Marin Audubon Society

Tomales Bay State Park
2024-02-28 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required. Registration opens February 18th at 8 AM.
As we bird the trails of the State Park on this field trip, we will also discuss the Forest Health & Fire Resilience management plan for the California State Parks.
We will meet at the parking area on Pierce Point Road just 0.1 mile before the entry to Tomales Bay State Park.
Rain cancels. Please dress in layers.
Directions: From 101, Take Lucas Valley Rd, Nicasio Valley Rd, Pt. Reyes – Petaluma Rd and Sir Francis Drake Blvd 6.4 miles to Pierce Point Rd. Entrance will be on the right. The parking lot in Tomales Bay State Park costs $8, pay by card only.

Mt. Tam and Corte Madera Marshes
2024-03-02 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin – Season 9, Trip 3
Saturday, March 2, 2024
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration opens Wednesday, February 21st at 8 AM.
Mount Tamalpais, rising like an icon above Marin, hosts some birds uncommonly seen in the rest of the county such as Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, and in the winter, 1 or 2 Townsend’s Solitaire.
About twenty years ago our friend Dave MacKenzie discovered a TOSO feeding on mistletoe berries in some Sargent Cypress trees along the trail to Barth’s retreat and the bird or its children have returned every year since! But the trail, built by the CCC, (California Conservation Corp), back in the 1930s has not withstood the test of time quite as well. So, if you are up for a vigorous though short (3.5 miles) hike, join us to see what we can find.
After our lunch break back at Rock Springs with fine picnic tables and a restroom, we intend to drive down to sea level to look at the Corte Madera marshes. This area is very birdy, so depending on the tidal height, we expect to see a lot of birds there. Wintering shorebirds are gearing up for the return to their arctic nesting grounds, so we may be able to see how Black-bellied Plovers got their name. As the shorebirds molt into their breeding plumage, if we are diligent, we might even be able to tell the two Dowitcher species apart.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at Rock Springs at 8:30 a.m. From Hwy 1 in Stinson Beach or up 3.3 miles from Tam Junction, take Panoramic Dr to its crest then go uphill 1 mile on Pantoll Rd to the Rock Springs parking lot.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
2024-03-07 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, March 7, 2024
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones on our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels, especially 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 overwintering birds present, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search. 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.

Re-discovering and Conserving the Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon, A Critically Endangered Species
2024-03-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, March 14, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Jordan Boersma, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Register HERE for this speaker series
Topic:
Jordan will discuss the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a critically endangered species that hasn’t been documented by scientists since it was first described in 1882. In 2022, Jordan and his team embarked on an expedition to Fergusson Island, Papua New Guinea, and by leveraging the natural history knowledge of local hunters, was able to confirm the existence of this species, known locally as Auwo., thus demonstrating the invaluable role of Indigenous communities in ongoing efforts to relocate species lost to Western science. Plans are to build on the partnerships formed in 2022 to help conserve this elusive and culturally important species and continue to uncover natural history information about Auwo and other endemic taxa on Fergusson island.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Jordan Boersma’s interest in animals led to pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. While there, he got involved in a local study on nesting songbirds, which led to an opportunity in the same research group in Malaysian Borneo, where he spent four long field seasons before pursuing a Ph. D at Washington State University. During his extensive field seasons in New Guinea, he learned that Indigenous people harbored immense knowledge of local fauna and is now working with local communities to study and conserve rare and potentially imperiled species.
Photos: Black-naped Pheasant-pigeon
Photo by: Jordan Boersma

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2024-03-20 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
7:30 AM to noon **Please note start time is 7:30 AM not 8:00 AM. Ticketbud only allows 8AM as their earliest start time.
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens on March 10 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 8:15 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. 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.

Loch Lomond Marina - San Rafael
2024-03-21 10:00 - 12:00
SPECIAL INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING – WINTERING WATERBIRDS
Thursday, March 21, 2024
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Roger Harris
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens on March 11 at 8:00 AM
Join Roger Harris and other Marin Audubon board members for a field trip specifically designed for people interested in getting some of the birding basics down. And there is no place better suited for that than the half-mile-long flat and paved levee path at the Loch Lomond Marina. With panoramic views of the surrounding bay, we should get close-up views of wintering waterbirds including Black Turnstones, diminutive Least Sandpipers, Black Oystercatchers with bubblegum pink legs, Snowy Egrets sporting golden slippers, and a variety of ducks, grebes, gulls, and cormorants. This is a terrific place for photography, if you like, but each participant is requested to bring binoculars.
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 (75 Loch Lomond Dr.) where the road comes to a “T” at the waterfront. Continue all the way east to the end of the road where you will find ample parking and a public restroom.
Dress warmly as some winter days here are cold and windy. Heavy rain cancels.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District (LGVSD)
2024-04-04 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, April 4, 2024
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones on our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels, especially 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 overwintering birds present, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search. 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.

Nicasio / Tomales Bay - Birding in Marin - Season 8, Trip 4
2024-04-06 08:30 - 15:00
Birding in Marin, Season 8, Trip 4
Saturday, April 6, 2024
8:30 AM to mid-afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required. Registration opens Wednesday, March 27 at 8 AM
The rolling hills of central Marin are covered with pastures, horse ranches, forested ridges, homes, reservoirs and occupied by many interesting birds. We will look for them in and around Nicasio and along the nearby stream before heading three miles north to see what is on and around Nicasio Reservoir. This is Bob’s birding “patch” and he has found both Bald and Golden Eagles recently with a nice array of other birds in this vicinity.
We expect to travel the few miles to Point Reyes Station for a lunch break or picnic. In the after- noon we will explore the south end Tomales Bay. Then, as time allows, we can explore the eastern edge of Tomales Bay along Highway 1, which supports a winter population of thousands of ducks, geese and shorebirds. We might travel 10 miles north to see if an Eagle’s nest is having success. Heavy Rain cancels.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 in north San Rafael take Lucas Valley Rd west 10.3 miles then right turn onto Nicasio Valley Rd for 0.5 miles and park near the baseball field, the center of town. For GPS use 1 Old Rancheria Rd Nicasio, the address for the Rancho Nicasio Restaurant.
Meet at the ball field in Nicasio.

Olompali State Historic Park - Novato
2024-04-10 08:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
8:30 AM to 12 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
This year we will be birding the Olompali Park well into spring migration. We will be looking for early spring migrant arrivals. It’s always an exciting time to birdwatch at Olompali State Historic Park. We’ll be looking for early spring arrivals such as the Western Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher and the Hooded Oriole. Beginning and experienced birders are invited to join leaders Rich Cimino and others to bird the park. Early spring arrivals should be on hand as we walk the old ranch road to the park’s reservoir. Olompali State Park features oak savanna, open grasslands and riparian habitat: There is a good assortment of species, raptors, flycatchers, swallows, vireos, warblers, woodpeckers, nuthatches, thrushes, and orioles. Be early, the field trip will start at 8:30 AM in the parking lot. There is an $8.00 parking fee, pay by cell is now possible in the park. Rain cancels.
DIRECTIONS: Exit Hwy 101 at Atherton Ave/San Marin Dr in Novato. Follow the signs to Olompali State Historic Park. A right turn onto the Old Redwood Hwy frontage road will take you to the park. There is an $8 parking fee.

Monarch Butterfly
2024-04-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, April 11th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Mia Monroe and Ole Schell
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Where have all the monarchs gone? Recent population trends and data on the Monarch Butterfly will be shared, as well as the good habitat work going on throughout Marin, especially Ole Schell’s West Marin Monarch Sanctuary. Tips for how you can help will be offered, and a few controversies will be discussed, such as the role of eucalyptus and the dangers of tropical milkweed. Local photographers will be featured, and the work of the Marin Monarch Working Group will be a focus.
Speaker Bio:
Mia Monroe is a Xerces Society volunteer, organizer of the Western Monarch Count over 25 years ago and is active in monarch butterfly conservation in California.
Ole Schell is an award-winning filmmaker, director, and farmer, who grew up in Bolinas on his father’s Niman/Schell Ranch, where the annual arrival of thousands of Western Monarch butterflies was a dependable autumn phenomenon, and where he has established a Western Monarch Butterfly sanctuary on his family land.
Photo by:Olga Rodriguez

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2024-04-17 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens April 7 at 8 AM.
With spring migration underway will 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.
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 Las Gallinas Sanitary District - MAY
2024-05-02 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, May 2, 2023
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
All participants are welcome to join this trip. No registration required.
Beginning birders are especially welcome on the first Thursday of each month for a leisurely walk around the Las Gallinas ponds. Join our friendly leaders as we search for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds.
Bird enthusiasts of all levels 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 the group is easy to find. 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 an outhouse in the parking area for public use.

Mt. Burdell/Stafford Lake or Rush Creek - Birding in Marin Series
2024-05-04 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin, Season 9, trip 5
Saturday, May 4, 2024
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required. Registration opens April 24 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 may 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.

Ethical Wildlife Photography
2024-05-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, May 9, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Sarah Killingsworth
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Wildlife photography is an increasingly popular hobby, and time in nature observing wildlife can bring great joy to a photographer. Wildlife images can be powerful tools for conservation and education. At the same time, our time with wildlife impacts the individual animal and potentially the entire ecosystem. Using her own photos to highlight the concepts, Sarah will discuss photography ethics and etiquette – what they are, and why they matter. She will also share tips for photographing our natural world in ways that create impactful images.
Speaker Bio:
Sarah Killingsworth is an award-winning wildlife conservation photographer and filmmaker who has always loved wildlife and exploring wild places. Passionate about stories of coexistence, especially with native predators, Sarah is inherently curious about the intersection of humans and wildlife habitats, how wildlife adapts to ever-encroaching human development as well as ways we can work to protect species before they become endangered. A certified California Naturalist, Sarah is a member of the Board of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin and the NANPA Ethics Committee and is also the Program Chair for the Keeping it Wild Youth Education and Outreach Program with Project Coyote. Her images have been published, in print and online, by a variety of publications, including National Wildlife Magazine, The Hill, bioGraphic, Bay Nature, and Audubon.
Photo: Bobcat
Photo by: Sarah Killingsworth
Next Speaker – Thursday, June 13, 2024
Nils Warnock, Declining Shorebird Populations

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands - MAY
2024-05-15 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
7:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with William Legge & David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens May 5 at 8 AM.
With spring migration underway will 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.
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.

Big Rock and Las Gallinas - Birding in Marin Series
2024-06-01 08:30 - 15:30
Saturday, June 1, 2024
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 May 22 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.

Outer Point Reyes
2024-06-12 08:30 - 14:00
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
8:30 am – 2:00 pm
Birding with Liz Lewis and Susan Kelly
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens June 2 at 8 AM
Would you like to contribute to the second Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas? Join MCBBA2’s Liz Lewis and Susan Kelly for a morning of blockbusting birding in Outer Point Reyes including the cypress tree tunnel to the historic RCA radio station. Time permitting, we will explore the abandoned ranch as well. Block 3-4 is a high priority block with minimal data collected to date. Species we might see or hear include: Allen’s Hummingbird, Swainson’s Thrush, Northern Harrier, and Western Meadowlark.
The Atlas II is a four-year project that builds on the first Atlas begun in the 1970s by Bob Stewart and Dave Shuford that occurred over four field seasons, where they supervised scores of volunteers in data collection using a grid system overlaid onto topographic maps of Marin County to determine the current distribution and composition of breeding birds. Their fieldwork culminated in the publication of Shuford’s landmark Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas. Now four decades later, 70 volunteers are in their fourth year of collecting data to determine where we are now. All the data is being stored digitally with the California Avian Data Center (CADC) and can be accessed by the public through the MCBBA2 Data Explorer.
Directions from the Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Center:

From the Bear Valley Visitor Center, head north 0.2 miles (0.3 km) to Bear Valley Road.
Turn left and follow Bear Valley Road 1.75 miles (2.8 km) northwest to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Turn left and follow Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 9.5 miles (15.2 km) north and west.
Follow road signs for “Lighthouse” until you see a sign for “North District Operation Center.”
Parallel park on the shoulder along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near the entrance to the cypress tunnel.

Parking is limited to the shoulder of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at the entrance to the cypress tree tunnel so carpooling is encouraged. Restrooms are available at the Visitor’s center and at the North Beach parking lot.

Marin's Declining Shorebirds
2024-06-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, June 13, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Nils Warnock
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic: Nils will talk about the status and trends of our North America shorebirds, with a focus on Pacific Flyway birds, particularly those that occur in Marin County. He will first discuss how shorebirds around the world and in the USA are doing and then talk about the results of a 30+ year winter shorebird monitoring program that Audubon Canyon Ranch has been conducting at Tomales Bay since 1989. Overall, numbers of wintering shorebirds on Tomales Bay have declined by over 65% over the past decades with Dunlin and Western Sandpipers among the biggest losers. Of the 14 taxa that ACR analyzed, 3 increased over the past 30 years, 1 stayed stable, and 11 species declined. Nils will discuss potential reasons why our shorebird populations have declined and what we might do about it.
Speaker Bio: Nils Warnock has been the Director of Conservation Science for Audubon Canyon Ranch since 2018 and lives on Tomales Bay in Marshall, CA. He has a PhD in Ecology from the University of California at Davis and San Diego State University. Nils started his ornithological career in West Marin at the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now Point Blue), where, most recently, he was the co-director of the Wetlands Division from 2000-2008. From 2010-2018, Nils served as the executive director of Audubon Alaska and as a vice president of the National Audubon Society. Nils is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and has 40 years of experience working with Pacific Flyway birds, especially shorebirds.
Photo: Marin Shorebirds
Photo by: Nils Warnock

Bear Valley and Five Brooks - Birding in Marin - Season 9, Trip 7
2024-07-06 08:30 - 15:30
Saturday, July 6, 2024
8:30 AM to 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 June 26 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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2024-07-31 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
7:30/8:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on July 21 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 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 via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you to the Headlands Center for the Arts for accommodating our group.
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.

Point Blue Conservation Science Bird Banding Demonstration
2024-07-31 08:00 - 10:30
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
8-10:30am,
Palomarin Field Station, 999 Mesa Rd, Bolinas, CA
No Registration Required
Point Blue Conservation Science has been continuously running a songbird banding project at the Palomarin Field Station since 1966. Come visit one of the premiere, long-term banding operations in North America and see the work in action. Mark Dettling will host a bird banding demonstration, explaining how birds are captured, what information is collected, and how that information is used in conservation. There is an optional ¼ mile hike to view our mist nets that does include some stairs and steep sections. Of course, we will be bird watching the entire time and talking about bird identification and life history.

Sky Trail and Limantour Beach – Birding in Marin
2024-08-03 08:30 - 15:00
Birding in Marin, Season 9 – Trip 8
Saturday, August 3, 2024
8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on July 24 at 8 AM.
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, Stellar’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 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. 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 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. Meet at Sky Trailhead, near the crest of Limantour Rd. Roadside parking is available near the trailhead. From Sky Trailhead, the drive to the Limantour beach parking lot is 4.3 miles.

Abbotts Lagoon – Pt. Reyes National Seashore
2024-08-24 09:00 - 14:00
Saturday, August 24, 2024
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Birding with 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 9 am at the Abbott’s 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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2024-08-28 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, August 28th, 2024
7:30/8:15 AM – 12:00 PM ** Please note times below
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on August 18th 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 via the onsite ‘tip-jar’ as a thank you to the Headlands Center for the Arts for accommodating our group.
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.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
2024-09-05 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, September 5, 2024
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 walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. On our search we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, rails and swallows. With fall migration underway, shorebirds are arriving from their nesting grounds and 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.

Volunteer to Count Vaux's Swifts
2024-09-05 19:00 - 2024-09-08 20:00
September begins the fall migration of Vaux’s Swift through Marin County
Marin Audubon and the Bay Area Vaux’s Swifts Working Group are expanding efforts to count Vaux’s Swifts and are seeking new volunteers with various abilities to join in the effort through this Workshop. This is part of a wide effort to understand the largely unknown movement and roosting patterns of Vaux Swifts.
We invite you to join us for this exciting citizen science opportunity!
Volunteers will engage with knowledgeable Vaux’s Swift counters/members of the Working Group who bring years of experience to share with newly-motivated birders. Volunteers will learn about and participate in refining the methods used to count these large congregations of Vaux’s Swifts and plan future counting activities.
The Workshop has two parts:
– Thursday, September 5th – 7PM – a meeting on Zoom at which you will hear an overview of the conditions at the overnight roost areas, efforts to count the swifts at this local site, and the various ways you can help.

Register HERE for this Zoom Workshop
Program:
Welcome – Barbara Salzman, President Marin Audubon Society
MC – Rich Cimino
Presenters – Michael Helms, Rusty Scalf
– Sunday, September 8 , 6 to 8PM A site visit to the Vaux’s Swift migration roost at Mc Near Brick Yard, San Rafael for on-site experience and guidance from experts.
Contact Rich Cimino for more information: via email at yellowbilledtour@gmail.com or text 925-353-0266

Point Reyes Lighthouse to Drakes Beach – Birding in Marin
2024-09-07 08:30 - 15:30
Birding In Marin, Series 9 – Trip 9
Saturday, September 7th, 2024
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 28 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 “fly 15 degrees east of due south for 4 days.” Millions of recently fledged birds undertake a journey of 2,000-4000 miles, many without further parental guidance and without google. 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, but 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 ocean 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 in the distance sticking out 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 lighthouse then work our way back to Drake’s Beach for lunch and much more birding.
Directions: Meet at 8:30 at the Light House 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.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2024-09-11 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
7:30/8:15 AM to noon **See start time locations below
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 1st 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 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.

Vagrancy in Birds
2024-09-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, September 12th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Daniel Edelstein
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic: Do you chase rare birds that accidentally occur in our area outside of their normal migration range? If so, you enjoy finding vagrant birds, a phenomenon many Marin County birders pursue at the Outer Point within Point Reyes National Seashore and other California coastal areas. This presentation will highlight the reasons for vagrancy in birds, noting how birds navigate during migration and reasons for their orientation errors that result in their unexpected presence primarily from mid-August through October in west Marin County. In addition, the discovery of vagrancy at the Outer Point by Rich Stallcup and David DeSante will be discussed, along with the role vagrancy may play in colonization and eventual speciation of birds.
Speaker Bio: Daniel Edelstein is a freelance Consulting Biologist (who is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Asc.) who has led birding tours for more than 25 years and presented public birding presentations in more than 20 states. Daniel’s web site — WarblerWatch.com — hosts several birding handouts (via the “Birding Links” pulldown menu) and his warbler-centric blog — WarblerWatch.blogspot.com— has hosted warbler articles and photo quizzes since 2007. He has also taught diverse adult birding classes since 2003 at Merritt College in Oakland, CA and for the Pt. Reyes Nat. Seashore Assn., Marin Audubon, and Golden Gate Bird Alliance.

Vaux's Swifts at McNear Brick and Block
2024-09-13 18:00 - 20:00
Friday, September 13th, 2024
6:00 to 7:40 PM depending on the weather
Birding with Rich Cimino
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration is required for this trip. Registration opens September 3rd at 8AM.
Join other MAS members for an evening opportunity to witness Vaux’s Swifts during their fall migration through Marin, which occurs in September and October. Dan McNear of McNear Brick & Block has kindly allowed Marin Audubon to access this remarkable site where decommissioned smokestacks provide an important communal roosting place for the swifts.
Watching thousands of swifts as they descend into the stacks just before night- fall is an unforgettable sight. At the peak of migration, as many as 19,000 swifts have been counted in one evening. However, keep in mind that the number of swifts varies greatly from night to night and can range from a few hundred to thousands. Like everything else in birding, there are no guarantees!
Sunset on the evening of our visit will be at 7:09 PM, so plan on arriving on time to be ready. If the weather on the day of our trip is particularly cool or windy, the swifts are likely to enter the stacks early, so plan accordingly. Bring scopes, binoculars, and, if desired, folding chairs for your seating comfort. It can be chilly at dusk. Please stay with our group and do not enter any of the private areas on the property. Use soft voices and be sure to respect the privacy of local residents.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101 take the Central San Rafael exit. Head east on Third St./Point San Pedro Rd for about 3.5 miles. The brickyard will be on the right. The address is 1 McNear Brickyard Rd. Park as close to the San Pedro Road entrance as possible. Please do not drive to or park near the closed gate.
