Events
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The Ponds at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) – San Rafael
Thursday, September 3, 2026 8:30 AM to noon Birding with Mark Clark Registration is not required. All participants are welcome to join this trip. Beginning birders are especially welcome to join leader Mark Clark on our monthly walk around the ponds at Las Gallinas. Bird enthusiasts of all levels help each other to find and identify the birds, and there are usually several experienced birders to assist. On our walk we’ll be looking for waterfowl, waders, songbirds, raptors and swallows. We are likely to spot some interesting species, so come assist in our search. The packed dirt paths around the ponds are wide, flat and easy to navigate. Heavy rain cancels DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 101, exit at Smith Ranch Rd. Drive east on Smith Ranch Rd. toward McInnis Park. Turn left 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.
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Bringing Birds to the Garden: California Native Plants for the Win
California is home to more than 5,000 native plant species and over 700 recorded bird species, yet habitat loss, development, and invasive plants threaten this biodiversity.
This presentation will explore the relationship between native plants and birds—and how home gardens can help restore habitat. Participants will learn how native plants provide food, shelter, and nesting opportunities, along with practical guidance for planning, planting, and maintaining a garden suited to local conditions.
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Farallon Islands Boat Trip – From Clipper Yacht Harbor, Sausalito
Join us for a day of seabird and marine mammal watching as we head out to the Farallon Islands and offshore waters. Naturalist David Wimpfheimer will be our guide aboard Captain Christian’s power catamaran, Outer Limits. When we last did this cruise, sightings included Humpback Whales, Laysan and Black-footed Albatross, Tufted Puffin, Rhinoceros and Cassin’s Auklets, shearwaters and jaegers. We will get a close-up look at the islands and hear about their interesting natural and human history. This is a trip that both experienced and first-time birders and nature lovers enjoy.
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Rodeo Lagoon – Marin Headlands
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 8:00 AM for a circuit of the lagoon. READ MORE
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Vaux’s Swifts at McNear Brick and Block – San Rafael
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.
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All Hands Ecology’s Cypress Grove Research Center
Join avian ecologist David Lumpkin, for a field trip to his work location, All Hands Ecology’s (formerly known as Audubon Canyon Ranch) Cypress Grove Research Center. All levels of birding enthusiasts are welcome on this easy two-mile walk.
Sightings on our walk to and along Tomales Bay at this time of year may include ocean birds if conditions are right, the occasional vagrant passerine, and an influx of interior breeders not seen in the summer. Other migrating shorebirds may be seen as well as the usual mix of coastal prairie species. Rain does not cancel.
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