:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino
Reservations are not required for this trip
The field trip, to the GGRO Hawk watch wing measurement platform, is timed as an optimal prime period for Broad-wing Hawk migration and Black Swift Migration.
Limited restroom facilities, a steep walk up to the ridge on loose gravel, layered clothing is best.
Directions: From 101 south to exit 442 toward Alexander Ave. Right on Alexander Ave, after 0.3 mi turn left on Bunker Rd. (continue through the tunnel) for approx. 1.2 miles, turn left on McCollough Road, in approx. 0.9 mi at the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Conzelman Rd. for approx. 0.6 miles to the destination, where there is a parking area and a few portable restrooms nearby. Meet Rich at the parking lot at 9:45.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD)
2023-10-05 08:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Thursday October 5th, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
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.

Abbott’s Lagoon and the Inverness Tennis Area - Birding in Marin
2023-10-07 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Birding in Marin – Series 8, Trip 10
Saturday, October 7, 2023
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 27 at 8:00 AM
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. Carpool if you can, allow 1.5 hours from San Rafael.

Unique and Rare Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
2023-10-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday October 12, 2023
7:00pm-9:00pm
Unique and Rare Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
Speaker: John Sterling
Please register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
John will take us on a virtual tour of some of Africa’s most unique and rare birds from his travels in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and will discuss some of the threats and challenges for some of the endangered birds and their habitats.
He will be discussing conservation issues such as climate change and loss of habitat; and many of the species in peril, such as Montane Blue Swallow, Picathartes, Shoebill and Nahan’s Partridge. He will also talk about other bird families and species unique to the sub-Saharan region, such as Hammerkop, Ostriches, Turacos, Flufftails and Egyptian Plover.
Speaker Bio:
John has been actively birding since 1971 and embarked on a career in ornithology while a student at Humboldt State University in 1979. He has worked for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington DC, research labs of the US Forest Service, and many other organizations in Latin America and California.
Photo: Shoebill (whale-headed stork)
Photo by: John Sterling

Marin Audubon Society Fall Open House
2023-10-14 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 10:00 AM until noon
The event will take place at our Corte Madera wetland habitat next to the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve. We have a special event planned to highlight the history of the site, restoration work to date, and ongoing stewardship to support bird and wildlife habitat. Join us for the entire event or for whatever amount of time you can. This event is free for all ages and no RSVP is necessary.
BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, ALL ARE WELCOME !!

Location: Entrance to the wetland habitat is at the east end of Industrial Way in Larkspur, but there is very limited parking at the site.

Parking: Parking is available in the parking lot behind the World Market Plaza Shopping Center at 2020 Redwood Highway. Access the parking lot by taking the road to the right of World Market. From the lot, take the packed dirt trail to the east, turn left on the main levee trail a short distance to the wetland habitat. There is also parking in the main shopping center parking lot.

Bring: We recommend layers and a hat for cool or warm conditions, and binoculars for bird spotting.

Website: Check the website for information updates the week before the event, www.marinaudubon.org.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-10-18 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, October 18th
7:30 AM to 12 PM
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip

Registration required for this trip. Registration opens October 8 at 8AM.
With large numbers of birds moving through the area this time of year, it’s sure to be an interesting outing with unusual sightings a definite possibility. We’ll start with a 30-40 minute visible migration and sea watch from Rodeo Beach hoping for Parasitic Jaegers as well as other passing goodies before undertaking an extended circuit of Rodeo Lagoon in the search for scarce migrants including early winter wildfowl, shorebirds and fall passerines. More than 60 species should be possible at this time of year. The morning will begin with a sea watch at 7:30 AM.
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 tun- nel 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.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2023-11-02 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday November 2, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. 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, especially beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds 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.

Las Gallinas and Hamilton Wetlands
2023-11-04 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin, Season 8 – Trip 11
Saturday, November 4, 2023
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration will be open starting on October 25 at 8 AM.
Join Jim and Bob on an easy, birdy walk of 1.5 miles around the Las Gallinas ponds where we are likely to see 10 species of ducks, five of herons, five of raptors, five of sparrows and some rails like Ridgway’s, Sora, and Virginia with Gallinules, coots, swans and geese!
After lunch we are going to visit the Hamilton Wetlands, restored by the Army Corp. of Engineers in the recent 5–10 years to the SF Bay ecosystem, which have become the winter home of some ten thousand birds.We will try to find 10 species of shorebirds here while staying alert to many other possibilities.
DIRECTIONS: From 101 north San Rafael take the Lucas Valley/Smith Ranch Road exit east. In about 0.5 miles, immediately after crossing the RR tracks, left turn and follow the road another 0.5 mile to the Las Gallinas parking at the end.
To the Hamilton Wetlands return to 101 North, take the second exit, Nave Drive toward Hamilton. Stay on Nave Dr, heading north, to Main Gate Dr and turn right. Go east to Hanger Ave and park along the levee behind Hanger 7.

My Favorite Birds of the Sierra Nevada
2023-11-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday November 9, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Rich Cimino
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Rich will be discussing and showcasing his favorite birds from the Sierra Nevada. He will share with us where he has photographed certain species and illustrate population distributions with maps. He will be discussing their various habitat requirements and conservation concerns.
Among other birds, Rich will be showing the Flammulated Owl, Clark’s Nutcracker, American Dipper, Nashville Warbler and Black Swift.
Speaker Bio:
Rich Cimino lives in Larkspur and is an active member of the Marin Audubon Society, where he participates in three Marin Christmas Bird Counts and the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas. He has been birding Northern California for 55 years, leading Bay Area Audubon and Marin Audubon field trips. He is also active in conservation groups in Northern California, emphasizing preservation of habitat.
Photos: Summer Tanager
Photo by: Beverly Meekins, USFWS
Next Speaker – Thursday, December 14
Controlling Invasive Spartina and Protecting SF Bay Marsh Habitats, by the California Invasive Plant Council

Winter Birds of the Bay - Boat Trip
2023-11-11 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday, November 11, 2023
9 AM to 4 PM
Trip Leader: Roger Harris
Register HERE for this Field Trip
The trip costs $130. Ticket sales begin on Oct 10 at 8AM. If the trip is sold out, a waitlist will open. Click the “contact organizer” prompt on the Ticketbud page and send a contact phone number. You may cancel your ticket for a refund, up to 48 hours before the time of the event. Please note that a $7.51 fee will be deducted to cover the transaction cost.
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 by 10 islands, under two bridges, and up two creeks in four counties in search of migrating and resident waterfowl, shorebirds and marine mammals. This trip offers water bird and marine mammal viewing in stunning locations, many of which can only be seen by boat.
Dress in layers. Bring liquids and lunch. Please bring a mask for any time spent inside the cabin.
Registered participants will receive directions to the Berkeley Marina and other instructions prior to the trip.
Inclement weather will reschedule the trip to the next Saturday, November 18.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-11-15 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, November 15 2023
7:30 AM to noon
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens November 5th at 8AM.
With large numbers of birds moving through the area this time of year, it’s sure to be an interesting outing with unusual sightings a definite possibility. We’ll start with a 30-40 minute visible migration and sea watch from Rodeo Beach hoping for grebes, loons, passing wildfowl and gulls before undertaking an extended circuit of Rodeo Lagoon in the search for scarce migrants including early winter wildfowl, shorebirds and fall passerines. More than 60 species should be possible at this time of year. The morning will begin with a sea watch at 7:30 AM. This 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 tun- nel 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.

Bahia and Rush Creek
2023-12-02 08:30 - 16:00
Birding in Marin, Season 8 – Trip 12
Saturday, December 2, 2023
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens November 23 at 8 AM
MAS acquired and restored to tidal action the diked bay lands around the residential Bahia neighborhood. As the ebbing tide exposes the mudflats thousands of shore- birds now descend to feed while on the flood tide hundreds of ducks and some gulls float, forage and loaf about. The oak-wooded ridge stretching from Hwy 101 to Bahia, also saved from development by MAS, holds Oak Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hutton’s Vireo, at least four woodpecker species and many sparrows in the winter.
Horseshoe Pond (Homeowners Lagoon) at the southeast end of Topaz is a great place to look for wintering ducks. Goldeneyes, Scaup, Canvasbacks, Buffleheads, and Mergansers seem to like it and it has been Marin’s best place for Barrow’s Goldeneyes the last few years.
After lunch we plan to look at the nearby Rush Creek area from the Airport Rd which parallels Hwy 101 north of Atherton.
DIRECTIONS: From 101 in north Novato take Atherton Avenue east, take the Y left onto Bugeia which becomes Bahia Drive, near the end at the bottom of the hill take a right onto Topaz, follow Topaz to its end and park.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2023-12-07 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday December 7th, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. 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, especially beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds 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.

Loch Lomond Marina - San Rafael
2023-12-09 08:30 - 11:00
Saturday, December 9, 2023
8:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Birding with Rich Cimino
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join Rich for an easy stroll around the Loch Lomond Marina breakwater, wheelchair accessible with a paved path out to the end. The path provides panoramic views of the surrounding bay and gives you the feeling of actually being out on the bay in close proximity to the Marin Islands.
Winter birds here include Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, Least and Western Sandpipers, Black Oystercatcher, and a variety of ducks on the bay. If you have a scope, bring it for a better look at the ducks.
DIRECTIONS: Head east on Second Street in San Rafael, which turns into Point San Pedro Road. Continue approximately 2 miles past the Montecito Shopping Center to a red light at the intersection of Point San Pedro Road and Loch Lomond Drive. Turn right here, then turn left in front of Andy’s Market where the road comes to a “T” at the water- front. Continue all the way to the end of the road where you will find ample parking and a public restroom. Meet in the parking lot next to Andy’s Market, 75 Loch Lomond Dr. Come early for coffee and chat.
Dress warmly as some winter days here are cold and windy. Heavy rain cancels.

Cheap Thrills Christmas Bird Count
2023-12-14
Cheap Thrills CBC covering North Marin and extending into Southern Sonoma County.
Contact Susan Kelly to volunteer: cheepthrills@icloud.com

Protecting Biodiversity and Facilitating Landscape-scale Tidal Marsh Restoration: Management of Invasive Spartina in the San Francisco Estuary
2023-12-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 7:00 pm – 9 pm
Speaker: Jen McBroom, California Invasive Plant Council
Register HERE for this Speaker Series Program
Topic:
San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of North America and a critical stopover along the Pacific Flyway migration route for millions of shorebirds and waterfowl. Rimming the Bay between freeways, airports, and landfills remain precious tidal wetlands and opportunities to return salt evaporator ponds to functioning ecosystems. Since 2005, the Coastal Conservancy’s Invasive Spartina Project has used airboats, genetic testing, sophisticated GIS, and a lot of hard, muddy work to push back the invasive plants that threaten habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, and the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. Learn about how hometown heroes are doing their part to address the global biodiversity crisis.
Speaker Bio:
Jen McBroom is a biologist at Olofson Environmental Inc. and has been counting Ridgway’s rails for the Invasive Spartina Project since 2005. She got her start in the tidal wetlands of the San Francisco Bay studying song sparrows and marsh wrens after finishing her degree at UC Davis. Since then, she has logged many hours in muddy boots mapping invasive plants and observing the wildlife at the edge of the Bay.
Photo: Marsh along San Leandro Bay
Photo by: Simon Gunner
Next Speaker – Thursday, January 11, 2024
Northern Spotted Owls, by Taylor Ellis, National Park Service

Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count
2023-12-16
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 Christmas Bird Count
2023-12-30
South Marin CBC covering much of East Marin and extending west as far as Bolinas and Stinson Beach. Contact: Alison Pence to volunteer for the count: smcbc.marinaudubon@gmail.com
