Week of Events
Tricolored Blackbird Ecology and Conservation in California’s Central Valley and Sierra Foothills
Tricolored Blackbird Ecology and Conservation in California’s Central Valley and Sierra Foothills
Thursday, June 9 at 7:00 PM
Speaker: Dan Airola
Register for the June Speaker Series Zoom program HERE
The Tricolored Blackbird has declined dramatically from its historical abundance to become a state-listed species, as a result of massive land-use changes in California’s Central Valley. The species has adapted and now occupies a variety of novel habitats, including agricultural fields and grazing lands in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Dan Airola has studied Tricolored Blackbirds over the last decade in the valley and foothills to understand their population status, habitat requirements, future land use threats, and conservation management. He offers a conservation assessment addressing both the challenges of land use change and encouraging efforts to conserve the species.
Raised in Marin County, wildlife biologist and ornithologist Daniel Airola conducts research and conservation efforts for birds of concern in northern California. He is a member of the statewide Tricolored Blackbird Working Group and leads its Research Committee. Other research species include the Purple Martin, Yellow-billed Magpie, Swainson’s Hawk, and Osprey. His recent book on 30 years of Purple Martin research and management is available at cvbirds.org.
Lunar Viewing Event – Bahia
Lunar Viewing Event – Bahia
Friday, June 10, 2022
8:30 -10:30 pm
With Ken George
No registration required!
Join Ken George, longtime member of San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, to share his homemade astronomical telescope to view the Moon at its optimal viewing angle and phase for the month. Ken has been giving free public night sky viewings for over 12 years at various locations in the North Bay Area, including Chabot Space and Science Center and many Marin Public Libraries. He also meets with fellow “Sidewalk Astronomers” on Mt. Tam once a month for free public star parties.
Directions: Exit 101N at Atherton/San Marin Dr (exit 463). At end of exit ramp, turn east (right) onto Atherton. In 0.8 miles, turn left onto Bugeia Ln. In approx. 1/2 mile, slight right onto Bahia Dr, continue approx.1 mile to stop sign. Turn right onto Topaz until near the end of the road. Meet at gate entrance across from Bahia Clubhouse.
Muir Beach & Redwood Creek
Muir Beach & Redwood Creek
Saturday, June 11, 2022
8:30 AM to noon
Birding with young birders John King, Joseph Zeno, and Mark Schulist
Register for this field trip HERE
Limit of 20 fully vaccinated participants on this trip. Registration opens on June 1.
Join John, Joseph, and Mark for a field trip to the coastal riparian habitats of Muir Beach and Redwood Creek where we’ll observe some of Marin’s nesting songbirds and catch the tail end of Spring Migration. We will meet at the Muir Beach parking lot, and then bird the Green Gulch Trail. We will likely encounter breeding warblers, flycatchers, and other small passerines. Next, we will travel to another portion of Redwood Creek’s Riparian corridor just down the road to find more songbird species in the vegetation around the creek. Finally, we will end our trip at the Muir Beach overlook where encounters with Peregrine Falcons are common and we can eat lunch with a nice view of the ocean.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at Muir Beach parking lot. From Hwy 101, take exit 445B and merge onto CA-1S, in approx. ½ mile, turn left onto CA-1N, in 5.1 miles, left onto Pacific Way, continue straight 0.2 miles to parking lot.