Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-09-20 07:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA, United States
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
7:30/8:30 AM to noon **See Notes Below
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 10 at 8 AM
Join William and David for this second fall migration field trip at Rodeo Lagoon. This is their long-time “patch,” which never seems to disappoint birders with daily variations in species and a good chance of an unusual sighting. On this trip, our group will be targeting Parasitic Jaeger, migrating shorebirds and migrant passerines. We will begin the morning with a Sea Watch from Rodeo Beach at 7:30 AM. Those arriving later may join us at 8:30 AM for a circuit of the lagoon.
DIRECTIONS: Head south on Hwy 101 and take the last Sausalito exit just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet turn left at the sign to the Marin Headlands (This is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see the tunnel with the five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel on Bunker Rd to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end. Meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach or join MAS birders with scopes along the nearby beach area.

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

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD)
2023-10-05 08:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Thursday October 5th, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. We especially welcome beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds. Special thanks to Bob and Sande Chilvers for volunteering once again to lead our monthly walks in search of waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds. Among other birds, we will see various species of rails, swallows and teals. With fall migration underway, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search.
We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels. We all help each other to find and identify the birds, and there are usually several experienced birders to assist. You don’t even have to arrive on time because we spend the first 30-60 minutes studying the birds around the first pond, and our group is easy to find.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101, exit at Smith Ranch Rd. Drive east on Smith Ranch Rd. toward McInnis Park. Turn left immediately after crossing the railroad tracks and drive about 0.5 mile through the LGVSD gates and into the parking lot at the end of the road. Meet the group by the bridge just past the parking lot. There is an outhouse in the parking area for public use or you can use the bathrooms at nearby McInnis Park.

Abbott’s Lagoon and the Inverness Tennis Area - Birding in Marin
2023-10-07 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Birding in Marin – Series 8, Trip 10
Saturday, October 7, 2023
8:30 AM to mid afternoon
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this field trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on September 27 at 8:00 AM
Abbott’s Lagoon on the Pacific Coast in the Point Reyes National Seashore is one of Marin’s premier birding locations sporting an eBird sum of 283 species. Fall migration south along the coast brings many birds to this area. Some that we hope to see include Ferruginous Hawk, Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Lapland Longspur, Horned Lark and Pipits. Hundreds of ducks of a dozen species, geese, herons, Peregrines and Ospreys are also likely visitors. Plus you get some exercise; out and back is about 3 miles (some in sand) and Jim likes to do a full 5-mile loop. So pack a lunch for a picnic on the beach and bring a couple of layers for the fresh ocean air and help us spot a rarity.
To help bolster our participant’s species lists to our yearly goal of 200, we plan to stop along Tomales Bay near the Inverness Tennis club to look for Pine and Alder woodland birds. A surprising number of species have been seen here and there is a nice little beach where we usually find several kinds of gulls.
DIRECTIONS: From Point Reyes Station on Highway 1 go just south of town, right turn onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd, follow that thru Inverness up over Inverness ridge into the Point Reyes National Seashore then go north on Pierce Point Road. The ABBOTT’s Lagoon parking lot is on the left in about 3 miles. Carpool if you can, allow 1.5 hours from San Rafael.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Registration required for this trip. Registration opens October 8 at 8AM.
With large numbers of birds moving through the area this time of year, it’s sure to be an interesting outing with unusual sightings a definite possibility. We’ll start with a 30-40 minute visible migration and sea watch from Rodeo Beach hoping for Parasitic Jaegers as well as other passing goodies before undertaking an extended circuit of Rodeo Lagoon in the search for scarce migrants including early winter wildfowl, shorebirds and fall passerines. More than 60 species should be possible at this time of year. The morning will begin with a sea watch at 7:30 AM.
DIRECTIONS: Head south on Hwy 101 and take the last Sausalito exit just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet turn left at the sign to the Marin Headlands (This is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see the tun- nel with the five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel on Bunker Road to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end and meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach.

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2023-11-02 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday November 2, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. Special thanks to Bob and Sande Chilvers for volunteering once again to lead our monthly walks in search of waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds. Among other birds, we will see various species of rails, swallows and teals. With fall migration underway, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search.
We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels, especially beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds We all help each other to find and identify the birds, and there are usually several experienced birders to assist. You don’t even have to arrive on time because we spend the first 30-60 minutes studying the birds around the first pond, and our group is easy to find.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101, exit at Smith Ranch Rd. Drive east on Smith Ranch Rd. toward McInnis Park. Turn left immediately after crossing the railroad tracks and drive about 0.5 mile through the LGVSD gates and into the parking lot at the end of the road. Meet the group by the bridge just past the parking lot. There is an outhouse in the parking area for public use or you can use the bathrooms at nearby McInnis Park.

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

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

Winter Birds of the Bay - Boat Trip
2023-11-11 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday, November 11, 2023
9 AM to 4 PM
Trip Leader: Roger Harris
Register HERE for this Field Trip
The trip costs $130. Ticket sales begin on Oct 10 at 8AM. If the trip is sold out, a waitlist will open. Click the “contact organizer” prompt on the Ticketbud page and send a contact phone number. You may cancel your ticket for a refund, up to 48 hours before the time of the event. Please note that a $7.51 fee will be deducted to cover the transaction cost.
San Francisco Bay, the largest and one of the most important estuaries along the Pacific Flyway, is right in our own backyard. Join us as we cruise from Berkeley toward the Golden Gate Bridge and north into San Pablo Bay, hugging the shorelines and waters that are home to thousands of wintering birds. We will pass by 10 islands, under two bridges, and up two creeks in four counties in search of migrating and resident waterfowl, shorebirds and marine mammals. This trip offers water bird and marine mammal viewing in stunning locations, many of which can only be seen by boat.
Dress in layers. Bring liquids and lunch. Please bring a mask for any time spent inside the cabin.
Registered participants will receive directions to the Berkeley Marina and other instructions prior to the trip.
Inclement weather will reschedule the trip to the next Saturday, November 18.

Rodeo Lagoon - Marin Headlands
2023-11-15 07:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, November 15 2023
7:30 AM to noon
Birding with William Legge and David Wiechers
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required for this trip. Registration opens November 5th at 8AM.
With large numbers of birds moving through the area this time of year, it’s sure to be an interesting outing with unusual sightings a definite possibility. We’ll start with a 30-40 minute visible migration and sea watch from Rodeo Beach hoping for grebes, loons, passing wildfowl and gulls before undertaking an extended circuit of Rodeo Lagoon in the search for scarce migrants including early winter wildfowl, shorebirds and fall passerines. More than 60 species should be possible at this time of year. The morning will begin with a sea watch at 7:30 AM. This trip is less suitable for beginners.
DIRECTIONS: Head south on Hwy 101 and take the last Sausalito exit just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet turn left at the sign to the Marin Headlands (This is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see the tun- nel with the five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel on Bunker Road to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end and meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach.

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

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2023-12-07 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday December 7th, 2023
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with Sande and Bob Chilvers
No registration required. All participants are welcome to join this trip.
Join old friends and meet new ones as we resume our regularly scheduled walks on the first Thursday of the month at Las Gallinas. Special thanks to Bob and Sande Chilvers for volunteering once again to lead our monthly walks in search of waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds. Among other birds, we will see various species of rails, swallows and teals. With fall migration underway, we are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search.
We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels, especially beginning birders on this leisurely walk around the ponds We all help each other to find and identify the birds, and there are usually several experienced birders to assist. You don’t even have to arrive on time because we spend the first 30-60 minutes studying the birds around the first pond, and our group is easy to find.
DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101, exit at Smith Ranch Rd. Drive east on Smith Ranch Rd. toward McInnis Park. Turn left immediately after crossing the railroad tracks and drive about 0.5 mile through the LGVSD gates and into the parking lot at the end of the road. Meet the group by the bridge just past the parking lot. There is an outhouse in the parking area for public use or you can use the bathrooms at nearby McInnis Park.

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

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

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

Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count
2023-12-16
Point Reyes CBC covering West Marin including Tomales Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Register HERE and to get more information on the count and dinner.

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

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2024-01-04 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday, January 4, 2023
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 fall migration underway, 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.

Stinson - Bolinas Birding Area
2024-01-06 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin Season 9-Trip 1
Saturday, January 6, 2024
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration opens on December 27, 2023 at 8 AM
A healthy happy New Year to you all. Bob and I are pleased to share the bird rich Stinson Beach/ Bolinas birding area with you. Coupled with non freezing winter weather and many diverse habitats the CBC, Southern Marin Christmas Bird Counts, show this to be most specie rich, birdiest, area in Southern Marin county. These habitats include the ocean, beaches, rocky shores, a large lagoon with acres of mudflats, Douglas Fir and Redwood forests, Alder riparian, parking lots, residential and more. The CBC data show an average of over 125 specie winter in this area. Plus, many of these birds, like ducks, gulls and shorebirds, are rather easy to see as they float about on the water or walk along the open shores. Can we find 100 species today?
Thanks can be given today to the founders of Marin Audubon and some conservation minded elders for the parks, open space, public access, and wildlife habitats in much of the country and around Bolinas Lagoon. Dr Martin Griffith was instrumental in saving Bolinas harbor from a hotel and yacht club destination and he is commemorated at the heron and egret rookery that we will pass along the east side of the lagoon.
So start your year list if you haven’t already. Bob is adept with ebird but he is recovering from hip replacement surgery. We strive to help all of our participants to see or hear all of the birds that we encounter but that is a goal not quite a reality. Let’s go birding!
Meet at 8:30 at the Stinson/Bolinas School on Highway 1

Northern Spotted Owls
2024-01-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, January 11, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Taylor Ellis, U.S. National Park Service
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Taylor will discuss Marin’s unique spotted owl population, which is geographically and genetically distinct from other northern spotted owl populations to our north. Northern spotted owls are considered an indicator species of healthy forests and were federally listed as a threatened subspecies in the 1990s and have been monitored closely by the National Park Service and Point Blue since then. Taylor will discuss the main threats to Marin’s spotted owls, including the threat from barrel owls, who have taken over most of the nesting sites for spotted owls to our north. He will also discuss what makes Marin’s spotted owl population so unique relative to others.
Speaker Bio:
Taylor Ellis is a wildlife technician at Point Reyes National Seashore, where he implements the northern spotted owl monitoring program as well as monitoring other wildlife species throughout the year. Taylor has been working with spotted owls for 20 breeding seasons since first interning with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico in 2003. Taylor received his M.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University after studying the indirect impacts of tule elk on small mammal populations at Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Photos: Northern Spotted Owl
Photo by: Taylor Ellis
Next Speaker – Thursday, February 8, 2024
Snowy Plover – by Matthew Lau, National Park Service

Loch Lomond Marina - San Rafael
2024-01-17 10:00 - 12:00
SPECIAL INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING – WINTERING WATERBIRDS
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register HERE for this Field TripRegistration required. Registration opens on January 7 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.

Olompali State Historic Park - Novato
2024-01-24 09:30 - 12:00
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Birding with Rich Cimino
No registration required for this trip. All participants are welcome to join.
Olompali State Park has reopened after a nearly nine-month closure due to mudslide damage. It’s always an exciting time to birdwatch at Olompali State Historic Park! Beginning and experienced birders are invited to join Rich Cimino to bird the park. We will walk the old ranch road to the park’s reservoir. We hope to see a wide variety of species that thrive in the park’s oak savanna and open grasslands.
Meet Rich at 9:15 AM in the parking lot. The field trip will start at 9:30 .
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 cash only parking fee. Recently, the park gates have been opening by 8:30 AM.

Skagg's Island Road
2024-01-31 10:00 - 14:00
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
10 AM – 2 PM
Birding with Daniel Edelstein
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration required. Registration opens January 21st at 8AM.
Skaggs Island Road; flat, level hiking on road for no more than 1.5 miles; lunch at bridge ~.6 mile from the parking area at Highway 37.
Daniel invites you to discover the joy of a wilderness-like paradise — Skaggs Island Road — that often attracts dozens of shorebird and duck family members, in addition to uncommon, visiting non-breeding raptors such as Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Merlin (along with sightings of White-tailed Kite and other raptor species).
Closed to the public, Skaggs Island Road is accessed by meeting our group in the parking area adjacent to Hwy. 37 (approximately 3 miles east of Reclamation Road and 2 miles east of the Highway 121/Sears Point Raceway intersection (at the stoplight). We’ll meet on the north side of Hwy. 37 where it intersects with Skaggs Is. Rd. and bird together while walking north on the road.
Please be careful turning into this road when coming from Marin Co. because oncoming traffic is often heavy.
Here’s a map link that shows where we’ll meet:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/Skaggs+Island+Road,+Highway+37/@38.1563398,-122.3935838,14z
Daniel is a freelance Birding Guide (WarblerWatch.com) and Consulting Avian Biologist. His web site (WarblerWatch.com) features abundant birding information, in addition to his 17-year-old warbler-centric blog (WarblerWatch.blogspot.com).

The Ponds at Las Gallinas Sanitary District - San Rafael
2024-02-01 08:30 - 12:00
Thursday 1, February , 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 fall migration underway, 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.

Sausalito, Mill Valley, Strawberry Point
2024-02-03 08:30 - 15:30
Birding in Marin, Season 9, Trip 2
Saturday, February 3, 2024
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip
Registration opens Wednesday, January 24 at 8 AM.
We are going to explore the bay from the Sausalito water front to the Golden Gate and Richardson’s Bay around to Strawberry Point and on to Blacky’s pasture in Tiburon. Many ducks, loons and grebes winter on the bay waters and we may find close comparative looks at similar species pairs like Eared and Horned or Clark’s and Western Grebes, of Red-throated, Pacific and Common Loons or Greater and Lesser Scaup. We are likely to find some shorebirds too, perhaps a Spotted Sandpiper or a rather rare Wandering Tattler.
Herring runs happen around this time of year and if we are lucky they will still be numerous. Herring deposit large numbers of eggs on eelgrass, which water birds, especially gulls, love to feast on. Last year near this time I think that 10 species of gulls were located. So brush up on your gull IDs and join Bob and I along the shore.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at the east end of Harbor Drive. Handicap Accessible. We will park where the birding is close, near level and smooth. Thanks to enlightened development planning, Harbor Drive and the rather posh Strawberry spit have fine public shoreline paths.

Snowy Plovers
2024-02-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Thursday, February 8, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Matthew Lau, U.S. National Park Service
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
There is a small but locally significant breeding population of western snowy plovers at Point Reyes National Seashore. They are federally listed as Threatened and California state listed as a Species of Special Concern, but the local breeding population size has been gradually increasing over the past half decade due to intensive management and monitoring across the range. Matt will present on the fascinating breeding biology of western snowy plovers, cover local conservation issues that snowy plovers face, and review local population trends and ongoing research and management at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Speaker Bio:
Matt is a wildlife biologist with Point Reyes National Seashore and leads the management and monitoring program for western snowy plovers. He has worked with snowy plovers for over a decade, at Point Reyes National Seashore and in northern California while working on his master’s degree at Cal Poly Humboldt. As a National Park Service biologist, he also conducts surveys of breeding northern elephant seals, Point Reyes Mountain beavers, and tule elk. His interests include shorebird ecology, bat conservation, spatial ecology, conservation education, and diversity and inclusion work.
Photo: Queen of Limantour
Photo by: NPS/Matt Lau
Next Speaker Series
“Avian Diversity”
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Speaker: Jordan Boersma, Cornell Ornithology Lab

Winter Birds of the Delta - Boat Trip
2024-02-18 08:30 - 16:00
Sunday, February 18th, 2024 – Rescheduled from 2/4 due to bad weather
8:40 AM to 4:00 PM
Birding with David Wimpfheimer
Register HERE for this Boat Trip
The trip costs $130. Registration for this trip opens January 8 at 8 AM.
A waitlist will open if the trip sells out. Add your name to the list by clicking Contact Organizer prompt. You may cancel your ticket for a refund until 9AM on February 2nd by clicking Contact Organizer on the Ticketbud site and leaving a message.
After meeting at 8:40 AM for sign in and instructions, we’ll depart from the Antioch Marina at 9AM and enter the San Joaquin River, keeping an eye out for overwintering birds and any marine (or other) animals that happen to show up. As we head east, we enter a number of the smaller sloughs and waterways with views out over the flooded agricultural fields that provide a refuge for flocks that nest in the north but winter here.
Along with the flocks of snow geese, white fronted geese and Tundra swans, numerous ducks, shorebirds, and raptors are usually spotted. Well known birder and naturalist David Wimpfheimer will provide commentary and Ronn Patterson (captain and naturalist) will fill in bits about the history of the delta as we transit this altered but still viable ecosystem.
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate is provided, bring lunch and snacks. Bring rain gear as needed!
Ticket holders will receive instructions and directions to the Antioch Marina, where the trip begins and ends, approximately one week prior to the trip.

Tomales Bay State Park
2024-02-28 10:00 - 13:00
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.
