Corte Madera Marsh
2026-01-22 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Corte Madera Marsh
Thursday, January 22, 2026
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Birding with Michelle Muir and Rich Cimino
Register HERE
Limit of 15 participants for this trip.

Registration is required. Registration opens January 12 at 8 AM.

This trip is perfect for both beginning birders looking to learn how to identify waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as experienced birders interested in honing their skills. We will explore the Corte Madera Ecological Reserve. Much of the area has undergone extensive restoration for rare and endangered saltmarsh species. On this field trip, we will walk the Reserve starting at the Marin Audubon Society site lookout. The walk is level and easy, about two miles.
Dress with warm layers, and bring binoculars, scopes, snacks and water. In case of rain, participants will receive an email by 7:00am the morning of the field trip informing them of cancellation. There are restrooms at nearby stores, though no public restrooms on the walk.
DIRECTIONS: Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve is located behind Trader Joe’s in Corte Madera. Meet in the parking lot behind the store, accessed by the driveway on the southside of World Market.

Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park - San Rafael
2026-02-01 12:00 - 14:00
Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park – San Rafael
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Noon – 2:00 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park is a narrow strip of parkland in east San Rafael that stretches for 2 miles along the Bayshore and freshwater ponds. We will walk a section of the Bay Trail that travels the edge of the park, including two ponds, and will be provided with plentiful birdwatching of wintering diving ducks, dabbling ducks, wetland waders, peeps, shorebirds and possible rail.
Directions: Meet in the Target parking lot, 125 Shoreline Parkway, at the southeast corner close to the pond vista point. Bring your scope. Rain at any level cancels.

The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) - San Rafael
2026-02-05 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, February 5, 2026
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 walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds and raptors. 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 restroon in the parking area for public use.

Winter Birds of the Delta - Boat Trip
2026-02-08 08:30 - 16:00
Sunday, February 8, 2026
8:40 AM to 4:00 PM
Birding with David Wimpfheimer
Register HERE for the Boat Trip
Registration for this trip opens January 6 at 8 AM.
The trip costs $130. Limit of 25 participants for this trip.
This popular 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 9 AM
As we head east, we enter sloughs and waterways with views out over the flooded agricultural fields that provide a refuge for flocks of geese, ducks, swans and shorebirds that nest in the north but winter here. Well known birder and naturalist David Wimpfheimer will provide commentary and captain Ronn Patterson will fill in bits about the history of the delta.
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate is provided, bring lunch and snacks. As bad weather can cancel as with any winter trip, there is an inclement weather date set for February 22. Light rain will not cancel.
Waitlist: A waitlist will open if the trip sells out. Add your name to the list by clicking Contact Organizer prompt.
Cancellation: If you cancel your registration before February 1 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.
Directions: Approximately one week prior to the trip, ticketholders will receive instructions and directions to the Antioch Marina, where the trip begins and ends.

Phalaropes in the Big City: Can Human Habitats Help Save the Birds of America's Saline Lakes?
2026-02-12 19:00 - 21:00
Phalaropes in the Big City: Can Human Habitats Help Save the Birds of America’s Saline Lakes?
Thursday, February 12
7:00-9:00 PM
Speaker: Nathan Van Schmidt
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
Wilson’s Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes are exceptionally unique shorebirds that specialize in hypersaline habitats. Nathan will discuss the challenges facing phalaropes within the San Francisco Bay and across their intercontinental migration. He will discuss monitoring data within the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, how saline lakes like California’s Mono Lake have declined under the pressure of unstainable water withdrawal and climate change and key research questions and next steps that the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) plans to address these conservation science needs.
Speaker Bio:
Nathan Van Schmidt is the Director of Regional Strategies at SFBBO. He obtained his B.S. from University of Wisconsin – Madison and his Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley. He currently leads monitoring and research on non-breeding waterbird guilds, colonial waterbird breeding activity, waterbird disease and abatement research, and is the Lead Author of the Central Coast Regional Report for California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment.
Photo Credit: Don Dvorak

Hamilton Wetlands - Novato
2026-02-20 08:30 - 12:00
Friday, February 20, 2026
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with David Sexton and Matt Keller
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Birders of all experience levels are welcome to join us for an exciting morning at Hamilton Wetlands with Point Blue Conservation Science! Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available. We recommend bringing your own pair of binoculars, water, sun protection, layers of clothing, and comfortable walking shoes. We will be on a wide, flat compacted dirt/gravel levee. 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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2026-02-25 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
7:30/8:00 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, February 15 at 8 AM.
Limit of 15 participants for this trip.
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.

The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) - San Rafael
2026-03-05 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, March 5, 2026
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 walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors 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 restroon in the parking area for public use.

Bluebirds in the 21st Century
2026-03-12 19:00 - 21:00
Bluebirds in the 21st Century
Thursday, March 12
Speakers: Georgette Howington and Mike Azevedo
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
Throughout history, the bluebird has been iconic in many cultures, inspiring art, music, poetry, songs and mythology. Tonight, we invite you to learn about bluebirds and how they are an indicator of ecosystem health, as well as their important place in the ecosystem, where they are incredibly effective at controlling insect populations. Also, we will discuss how conservation efforts such as nest box programs have stabilized their populations in North America.
Speaker Bios:
Georgette Howington is State Co-Director of the California Bluebird Recovery Program and has been a nest box monitor for 25 nesting seasons. She is a certified Horticulturist and UC Davis Naturalist of the Mt. Diablo Region. Her affiliation as a conservationist includes membership in Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance.
Mike Azevedo is co-director for the California Bluebird Recovery Program. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management and has been a wildlife enthusiast for four decades, serving as a naturalist and park ranger. He works with several Audubon Societies in the South Bay.
Photo Credit: Rajesh Ramani

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2026-03-25 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
7:30/8:00 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, March 15 at 8 AM.
Limit of 15 participants for this trip.
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.

The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) - San Rafael
2026-04-02 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, April 2, 2026
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 walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors 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 restroon in the parking area for public use.

Birds, Plants and Wildflowers of Mt. Burdell
2026-04-02 08:30 - 13:30
Thursday, April 2, 2026
8:30 am – 1:30 pm
Birding with David Edelson and Michelle Muir
REGISTER HERE
Registration is required. Registration opens Sunday, March 23 on 8 AM.
Limit of 15 participants for this trip
On this moderate 4-mile hike, we will look and listen for birds, and also stop to appreciate native plants and habitat, particularly wildflowers which should be in abundant bloom.
Mount Burdell, a Marin County Open Space Preserve located just west of Novato, is a hotspot of plant and avian diversity, with diverse oak woodlands, grasslands, serpentine outcrops and a vernal pool (Hidden Lake). Some of the birds we’ll hope to see include spring migrants like orange-crowned warblers, house wrens, lark sparrows, and Bullock’s orioles, as well as year-round residents like oak titmice, Bewick’s wrens, western bluebirds, and multiple species of woodpeckers. This trip is suitable for all levels of birders and plant enthusiasts.
We’ll meet at the San Andreas trailhead. To get there, exit Highway 101 at San Marin Drive, go west approximately 2.5 miles, turn right (north) on San Andreas Drive and go roughly .6 mile to the trailhead. There is parking along the road but no bathrooms or water. We are planning a 4-mile hike which includes some uphill and/or rocky sections where hiking poles might be useful. We recommend hiking shoes or trail shoes with good traction. Please bring lunch/snacks, ample water, sunscreen, a hat, and of course binoculars.

Dominican University - San Rafael
2026-04-15 08:30 - 11:30
Wednesday April 15, 2026
8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Birding with Rich Cimino and Janet Bodle
REGISTER HERE
Registration is required. Registration opens on April 5 at 8 AM.
Limit of 12 participants for this trip.
Spring migration birding on the Dominican University grounds will take us to riparian, sycamore and oak habitat. Species we hope to see might be, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Cassin Viero as well resident birds.
Address for Dominican University is 50 Acacia Ave in San Rafael – meet at the free visitors parking lot at the intersection of Grand and Acacia avenues (the Conlan Center lot).

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2026-04-22 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
7:30/8:00 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, April 12 at 8 AM.
Limit of 15 participants for this trip.
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.
