CANCELLED - Why Birds Sing and Other Wonders of Animal Communication
2020-03-12 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | CA, United States
Speaker: Greg Budney
Host: Doug Waterman
Start Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:00 PM
This presentation explains the basics of how and why birds vocalize (as well as other animals) and features many interesting and astonishing examples (including a humorous Common Loon recording) and explores a range of behaviors from courtship to warning signals. Greg is the retired former Audio Curator of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, the world’s largest collection of wildlife sound recordings. He is also an experienced bird sound recordist and has produced numerous audio guides to sounds of birds of the Americas. He has trained hundreds of biologists and citizen scientists in techniques for capturing the sounds of wildlife for research, conservation, and education. Photo of Greg Budney with parabola was taken by Eduardo Inigo Elias.

Stafford Lake
2020-03-07 09:00 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Location: Novato, CA
Trip Leader(s): Bob Atwood
Start Date: Saturday, March 7, 2020
Start Time: 9:00 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: Located west of Novato, Stafford Lake is a beautiful but less birded area that is productive for waterfowl and raptors. Approximately 172 species of birds have been spotted at Stafford Lake throughout the years with our group likely to see a considerable variety of the resident as well as wintering birds. The county park has facilities and plenty of parking. The mostly level terrain and water views make for pleasant birding as we walk around a portion of the lake and the surrounding area. Heavy rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 in Novato, take the exit for San Marin Drive west 2.9 miles. Turn right onto Novato Blvd. and follow for 2.6 miles. The park is on the left. Turn left after the gatehouse and travel to the parking lot. Entrance fee is $5 per vehicle. If you have a Marin County library card, you can check out a free library park pass from any Marin County Free Library.

Pacheco Pond
2020-03-05 08:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Location: Novato, CA
Trip Leader(s): Bob and Sande Chilvers
Start Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020
Start Time: 8:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: Join us again at Pacheco Pond where we’ll be watching for signs of resident breeding birds beginning the nesting season. There aren’t many eBird reports from Pacheco Pond for this time of year, so help us fill in the gaps in our knowledge and compile a day list to be shared online. Pacheco Pond doesnâ€™t have the glamour of many of our Marin birding locations, but it does have the distinction of being “the best publicly accessible freshwater’ish pond in Novato with adjacency to other bird-rich areas.” (Thank you, Jack Gedney.) The area provides habitat for a variety of ducks, Black-crowned Night Heron, Common Gallinule, Sora, and Virginia Rail. The adjacent non-native eucalyptus provides additional habitat for both songbirds, egrets, and a number of raptors including Peregrine Falcon. Thank you, Bob and Sande, for continuing as our competent and friendly guides on this popular monthly walk. We welcome bird enthusiasts of all levels and help each other to find and identify the birds. The area around Pacheco Pond is mostly flat, but we will be walking across some rocky, uneven surfaces. Dress in layers and bring binoculars, scopes, and water. Heavy rain cancels. DIRECTIONS: Take the Bel Marin Keys Blvd exit from Highway 101. Travel east on Bel Marin Keys Blvd for 2 miles passing through a commercial industrial section until arriving at a small parking area on the right, which faces the pond. We will meet in the parking area and walk to the trail a short distance up the road.

Rodeo Lagoon
2020-02-26 07:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Location: Marin Headlands
Trip Leader(s): William Legge & David Wiechers
Start Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Start Time: 7:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: This trip launches our new program featuring eight field trips to Rodeo Lagoon. These trips will focus on migration with four monthly field trips planned for the spring migration and four for the autumn migration. On this date William and David promise to assist with gull identification, which proves challenging for many birders. We will also be targeting migrant ducks, grebes, loons, gulls, and wintering passerines such as Fox Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Say’s Phoebe. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later 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 Road to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end and meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach.

Presidio and Crissy Lagoon
2020-02-22 08:00 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Location: San Francisco, CA Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Trip Leader(s): Juan Garcia
Start Date: Saturday, February 22, 2020
Start Time: 8:00 AM
End Time: 3:00 PM
Description: Within the range of a moderate walk, several extensive habitat restorations can be seen up close, with several more works-in-progress. Here’s an opportunity to celebrate these vital projects and contemplate their success. Beginning at Inspiration Point, we’ll slowly wind our way down Tennessee Hollow, with its carefully restored riparian and grassland habitat, and hold a sit-spot at El Polin Spring, looking for visiting warblers, among others. Next, we’ll trace the path to lower Tennessee Hollow, which affords good views of slow-flowing and pooling sections. We’ll proceed to Crissy Lagoon via the now well-known Tunnel Tops, which will soon form an extension of the native plant corridor. The Lagoon itself offers habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, as well as a good mixed gull flock. We’ll walk the circuit of the Lagoon, stalking warblers in the willows and seed eaters foraging on Crissy Field. A small nature reserve on the beach side protects habitat for sparrows, phoebes, and a small wintering group of Snowy Plover. We’ll end with telescopic views of San Francisco Bay, with its loons, grebes, cormorants, terns, scoters, and so on. Restrooms and drinking water will be accessible at several points, but you should bring snacks and or lunch. As usual in the Bay Area, wear layered warmth and bring sun protection. A birding scope will be provided, but please bring binoculars. Meet at 8 AM at Inspiration Point
Link: https://www.predisio.gov/places/inspiration-point-overlook

Birding Eastern Yolo County
2020-02-17 08:30 - 15:30 | CA, United States
Location: Davis, CA
Trip Leader(s): John Klobas & Sarah Brooks
Start Date: Monday, February 17, 2020
Start Time: 8:30 AM
End Time: 3:30 PM
Description: The low lying agricultural fields, ponds, and refuges of eastern Yolo County are the focus of this trip. In February, bird diversity and numbers are at their wintertime peak, and we will seek the spectacle of those numbers. Burrowing owls are among the most threatened of California’s owls. We will look for this small, ground dwelling owl in the Davis area before heading to West Sacramento’s Bridgeway Pond. Sandwiched between a suburb, mega warehouses, and the deep-water shipping channel, this pond is the winter home of Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal, Sora, raptors, and perhaps some diving ducks as well. This pond was the home for several months of last year’s mega rarity, a male Garganey duck, which was seen by a few members of the trip last February, a week before it was positively identified. Next we will seek habitat for Wood Ducks near the Sacramento River. Wood Ducks, usually a restive, shy species, are not as skittish here as they are in hunting areas. Our location for lunch is weather dependent, but the afternoon will find us heading back towards Davis, finishing our day at the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area (Yolo Bypass) where we will enjoy the waterfowl and water bird spectacle. In the event of flooding in the Bypass, we will bird other areas around Davis. Directions: We will meet in Davis in the El Macero Center (Nugget Market and Starbucks) to organize the day and introduce the itinerary. Exit I-80 at Mace Blvd. in Davis, turn left on the frontage road, then a quick right to Mace Blvd., then an immediate right into the El Macero parking lot. We’ll be in between Nugget Market and Starbucks. Please carpool if at all possible. A smaller number of cars allows us to be much more opportunistic and lessens our carbon footprint. Allow 2 hours for an early morning winter drive to Davis from most North Bay locations. Heavy rain cancels. Dress in layers. Include rain gear. Binoculars are a must and bring a scope if you have one. This is a car-oriented trip with minimal walking. Wear shoes that can withstand muddy conditions. Bring lunch, snacks, and drinks. Nugget is a full-service market that opens at 7 AM. Let’s go birding!

Nicasio Reservoir
2020-02-15 08:30 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Location: Nicasio, CA
Trip Leader(s): Jim White & Bob Battagin
Start Date: Saturday, February 15, 2020
Start Time: 8:30 AM
End Time: 3:00 PM
Description: We will meet at the backstop to the baseball field in the small West Marin hamlet of Nicasio. This is Bob’s home “patch” where the riparian, open field, and wooded habitats are good for a nice variety of sparrows, gleaners, and woodpeckers. From town we’ll head over to nearby Nicasio Reservoir and make several stops along the shoreline. Many water bird species hang out there while raptors grace the sky, and who knows what will be flitting around in the willows and shrubs that line the shore? In the afternoon we are likely to explore along the northern shoreline of Tomales Bay. Heavy rain cancels. Early Birds will meet at the entrance to Roy’s Redwoods on Nicasio Valley Road for a short walk through bay, redwood, oak, and madrone habitats in search of Pileated Woodpecker and other forest denizens. DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 take the Lucas Valley Road exit. Turn left on Lucas Valley Road and continue approximately 10.3 miles. Keep right on Nicasio Valley Road for 0.5 mile to the town of Nicasio. The baseball field is in the center of town. For GPS, use 1 Old Rancheria Road, Nicasio, the address for the Rancho Nicasio Restaurant.

Birding the Northwest Passage - Trip Rescheduled for February 13, 2020
2020-02-13 09:30 - 15:30 | CA, United States
Location: Tomales, Lawson’s Landing, and Chileno Valley
Trip Leader(s): David Wimpfheimer
Start Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Start Time: 9:00 AM
End Time: 3:30 PM
Description: This annual winter trip repeats David’s popular guided explorations of the less familiar habitats in Marin near the town of Tomales. We will meet at the Tomales Bakery, and our itinerary for the day will cover coastal and interior habitats. Our first destination will be Lawson’s Landing, a private resort near the mouth of Tomales Bay. Loons, grebes (including Red-necked Grebe), ducks, and Brant can be quite numerous here. Shorebirds are diverse here as well. After birding the coast, the rest of the day may be spent covering the open grasslands, wetlands, and forests of this part of Marin. Raptor sightings may include Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Merlin, and, if we are lucky, we may spot the now uncommon-in-Marin Loggerhead Shrike. Meet at the Tomales Bakery at 9:00 AM. Plan on arriving early to sample the delicious pastries. If the bakery is closed, the deli nearby has a nice variety of food and beverages. Check your map for your best route to Tomales. You can head west from Highway 101 at Old Redwood Highway in Petaluma or from Novato at San Marin Drive. The address of the bakery is 27000 Highway 1, Tomales. Allow about an hour from Marin. Light rain will not cancel this trip, but a heavy storm will.

Iconic Tower, Iconic Bird: Peregrines on the Campanile
2020-02-13 07:30 - 09:30 | CA, United States
Speaker: Allen Fish
Host: Doug Waterman
Start Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: As Peregrine Falcons have recovered from endangered status in the 1990s-2000s, they have often been found nesting on bridges and skyscrapers. For the last two nesting seasons, a Peregrine Falcon pair has taken up residence on the Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus, fledging two chicks in 2017, and three in 2018. A team of citizen scientists led by UC Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) in cooperation with the East Bay Regional Park District and the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, has monitored the Peregrines, enhancing their nest-site, watching for threats, and serving as an information source for captivated CAL falcon-spotters. In 2019, the Cal Peregrine Team is working on getting a web-cam erected on the tower to deepen our knowledge of these urban Peregrines, and to widen interest in these charismatic falcons via the web.
Beyond their sheer magnetism – the athletic hunting flights of the adults and the clumsy antics of the fledglings – the Peregrines are a profound reminder of the ornithologists of a generation ago who walked a tight-rope between science and conservation activism to bring this species back from the edge of extinction. One of their critical conservation tools? The well-kept and meticulously-labelled egg collections of natural history museums, including our own Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
Director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (ggro.org) since its founding in the mid-1980s, Allen Fish earned his bachelor’s degree at UC Davis, then returned to teach Raptor Biology there in the 2000s. He was honored with the Maurice Broun Award for achievements in raptor biology in 2003, and the Bay Nature Environmental Educator Award in 2015. A fourth-generation Berkeleyan with deep CAL roots, Fish lives near campus with his wife Allison Pennell, their two kids and a coonhound.
Photo by Doug Bell

Skaggs Island - Registration Required
2020-02-10 10:00 - 14:00 | Skaggs Island, CA, United States
Location: Skaggs Island
Trip Leader(s): Daniel Edelstein
Start Date: Monday, February 10, 2020
Start Time: 10:00 AM
End Time: 2:00 PM
Description: Join Avian Biologist and Birding Guide, Daniel Edelstein, for this special opportunity to visit Skaggs Island, a rich winter birding location not generally accessible to the public. The island was formerly home to a naval facility but is now part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It often attracts uncommon visiting, non-breeding season raptors such as Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Merlin along with White-tailed Kite, and other raptors in addition to diverse shorebirds, waders, and ducks. This will be our second winter field trip to Skaggs Island. The first is scheduled on January 28, 2020 with Murray Berner (see alternate trip descriptionl). This second trip will not include a visit to Hudeman Slough. If you would like to participate in one of these trips, please contact Jeanine Starritt at jeanineis@comcast.net. Be sure to specify whether you wish to participate in the January 28 or February 10 field trip and include the names of the people who will be attending with you. Meet on Skaggs Island Road after turning onto it from Highway 37. Weâ€™ll carpool through the locked gate far into the heavenly solitude and bird-filled environs of this amazing birding venue. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: Take Highway 101 North to Highway 37. At the intersection with SR 121 (Sears Point), continue straight on Highway 37 for approximately 4 miles to Skaggs Island Road. Please be careful crossing Highway 37 to turn onto this road because oncoming traffic is often heavy.

Beaches of Northwest Marin
2020-02-08 09:00 - 12:00 | Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Visitor Center Access Road, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956, United States
Location: Point Reyes National Seashore
Trip Leader(s): Derek Lecy & Bob Atwood
Start Date: Saturday, February 8, 2020
Start Time: 9:00 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: Start the day with Derek and Bob at Kehoe Beach followed by a midday caravan to McClures Beach. The coastal California subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow (Z. I. nuttalli) start to sing more vigorously in January, so we should be able to hear them well as we walk through the coastal scrub habitat to these beaches. Other species on our way to the beaches include Wrentit, Peregrine Falcon, and other raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and with luck, a Bald Eagle. On the beaches, a search of the gull flocks should be fun, and a good variety of wintering gulls is expected. We will take a long look out at sea as well in an attempt to try and find all three species of scoterâ€“Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Surf Scoter. Both beaches can be one of the more reliable places in the county to encounter Black Scoter. We will keep our eyes open for a Harlequin Duck or any alcids flying out on the ocean as well. Participants should wear sturdy, waterproof shoes and warm clothing. Light rain or fog is a strong possibility. Expect to walk a quarter mile to each beach with a total of 2 miles of hiking on this trip. Bring lunch as we will break between locations for a quick lunch. High tide looks to be around 11 AM, which may impact our beach access at McClures (which we visit second), but we can always scope from above the beach or figure something out. Bring a scope if you have one. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: We will meet at the Kehoe Beach Parking area. From San Anselmo, take Sir Francis Drake Blvd to Olema. From Olema, continue north on Hwy 1 (SFDB), take the second left turn (SFDB west), continue through Inverness, turn right (north) onto Pierce Point Road, and drive approximately 4.6 miles to Kehoe Beach.

SOLD OUT - Sacramento Delta Boat Trip
2020-02-02 08:00 - 16:30 | Antioch Marina, 5 Marina Plz, Antioch, CA, 94509
Location: Boat leaves from and returns to the Anioch Marina
Trip Leader(s): David Wimpfheimer
Start Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020
Start Time: 8:15 AM
End Time: 4:30 PM
Description: Join us aboard Dolphin Charters’ River Dolphin for a wonderful day of exploring the richness of the California Delta with naturalist David Wimpfheimer as our guide. Ronn Patterson, a Bay Area historian and naturalist, is captain of the River Dolphin and owner of Dolphin Charters. The boat is very comfortable, and the outer decks provide views over the levees of the amazing array of birds found in the Delta during the winter. This rich area hosts a wide variety of raptors including Swainson’s Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Great Horned Owls. Large numbers of shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Snow, Canada and White-fronted Geese, ducks, as well as gulls, terns, bitterns and passerines make this cruise a highlight for birders. Uncommon mammals such as beaver, river otter, and mink often add interest to the cruise. We also will learn about the history, ecology and politics of the levees and the Delta as we travel through its meandering channels.
The cost will be $110 per person for Marin Audubon Chapter Supporting Members and $145 for all others. If you are not yet a Marin Audubon Chapter Supporting Member, please sign up now at www.marinaudubon.org to enjoy the reduced cost of this trip. Online registration is now closed. If you wish to be placed on a wait list, contact Jeanine Starritt at jeanineis@comcast.net. Include the name, email address and phone number of each possible participant.
Those confirmed on the trip will receive directions to the Antioch Marina and other instructions the week before the trip.

Skaggs Island and Hudeman Slough - Registration Closed
2020-01-28 09:15 - 14:00 | CA, United States
Location: Sonoma County
Trip Leader(s): Murray Berner
Start Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Start Time: 9:15 AM
End Time: 2:00 PM
Description: Trip full. Wait list only. Space available on February 10 trip.
Skaggs Island is part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The area is not open to the general public and requires special permission to access, which will be granted to Marin Audubon with our guide, Murray Berner. Because of the high level of interest in this area, we are requiring advance registration for this trip, which will begin on Monday, December 23, 2019. Registration will be limited to 25 people.
If you would like to participate in one of these trips, please contact Jeanine Starritt at jeanineis@comcast.net. Be sure to specify whether you wish to participate in the January 28 or February 10 field trip and include the names of people who will be attending with you.
A second trip is scheduled for Monday, Feb 10 (see alternate trip description. To sign up for this January 28 trip, contact Jeanine Starritt at jeanineis@comcast.net. Be sure to include the names of the people who will be attending with you. Jeanine will confirm your registration via email.
Our leader, Murray Berner, has been a longtime field trip leader for Napa Solano Audubon and is the author of the Solano County Breeding Bird Atlas. Our visit will coincide with the peak season for raptors. In previous years our group has spotted Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Prairie Falcon, and Burrowing Owl, plus dozens of kites and harriers. Songbirds flock in the former residential area, harassed by Merlin and Accipiter.
Please arrive promptly at the south entrance to Skaggs Island off of Hwy 37. Those arriving late may find themselves locked out! We will travel by car across the island, stopping to bird along the way, and depart through the north gate at approximately 1 PM. From this point interested birders may continue with the group to Hudeman Slough where we will bird on foot. Dress in layers and sturdy shoes and bring lunch and water. Heavy rain cancels.
Directions: Take Hwy 101 north to Hwy 37 East. At the intersection with SR 121 (Sonoma Raceway), continue straight on Hwy 37 for 3.8 miles and turn left at Skaggs Island Road. No restrooms available.

Save the Date: January 2020 Field Trips
2020-01-26 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-25 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-22 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-20 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-18 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-16 08:00 - 12:00, 2020-01-11 08:00 - 12:00 | CA, United States
January 11 San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge With Ruthie Rudesill
January 16 Birding the Northwest Passage With David Wimpfheimer
January 18 Bolinas With Jim White & Bob Battagin
January 20 Loch Lomond Yacht Harbor With Jim White
January 22 Corte Madera Ecological Preserve (CMER) With Rich Cimino
January 25 Western Yolo County With John Klobas
January 26 Rodeo Lagoon With Joseph Zeno & William Legge
January 28 Skaggs Island With Murray Berner Registration Opens December 23, 2019
February 2 Boat Trip: Sacramento Delta Boat Trip With David Wimpfheimer Registration Opens December 9, 2019

Rodeo Lagoon
2020-01-26 07:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Location: Marin Headlands
Trip Leader(s): Joseph Zeno & William Legge
Start Date: Sunday, January 26, 2020
Start Time: 7:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: This month’s trip will be led by youth birder Joseph Zeno and Rodeo Lagoon veteran William Legge. Joseph is a student at Terra Linda High School and an active member of the Bay Area Chapter of the California Young Birders Club. He is skilled at both identifying and photographing birds. William, of course, we know from previous field trips and recognize him as an expert at this location. We will be targeting migrant ducks, grebes, loons, gulls, and wintering passerines such as Fox Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Sayâ€™s Phoebe. Join us for a Sea Watch at 7:30 AM or arrive later 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 Road to the Rodeo Lagoon Parking Lot at the end and meet by the bridge over the channel to the beach.

Birding Western Yolo County
2020-01-25 08:00 - 15:00 | CA, United States
Location: Beginning in Winters
Trip Leader(s): John Klobas & Sarah Brooks
Start Date: Saturday, January 25, 2020
Start Time: 8:00 AM
End Time: 3:00 PM
Description: Located within a one and one-half hour drive of many North Bay locations, Yolo County offers diverse habitats ranging from Coast Range mountains to near sea level agricultural lands of the Sacramento Valley. This one-day trip will visit prime birding sites in western Yolo County during the height of winter bird diversity and numbers. We will meet in Winters where we will introduce our itinerary for the day and our target birds for the morning at Lake Solano Park. This park straddles both Yolo and Solano counties along Putah Creek at the base of the Coast Range. We will bird both outside and inside the park ($6/car day use fee) and, weather permitting, have lunch there, as well. Specialties here include Hooded Merganser, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Phainopepla, Wood Duck, various raptors, perhaps even Pileated and Lewisâ€™s Woodpecker. After lunch we will walk along Putah Creek watching for both water and land birds. The day will conclude with a stop at a raptor hot spot near Woodland where overwintering specialties may include Ferruginous Hawk among several raptor species. The companion trip to this day features eastern Yolo County and is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2020. This trip begins in Davis. Directions: We will meet at Rotary Park located at Main and Railroad Streets in Winters. From Marin take Highway 101 North to Highway 37. Then exit onto Highway I-80 East. In approximately 22 miles, take Exit 56 at Vacaville to merge onto I-505 North toward Redding. Take the Highway 128 exit (west toward Lake Berryessa) from Highway I-505. Take a left over the freeway, then stay on Highway 128 until the light at Railroad Avenue. Turn left (south), travel 2 blocks to the intersection of Railroad and Main. Rotary Park is at the south side of this intersection. We will meet at the gazebo in the park.

Corte Madera Ecological Reserve (CMER)
2020-01-22 09:30 - 12:00 | Corte Madera Ecological Reserve (CMER), CA, United States
Location: Corte Madera Creek
Trip Leader(s): Rich Cimino
Start Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Start Time: 9:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: Purchased in 2016 by Marin Audubon, this important bayland property has undergone extensive restoration work in subsequent years thanks to the hard work of Marin Audubon Society board members, hired restoration specialists, and volunteers. The area is now a restored marsh that supports an important population of Ridgway’s Rails and other special status species and includes a newly created high tide refuge habitat where volunteers have planted 16,200 native plants. Regularly scheduled workdays are held here for those who might like to help with the continuing restoration work, but on this particular day, we will join Rich for a tour of the area with a focus on BIRDS! Recently Rich began visiting the area regularly and will share his discoveries with us. Species we may see are ducks, long-legged waders, shorebirds, rails, plovers, kites, osprey, sparrows and meadow larks. No restrooms are available here. Bring binoculars, scopes, layers, water, and snacks. Heavy rain cancels. Directions: CMER is located behind Trader Joe’s at the eastern end of Industrial Way in Corte Madera. Meet and park behind Trader Joe’s.

San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
2020-01-11 09:00 - 15:00 | San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, 2714 Dairy Rd, Vernalis, CA, 95385
Ruthie Rudesill of Redwood Regional Ornithological Society fame will lead this trip as a follow up to her presentation at our Speaker Series on January 9 entitled “Little Known Great Birding Locations in Northern California.” The San Joaquin River NWR is situated where three major rivers (Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin) join in the San Joaquin Valley, creating a mix of habitats that provide ideal conditions for high wildlife and plant diversity.
The refuge was initially established primarily to protect and manage habitat for the Aleutian Cackling Goose but now provides important nesting habitat for Swainson’s Hawks, herons, cormorants, as well as the endangered least Bell’s Vireo, which was absent from the area for five decades. The refuge is also home to the largest wild population of Riparian Brush Rabbits in the world that approached extinction in the 1990’s.
Bring optics (scopes would be useful), lunch, and dress in layers. There is a restroom at the refuge headquarters. No fees are collected here. Heavy rain cancels.
This field trip is co-sponsored by RROS and Marin Audubon. Sonoma County folks who wish to carpool can meet at the Petaluma Park N’ Ride at the junction of Highways 101 and 116 at 7:15 AM. These Sonoma participants will meet up with Marinites who wish to join a carpool at the Smith Ranch Road and Highway 101 Park N’ Ride at 7:35 AM. For more information about this trip, contact Ruthie at (707) 833-6026 or (707) 481-0768.
Directions: From Highway 580 southbound after Altamont Pass, take the Maze Blvd Exit onto Highway 132 (east towards Modesto). The NWR is at the San Joaquin River. Turn left on North Gates Road from Highway 132. Travel northbound on Gates Road for approximately 3 miles. Turn left on Beckwith Road. Travel westbound on Beckwith Road for 2 miles to the refuge parking lot on the left side of the road. Our first stop will be at the Migratory Bird Viewing Platform on Beckwith Road. Later we will return to Highway 132 and travel to the refuge headquarters at 2714 Dairy Road, Vernalis.

Little Known Great Birding Locations
2020-01-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary, 376 Greenwood Beach Rd, Tiburon, CA, 94920, United States
Most birders visit the famous spots: Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay, Golden Gate Park, Vic Fassio Yolo Wetlands, Klamath/Tulelake and Sacramento NWRs, Monterey Bay, Arcata Marsh, etc. But there is a growing number of lesser known spots, hidden gems for birding and scenery. Ruthie Rudesill will share birding stories and discuss a few special places for those who want to travel to new exciting areas of Northern California. Swainson’s Hawk Courtesy of Ruthie Rudesill
Speaker Ruthie Rudesill is Past President of Redwood Regional Ornithological Society. She has a Wildlife degree from Humboldt State University. She has led and participated in many Christmas Bird Counts, surveys and field trips for over 30 years. Ruthie maintains the records for rare birds in Sonoma County and sends quarterly reports to North American Birds (part of the American Birding Association).

Deer Island Preserve & Simmons Slough
2020-01-02 08:30 - 12:00 | Deer Island Preserve, Novato, CA, 94945
Location: Novato, CA
Trip Leader(s): Sande & Bob Chilvers
Start Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020
Start Time: 8:30 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM
Description: Join our “First Thursday walk” walk of the new year in the oak woodland at Deer Island Preserve with views of the surrounding marshland visible from parts of the trail. Red-shouldered Hawks and White-tailed Kites nest here with additional resident and winter raptor sightings possible during our visit. The woodlands are home to woodpeckers, owls, juncos, and towhees, and we’ll also watch for egrets and White Pelicans.
As usual, birding enthusiasts of all levels are invited to join our group. We always help each other find and identify the birds. We will be walking approximately 1.5 miles on a dirt trail with some gradual up and down slopes. Dress in layers and bring binoculars, scopes, and water. There are no restrooms at this location. Heavy rain cancels.
If Marin has received any rain by the date of this field trip, we may stop by Simmons Slough, a diked off tributary of Novato Creek and one of Marin Audubon’s properties, to look for wintering waterfowl. This property is part of what Marin Audubon envisions as a Simmons Slough Wildlife Corridor consisting of wetlands and adjacent uplands associated with the watershed. The area is popular with ducks when the seasonal marsh becomes flooded.
Directions: From Highway 101 in Novato, take the exit for Atherton Avenue east 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Olive Ave and left onto Deer Island Lane. The gate is on your right with a nearby dirt parking lot.

A Bird's Rainbow with Bob Lewis
2019-12-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary, 376 Greenwood Beach Rd, Tiburon, CA, 94920, United States
Description: Many birds are brightly colored, others use patterned feathers for camouflage. How do these colors originate? What’s the difference between colors from pigments and physical colors? From Yellow warblers to Anna’s Hummingbirds, from Snow Geese to Brewer’s Blackbirds, each species makes unique use of the feather colors it possesses. What do the colors indicate to other birds? And do birds see the same colors we do? Bob will unravel some of the mysteries of color in birds with a little chemistry, a bit of physics, and a lot of brightly colored slides.
Bob Lewis trained as a chemist and worked in the energy field for 33 years. He’s taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 25 years, and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon’s Adult Education Committee. He’s co-aught a popular Master Birding class at the SF Academy of Sciences with Jack Dumbacher and Eddie Bartley, and Birds of the Bay Area with Rusty Scalf. He taught Avian Evolution with Bruce Mast for Marin Audubon. He loves to travel and photograph birds, and has recently returned from a trip to Namibia, chasing the brightly colored birds of that area, and passing 5,000 on his life list.
Image: The pigment that creates the yellow color in King Penguins is still undefined.

Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park Bird Walk
2019-12-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park, San Rafael, CA, 94901
Join Rich for an easy bird walk on level ground during a high tide. We will bird the shoreline of San Pablo Bay watching for shorebirds on the rocks and diving ducks, loons, and grebes on the bay. We will also look for the Puget Sound variety of White-crowned Sparrow. Bring your scope, water, and snacks. Restrooms are available at the bird walk halfway mark (Target Store). Meet in the parking lot for the Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline trailhead. Heavy rain will cancel.
Directions: From the north, take Highway 101 to the Bellam Blvd exit. Turn left on Bellum then right on East Francisco Blvd, which parallels I-580. Head east (toward the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge for about 1-1/2 miles. You will see a Bay CafÃ© sign at the Bay Park Center. Turn left on Pelican Way then right to the trailhead parking area. From the south you can take the exit to the San Rafael Bridge getting off at the last Marin exit, the San Quentin exit. For GPS, use the Bay CafÃ© address, 2165 Francisco Blvd, San Rafael.

Beginning Birding at McInnis Park
2019-12-10 08:30 - 11:30 | McInnis Park, 310 Smith Ranch Rd, San Rafael, CA, 94903, United States
Once again, Carol is leading her first trip as a birding field trip leader. (She unfortunately had the flu last month and couldn’t complete her official first trip.) She is enrolled at the San Francisco Master Birding Course offered by the California Academy of Sciences, which includes scientific training and at least 100 volunteer hours.
Any and all beginning birders are encouraged to join her on this very leisurely stroll around a soccer field at McInnis Park and along the path adjacent to Gallinas Creek. We can expect to see Western Bluebird, Black Phoebe, Say’s Phoebe, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and more around the soccer field. On our stroll along the creek channel, we hope to see fall migratory waterfowl such as Ring-necked Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and, of course, our usual residents such as Great and Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Greater Yellowlegs. We’ll also look for sparrows foraging on the ground and raptors soaring overhead.
Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and bring water, binoculars, scopes, and your birding enthusiasm! Heavy rain cancels.
Directions: We will meet at McInnis Park. From Highway 101, take the Smith Ranch Road exit east toward McInnis Park. We will meet at the first parking lot to the right after you enter McInnis Park. There is plenty of parking available.

Marta's Marsh
2019-12-08 08:00 - 11:00 | Marta’s Marsh, Corte Madera, United States
Marta’s Marsh hosts a wide variety of bird species and provides great viewing opportunities. Typically, shorebirds, ducks, gulls, terns, and some of Marin’s only endangered Ridgway’s Rails can be seen at this Marin birding hotspot. We will take a short walk alongside San Clemente Creek to the creek mouth where it then enters the bay. Some of our target birds include Blue-winged Teal, Ridgway’s Rail, Dunlin, Western and Least Sandpiper, and the possibility of encountering raptors such as Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, and Northern Harrier.
We will time our walk to put us at the creek mouth a few hours after low tide, as the incoming tide causes sandpipers, gulls, and ducks to fly from the bay mudflats to the high tide refuge at Martaâ€™s Marsh. As we walk, we will listen for rails as well as any other migrants that we may run into. The fennel patches and grassy areas surrounding the marsh can also be productive for a variety of sparrow and warbler species. At the mouth of the creek we will scope the bay looking for ducks like Lesser and Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Wigeon, and possibly Canvasback or Redhead.
Heavy rain cancels. Bring binoculars and, if you have one, a spotting scope. There are no restroom facilities in the marsh.
Directions: From Hwy 101, take Exit 449A at Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera; go east 0.2 mile toward the bay; turn right at the Home Consignment Store and go 0.4 mile on San Clemente Drive; make the first left onto Harbor Drive for 0.2 mile; turn right onto Yolo Street for 400 feet. Then turn left onto Channel Drive. We will meet where the road dead ends at the marsh.
