Marin Audubon Society

Valley Ford Wetlands and Dillon Beach
2025-03-01 09:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
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.

Mt. Burdell/Stafford Lake or Rush Creek - Birding in Marin Series
2025-05-03 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin, Season 10, trip 5
Saturday, May 3, 2025
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens April 23 at 8:00 AM
Join Jim and Bob for a field trip to the gentle slopes of Mount 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.
DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 101 to Novato, exit at the San Marin Dr/Atherton Ave exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left (west) 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.

Birding the Napa River by Boat - CANCELLED
2025-05-05 08:30 - 12:30
Monday, May 5, 2025
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Trip Leader: Jude Stalker
Trip Cost: $120 per person
Due to low attendance we are sadly cancelling this trip. For those who’ve purchased tickets, MAS will be in touch with you for reimbursement.
This trip begins at the historic Vallejo and Mare Island waterfronts and continues into a different world, one of vineyards, backwater homes, and some of the largest contiguous marshes in the Bay Area. Even before leaving the dock, you’ll spot diving ducks and grebes feeding. At Mare Island, you’ll pass Ospreys and egrets roosting in nearby trees. As the boat passes under Highway 37, you might even catch a pair of Peregrine Falcons during this springtime cruise alongside the Napa/Sonoma marshes. A variety of raptor species are common and occasionally both golden and bald eagles are seen.
The trip costs $120. A waitlist will open if the trip sells out. Join the waitlist by clicking the Contact Organizer prompt. If you cancel your registration more than 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 tax-deductible donation to MAS.
Ticket holders will receive instructions and directions to the Vallejo Marina, approximately one week prior to the trip.

Flycatchers - Identification Demystified
2025-05-08 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, May 8, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Cin-Ty Lee & Andy Birch, Rice University
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Flycatchers are a difficult group of birds to identify. Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch will guide you through the basics of flycatcher identification using a holistic approach. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use relative field marks, such as proportional lengths of tail and primaries, plumage contrasts, bill shape and size, and more. We will also discuss the importance of migration timing and vocalizations in identification.
Speaker Bio:
Cin-Ty Lee is a geologist. Andy Birch is a professional illustrator. Both Cin-Ty and Andy have had a lifelong passion in tackling challenging bird identifications. Together, they have produced the two volume Princeton Field Guide to North American Flycatchers. They are currently working on volume 3, which will include photographs and more of Andy’s illustrations.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-05-21 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, May 21,2025
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM **Please note below start times for this field trip
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens May 11 at 8 AM
With spring migration coming to an end, we’ll be looking out for late migrants, including passing loons, shorebirds and scarcer 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 even at this late date. 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.

De Silva Island and Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary Strawberry
2025-05-27 10:00 - 14:30
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Birding with Ron Brown
REGISTER HERE
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens May 17at 8:00 AM.
De Silva Island is home to a long-established colony of Great Blue Herons, residing in a grove of eucalyptus trees on the banks of Belloch’s Lagoon (Strawberry Cove) in Richardson Bay. In recent years Great Egrets and Double Crested Cormorants (colonial nesting species) have moved into this fine breeding site.
Although the start of the breeding season is somewhat variable, we should see late-stage Heron and Egret chicks and early-stage Cormorant chicks. The colony is best seen by a scope from across Belloch’s Lagoon (Strawberry Cove). One scope will be available, but others would be welcome.
After 12:00, we will drive from Seminary Drive to the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary for more birding. We’ll take a break for something to eat before we start. Bring drinks and lunch.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 South – exit 446 toward Seminary Drive, go left on Redwood Hwy Frontage Road approx. 0.9 miles and go right on Seminary Drive to the Fitness outdoor workout at 107 Seminary Drive and find street parking. From 101 north – exit 446 toward Seminary Drive, make left at Redwood Frontage Road for approx. 0.5 miles to Seminary Drive, make right to the Fitness outdoor workout at 107 Seminary and find street parking.
We will meet on Seminary Drive near the outdoor workout area at 10 AM. It’s a short walk on the somewhat uneven public footpath around the marsh to a set of stairs that leads to the view of the colony.

The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) - San Rafael
2025-06-05 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, June 5, 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.

Big Rock and Las Gallinas Ponds
2025-06-07 08:30 - 15:00
Birding in Marin, Season 10, Trip 6
Saturday, June 7, 2025
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on May 27 at 8:00 AM
REGISTER HERE
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’ll stop to eat our lunch before 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.

Regionally Advancing Living Shorelines Project
2025-06-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, June 12, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Marilyn Latta, California State Coastal Conservancy
Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
Marilyn Latta will share information about living shorelines efforts in San Francisco Bay, including design and monitoring data from the San Rafael Living Shorelines Project, a mix of oyster reefs and eelgrass bed plantings in a multi-objective and experimental living shorelines design. Marilyn will share updates on how this and other pilot projects are providing lessons learned and best practices in support of the Regionally Advancing Living Shorelines in San Francisco Bay Project.
Speaker Bio:
Marilyn Latta is a Project Manager with the California State Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that works to protect and enhance the 1200-mile California coast. She holds a dual degree in Marine Biology/Zoology from Humboldt State University and has worked for multiple education and policy organizations on projects ranging from community-based restoration to planning and implementing large capital projects.

Marin Art and Garden Center - Ross
2025-06-14 08:15 - 10:30
Saturday, June 14, 2025
8:15 AM to 10:30 AM
Birding with Rich Cimino
All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Our trip to Marin Art and Garden Center offers an opportunity to experience its 11 acres of spectacular gardens, which support several different habitats, including two water features. We’ll listen for Black-headed Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, both White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches, possible Orange Crown, Wilson and Black-throated Gray Warblers. Who knows, we may stumble on an exciting species visiting, like singing Purple Finch or Western Tanager.
Trails are flat and easy to navigate. The location has bathrooms and parking.
Meet at 8:15 AM in the Main Art and Garden Center parking lot located at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross.

Nicasio and Giacomini Wetlands
2025-07-05 08:30 - 15:00
Birding in Marin, Season 10 Trip 7
Saturday, July 5, 2025
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
REGISTER HERE
Registration is required. Registration opens Wednesday, June 25 at 8 AM.
The rolling hills of central Marin are covered with pastures, forested ridges, ranches, and reservoirs. As we bird in and around Nicasio and its Oak tree-lined creek, we will have a chance to see a Golden Eagle as a pair has nested in the area in recent years. We also hope to find some flycatchers, woodpeckers and perhaps a Brown Creeper.
After a break for lunch in Point Reyes Station we plan to look over the Giacomini wetlands, which has become part of Pt Reyes National Park and sits on the southern reach of Tomales Bay. Most of the wintering ducks will be gone but Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal have nested there and the tidal wetlands fed by Olema Creek harbor an abundance of life so we should find some birds. Swallows, egrets and herons, including an American Bittern, are possible.
DIRECTIONS: From highway 101 in northern San Rafael take Lucas Valley Road west, around 10 miles, then right turn onto Nicasio Valley road for 0.5 miles to park near the ball field at Nicasio Square.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-07-30 08:00 - 12:00
RODEO LAGOON – MARIN HEADLANDS
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
7:30/8:15 AM to noon **Please note below start times for this field trip
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
REGISTER HERE
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on Sunday, July 20 at 8 AM.
Join William and David for the first of five 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 July trip, we will be targeting northward bound Heermann’s Gulls and Elegant Terns, and hopefully the first southbound migrating shorebirds, and early western passerine migrants. We will begin with a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM from Rodeo Beach. Those arriving later may join us at 8:15 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 ($3) via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you for accommodating our group. This field trip is less suitable for beginners and involves 2-3 miles of light to moderate hiking.
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 footbridge over the channel to the beach or join MAS birders with scopes along the nearby beach area.

Limantour Beach
2025-08-02 08:30 - 15:00
Birding in Marin, Season 10 – Trip 8
Saturday, August 2, 2025
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
REGISTER HERE
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on July 23 at 8 AM.
We will visit 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 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. Shorebirds too, some already back from their breeding excursion to the Arctic, may gather along the estuary shores and shallows. Some ducks, hawks, and herons will show up too.
DIRECTIONS: 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 7. 5 miles to Limantour beach parking lot.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-08-20 08:00 - 12:00
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
7:30/8:15 AM to noon **Please note below start times for this field trip
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on Sunday, August 10 at 8 AM.
Join William and David for the second of five 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 late-August trip, targets will include offshore Parasitic Jaegers, migrant shorebirds (including Red-necked Phalarope), and hopefully a good selection of western passerine migrants. We will begin with a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM from Rodeo Beach. Those arriving later may join us at 8:15 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 ($3) via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you for accommodating our group. This field trip is less suitable for beginners and involves 2-3 miles of light to moderate hiking.
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 footbridge over the channel to the beach or join MAS birders with scopes along the nearby beach area.

Abbotts Lagoon – Point Reyes National Seashore
2025-08-23 09:00 - 14:00
Saturday, August 23, 2025
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Birding with Rusty Scalf
All participants are welcome to join this trip.
We will bird the coastal scrub, lagoons, and ocean. We hope to find migrant shorebirds and resident Snowy Plovers. Abbotts Lagoon has historically been good for Baird’s Sandpiper and we may get lucky. Meet at 9 am 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 Abbotts 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
2025-09-04 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, September 4, 2025
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Mark Clark
Registration is not required. 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-of-the-month 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. There is a portable restroom in the parking area for public use.
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.

Point Reyes Lighthouse to Drake's Beach
2025-09-06 08:30 - 15:00
Birding In Marin, Series 10 – Trip 9
Saturday, September 6, 2025
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
REGISTER HERE
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on August 27 at 8 AM.
This is the place to be for fall birding. Migrants like hawks, jaegers, shorebirds and loons follow the coast south. While a great many songbirds also leave their nesting grounds to head south, some get lost. 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. Bring lunch and drinks. Restrooms available at Drakes’s Beach.
Directions: Meet at 8:30 at the Lighthouse parking area. The Lighthouse parking area is at the west end of Sir Francis Drake. Going north through Inverness follow S F Drake to the Lighthouse. Allow 30 min from Inverness or 1.5 hours from San Rafael.

Their Year in Birding
2025-09-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, September 11, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speakers: Larry Nigro & Molly Donohue
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
In 2024, Larry and Molly planned a transcontinental birding trip from Fairfax to Key West Florida to identify at least 700 species in the American Birding Association (ABA) They added a trip to Alaska, with the chance of identifying a total of 800 species.
In their presentation, Larry and Molly will re-live their favorite birding moments of 2024, from the cliffs of the Alaskan Pribilof Islands to the southern tip of the Florida Keys. Their slideshow will cover their search for birds like the Golden-Winged Warbler, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Black-capped Vireo, Steller’s Sea Eagle, Masked Booby, Kirtland’s Warbler, Ross’s gull, Spectacled Eider, Snowy Owl and so much more.
Speaker Bios:
Larry Nigro is a retired Marin County school teacher. His birding started with taking students on bird walks. Now retired he has completed the Master Birding Program at California Academy of Sciences, the California Naturalist Program and numerous volunteer birding surveys including Marin Bird Breeding Atlas II.
Molly Donahue is an educator and nature enthusiast from West Marin. She has been exploring Marin hills since she was a child and now loves to adventure and bird with her husband, Larry Nigro. She is a certified California Naturalist and participated in the Marin County Bird Breeding Atlas. Sharing, learning, and exploring our natural world is one of her greatest joys.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2025-09-17 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
7:30/8:15 AM to noon **Please note below start times for this field trip
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
REGISTER HERE
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on Sunday, September 7 at 8 AM.
Join William and David for this third 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 scarcer 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 8:15 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. A brief mid-morning “coffee stop” is planned at the 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 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.
