Novato, California

Happening this Month

Each month we host free local bird walks and talks on natural history subjects in our Novato store. See the list below for details and sign-up, or visit our Nature in Novato blog for our full listing of current nature walks and other events hosted by ourselves and other local organizations. 

 

Mount Burdell Bird Walk

April 22, 2018 @ 9:00 am to 11:30 am at Mount Burdell – San Andreas Trailhead

Join guest leader David Wimpfheimer and Jack from Wild Birds Unlimited for a spring walk on Mount Burdell. We'll be looking and listening for a variety of spring songbirds, including Bullock's orioles, lark sparrows, orange-crowned warblers, warbling vireos, and arriving lazuli buntings among the lush green hillsides of Marin's premier oak savanna habitat. This walk is fully booked, but you can still visit the blog to learn more about the birds of Mount Burdell.

Deer Island Bird Walk

April 28, 2018 @ 9:30 am to 11:30 am at Deer Island Open Space Preserve

Join Jack for this small group walk at Novato's Deer Island Open Space Preserve. This wooded hill rising above seasonal wetlands offers a wide variety of spring songbirds. We'll look and listen for ash-throated flycatchers, purple finches, nuthatches, wrens, and a variety of woodpeckers. Meanwhile, the surrounding open areas attract raptors and our various summer swallow species. This walk is fully booked, but if you'd like to explore the birds on your own you can check out our profile of Deer Island. 

Loma Alta Bird Walk

May 12, 2018 @ 9:00 am to 11:30 am at Loma Alta Fire Road

Join Jack and Don from Wild Birds Unlimited for a spring walk on the Loma Alta Fire Road. This trail heads south from Lucas Valley Road over wildflower-covered grasslands dotted with groves of oaks and rocky outcroppings, a unique habitat type that hosts a number of special birds. We'll be looking in particular for lazuli buntings, lark and grasshopper sparrows, meadowlarks, and possible horned larks, as well as enjoying the birdsong from a variety of other spring songbirds. We'll be heading up the trail at 9 AM on Saturday, May 12th, aiming to wrap up around 11:30. Note that this walk includes a few miles round-trip of slow-paced but steadily uphill walking on a rocky, uneven fire road.  We encourage participants to meet at Wild Birds Unlimited at 8:30 AM to carpool, since parking at the trailhead is somewhat limited. Get the full details and reserve your spot here.