February Field Trip to Las Gallinas water facility in Marin County (38.0257179, -122.5177573). Sunday February 15th 8:30 am or meet at Petaluma park n ride at 8 am. Recent report of an Eurasian Green winged Teal. Drive south on Hwy 101 to exit 456 Lucas Valley Rd but turn right at stoplight which is Smith Ranch Rd, turn left at the dog park. There is a rest room.  Rain cancels. Contact Ruthie at 707 337 6516 cell/text.

Mark Stephenson’s experience of Spring Migration around the Great Lakes and his participation there in “The Biggest Week” festivals of 2018 and 2025 will be the topics for February. Have you thought about visiting (or revisiting) McGee Marsh or other very birdy spots on the eastern migration route? Mark has thousands of photos and just as many memories of his trip to share. And, he’s looking forward to getting back to RROS and his buddies who so wonderfully helped shape the birding experience for his son, Lucas.

The Tolay Valley is a good spot for Short-eared Owls, Northern Harrier, White-tailed Kites and other raptors. We will meet at the Caltrans Lakeville Park and Ride in Petaluma at 1:30pm. This is a half-day afternoon trip.  Bring layered clothing, lunch, snacks, water and of course binoculars and field guide.

Wednesday Wander for February is on Feb 4th at 4:00 pm at Hudemann Wetlands to look for Short-eared Owls.  Meet at parking lot on Ramel Rd (38.2211149, -122.3953621), accessed from Hwy 121 south of Sonoma. There are no bathrooms. Rain cancels. Questions? Contact Ruthie at 707 337 6516 cell/text.

An all day field trip to Colusa National Wildlife Refuge led by Ruthie Rudesill. Meet at 8:00am at the Red Top Rd. Park & Ride (right turn off Hwy 12 near Hwy 80, then a left for the parking lot). We will carpool from there to the refuge. Or you could meet at the refuge at 9:30am (off Hwy 20, east of Williams). Rain will cancel. Bring snacks/lunch/ water. There are bathrooms available there. We will be observing the large numbers of waterfowl and there is an auto drive. Contact Ruthie Rudesill ruthier@sonic.net. YAMs can also contact Lisa Hug lisahug@sonic.net or Liz Lewis elewis227@gmail.com

Lisa Hug and friends will take us on tour to Africa! Some have heard bits and pieces of her journey and some of you have had the privilege to visit Africa already. In January, join Linda, Leah and Lisa for an evening presentation of their trip to Uganda in August of this year. Their tour was co-led by Rockjumper Birding Tours and Avian Safaris of Uganda.  In addition to birding by boat, on foot and safari-style, they also experienced spending up-close and personal time with Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.  “It was a trip of a lifetime, and we are excited to be able to share our experience with our friends at RROS”.

Meet at the Helen Putnam Regional Park at the Chileno Valley Trailhead, 411 Chileno Valley Road, Petaluma. There is an $8 parking fee or bring your Sonoma County park pass. We will reschedule if stormy. Bring snacks and water. Restrooms are available. Note: there is minimal to no mobile coverage at this location. Questions, contact Liz Lewis, elewis227@gmail.com.

Christmas Bird Count centered in southeastern Sonoma County, including Sonoma Valley and Petaluma. Contact Suzie Silverman (ssbirdygirl@gmail.com) for more details.

Christmas Bird Count in northeastern Marin and a bit of southwestern Sonoma Counties. Contact Susan Kelly (cheepthrills@icloud.com) or David Sexton (davidasexton@rocketmail.com) for details.

Christmas Bird Count centered around Santa Rosa, extending to Sebastopol. Contact Liz Lewis (elewis227@gmail.com) or Gene Hunn (enhunn323@comcast.com) for more details.

December’s program will be the annual “fan favorite”, an RROS Member Sharing event. Please consider actively participating with a sample of your photos, bird recordings, bird artwork, stories, sketches, or any other bird-inspired offerings. Please e-mail Anne at auodonnell@gmail.com by December 3 with your presentation ideas so she can arrange the program’s flow. This meeting will be in-person only. If you are bringing material to share on the computer, please bring your content on a USB stick or SD card. (Handy formats are PDF, DOC, PPTX, JPG). Plan on average share time of 4 minutes per presenter.

Where: The Fellowship Room of the First United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery, Santa Rosa. The Fellowship Room is located at the west (left when facing the church) end of the church.

Consider meeting-up ahead of time at Mary's Pizza on Summerfield Road at 5:30 pm for a casual, informal get-together before heading over to the 7 pm meeting in the First United Methodist Church.

Please note change of date and time for this interesting presentation.

RROS is thrilled to collaborate with Madrone Audubon for a joint November Membership Meeting!

Renowned author and photographer, Paul Bannick, will be returning to RROS, but this time in person for what promises to be an entertaining and educational look at Woodpeckers. (Previous Jan 2022 presentation about owls was Zoomed –see RROS website to view). Meeting date and time will differ from the norm for both RROS and Madrone.

From a recent review by Kirkus of Bannick’s Woodpecker book:

WOODPECKER, A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF NORTH AMERICAN WOODPECKERS by Paul Bannick, Author-Photographer
Wholly absorbing—a sure-fire way to turn even a casual birder into a woodpecker fanatic.

And from a previous editor of Audubon Magazine:
Bannick’s photos are breathtaking, his prose elegant, his knowledge of woodpeckers encyclopedic. If you love birds, read it. Then keep it handy because it has a second function as a field guide.--Ted Williams, wildlife writer & former Editor of Audubon Magazine.

Where: The Fellowship Room of the First United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery, Santa Rosa. The Fellowship Room is located at the west (left when facing the church) end of the church.

Due to the earlier start of this meeting we will not be having our usual meet-up at Mary’s Pizza.

We’ll spend the morning with Craig Roth exploring the trails around Sonoma County’s largest regional park. Notable sightings may include Loggerhead Shrike, Prairie Falcon and many other Raptors. Meet at the Tolay Regional Park parking lot (38.2050058, -122.5210195) ($7 fee, or County pass). For more information or to RSVP, contact Ruth Rudesill at (707) 337-6516.

Join Malcolm Blanchard on a wander around Maxwell Farms Park near the town of Sonoma. Meet at 8:30 AM at the main parking lot off Verano Avenue (38.3022756, -122.4795308). $7 fee or Sonoma County park pass. Loaner binoculars will be available. We will stroll around the park, birding Sonoma Creek, including its beaver dam. Bring snacks. Restrooms are available. Questions, contact Malcolm Blanchard, (707) 480-2210.

Join Ruthie Rudesill for a tour of Pt. Reyes in Marin County. Meet at 7:30 AM at the Lakeville Park & Ride at Hwy 116 and Hwy 101 off Lakeville (38.2341467, -122.6190023). Or at Whitehouse Pool (38.0622353, -122.8166898) at 8 AM, turn off Sir Frances Drake Blvd. We'll go straight out to the Lighthouse first. Bird the usual spots. Bathrooms are available.  Bring layers and lunch & snacks. No food available out there. Questions, contact Ruthie Rudesill (707) 337-6516

“Willet, or won’t it? Evaluating the potential impacts of offshore wind on migratory shorebirds.”

Mario Balitbit, Migratory Bird Specialist at The Nature Conservancy in Virginia (and YAMS alum) will Zoom in as our guest speaker on October 8.

Mario will share his ongoing work with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at the Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve with a focus on the study of migratory shorebird routes in the context of offshore wind. His team, deploying advanced tracking technology, is focusing on Whimbrel, Eastern Willets, and Black-bellied Plovers to evaluate the potential exposure risk these species may face with the development of offshore wind adjacent to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Because the project is ongoing, many “results" are still pending. His presentation might touch on other aspects of his position, such as managing about 70 miles of pristine barrier islands for shorebird conservation; managing shorebirds with people, climate change, and other local factors; education and outreach in rural areas; what it’s like working for TNC; or he might even talk about birding along the Eastern Shore! So many more things he could discuss! Come prepared to be engaged and entertained.

Note: Because Mario is coming to us from the East Coast, he will be presenting via Zoom. There will be no meeting at the church. Members will receive Zoom log-in information before the presentation date.

A pelagic trip on the New Sea Angler to the continental shelf along Bodega Canyon and over the Cordell Banks. Price $180 per person with a student discount rate of $120. For details and updates, contact Peter Colasanti at peter_colasanti@yahoo.com or (707) 780-7296.

Join Ruthie Rudesill on a wander around Spring Lake. Meet at 8:30 AM at the main parking lot from the Violetti Road entrance (38.4555668, -122.6506735).  From Montgomery Drive, turn on Channel Drive then right on Violetti Road to the entrance up the hill. $7 fee or Sonoma County park pass. We will stroll around the lake looking for migrants and vagrants. Bring snacks. Restrooms are available. Questions, contact Ruthie Rudesill, (707) 337-6516

Join Brendon Westerhold for a tour of Bodega Bay. Meet at 8 AM at the Porto Bodega parking lot (38.3334152, -123.0511742). From Hwy 1 north of Bodega Bay, turn left on Eastshore Rd (towards the harbor spots) then go straight at the stop sign. Veer right over the bridge to the large parking lot. We will look for migrants and vagrants around the harbor. Bring layers and lunch. Bathrooms are available at several spots. Questions, contact Ruthie Rudesill (707) 337-6516.

A pelagic trip on the New Sea Angler to the continental shelf along Bodega Canyon and over the Cordell Banks. Price $180 per person with a student discount rate of $120. For details and updates, contact Peter Colasanti at peter_colasanti@yahoo.com or (707) 780-7296.

This year's Fall Pot-luck is taking a slightly different form, and we hope you enjoy it. In an effort to get to know our YAMS youngsters better, we are planning a combined event: Geezers and Fledglings together. So join us for a Fall Pot-luck and Pizza Party featuring the Ancient Murrelets vs. Young Ancient Murrelets Bird-a-thon around Spring Lake, Saturday, September 13, 2:30 to 5 PM. Here's the plan: We'll gather at the picnic tables at Lower Oak Knolls Picnic area (38.4496804, -122.6507955). Take the Newanga Avenue entrance and follow signs to Lower Oak Knolls. From parking lot, look for brightly colored table cloths and signs locating our tables. RROS members please bring a pot-luck plate - salad, main or dessert, to share, to accompany marvelous Mary's Pizzas. Its useful to bring your own utensils, beverages, and camping chairs. Lisa and Liz will organize the teams (old geezers and young bucks) which will circumnavigate the lake in different directions and return to the tables for a tally, prizes, pizza and more. A very short business meeting will follow as this event replaces our usual Sugarloaf pot-luck event. Start the new birding year off right, and join the fun.

A pelagic trip on the New Sea Angler to the continental shelf along Bodega Canyon and over the Cordell Banks. Price $180 per person with a student discount rate of $120. For details and updates, contact Peter Colasanti at peter_colasanti@yahoo.com or (707) 780-7296. (Please note Gene Hunn will not be able to lead this trip. Peter Colasanti has agreed to step in.)

Meet at Sugarloaf at the picnic tables, just past the entrance kiosk, on the right and across from the first (main) parking lot. Come early for late afternoon birding and/or stay after dinner for a late evening bird walk out towards the observatory.

Outdoor dining at the picnic tables starting around 5:30-6. POTLUCK -- BYO - everything. Share safely! If desired, bring your own camp chair and/or blanket. Where: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

Directions: From Hwy 12 East, about 6 miles beyond Calistoga Road, take a left onto Adobe Rd. Follow Adobe Rd to its end in the park. Main parking lot is on the left, past the entrance kiosk. What to Know: State Park entrance fee is $10 per car / $8 for senior or student. Covered with California State Parks pass.

Join Gene Hunn on a 3-mile loop walk around Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, for birds, flowers, and what not. The loop trail begins at the parking lot just above the entry kiosk up Adobe Canyon Road from SR12 in Kenwood. There is a $10 entry fee per car ($8 for seniors). The trail fords a stream, then climbs up along the south hillside before intersecting the planetary trail between Uranus and Saturn. We then return past Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Earth past the planetarium to our starting point. Expect many of the usual oak woodland and chaparral breeding birds. Bring a picnic lunch. For information contact Gene Hunn – enhunn323@comcast.net or (206) 450-0570. If you also join us for the RROS May 14 Wednesday evening picnic potluck (at the picnic tables near the parking lot) you may be able to add some nocturnal species with Ruth Rudesill.

Josh Snead will lead us around this remote northwestern corner of Sonoma County. In order to minimize the number of cars on this narrow road, the trip is limited to 12 people. You must RSVP. First-come, first served, with preference given to RROS members.  Meet at 8:00AM in the parking lot near the bakery in Duncans Mills (38.4530148, -123.0532010). Bring lunch/snacks, fluids, and folding chairs (for the lunch stop). No bathrooms once we start up the hill. Possible Sooty Grouse. To RSVP contact Garrett Pierce – garrettallenpierce@gmail.com or (415) 260-7406.

Garrett Pierce will lead us on a trip along Pine Flat Road. Possible birds are Mountain Quail, Purple Martin, Bell’s Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and California Thrasher. Meet at 8:00AM at the bottom of Pine Flat Road, near the intersection with Red Winery Road (38.6759087, -122.8076800). Bring lunch, fluids, layered clothing. Please note there are no bathrooms. This is a narrow winding road, watch for bicyclists.  You are encouraged to carpool since the fewer cars on this road the better.  To RSVP contact Garrett Pierce – garrettallenpierce@gmail.com or (415) 260-7406.

Sandra and Kathy will discuss and present the dragonflies, their interesting biology, unique life cycles and especially their flight mechanics and migratory habits before introducing the common and not so common dragonflies found in California.  You will find them to be beautiful creatures!

Bios

Former RROS member Kathy Biggs has loved nature her whole life. In 1996, after building a pond in her yard, she was thrilled to see not only birds but also dragonflies arrive. Unable to find resources to identify the dragonflies, she wrote her first guide to California's Dragonflies, which sold over 15,000 copies. Kathy has also created websites for the dragonflies of California, the Southwest, and Jalisco, MX. She has just co-authored a new guide to California's Dragonflies with Sandra von Arb.

Sandra Hunt-von Arb has been a professional wildlife biologist focusing on sensitive, threatened, and endangered species in northern California, southern Oregon, and Northern Illinois for almost 30 years. She is a co-founder of Biodiversity Education and Research Foundation (BEAR Fdn) and continues to work as a field biologist.  She discovered her passion for dragonflies when she began surveying for the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in northern Illinois over 10 years ago. She brought that passion back to California with her and Kathy took her under her wing as a mentor which eventually led to co-authoring the California guide book.

Where: The Fellowship Room of the First United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery, Santa Rosa. The Fellowship Room is located at the west (left when facing the church) end of the church.

Consider meeting-up ahead of time at Mary's Pizza on Summerfield Road at 5:30 pm for a casual, informal get-together before heading over to the 7 pm meeting in the First United Methodist Church.

Join Malcolm Blanchard for a trip to Sonoma Valley Regional Park. We’ll tour the Oak Woodlands in the Park. Expect a lot of woodpeckers, including possible Pileated and other oak-woodland species. We’ll also walk around Lake Suttonfield on nearby Sonoma Developmental Center land. Meet at the main parking lot off of Highway 12 (38.3643337, -122.5122477) ($7 parking fee or County Pass) at 8:00AM. To RSVP, contact Garrett Pierce – garrettallenpierce@gmail.com or (415) 260-7406.

The City of Davis and surrounds once hosted the largest burrowing owl population in Yolo County. After 25 years of advocacy, a burrowing owl geek learned that CEQA does not work. One example of CEQA is limitations for an occupied successful breeding. Public lands and a dedicated Burrowing Owl Reserve were not enough to stop the population decline. Why CDFW is a population level threat. AND, adorable pictures and curious burrowing owl behaviors.

Biography: Catherine Portman co-founded the non-profit Burrowing Owl Preservation Society in 2003. She has been working tirelessly on conservation efforts including coordinating a comprehensive Burrowing Owl census in Yolo County, habitat enhancement with artificial burrows, litigation and petitions to protect Burrowing Owls and many talks for school students, local government elected officials and wildlife organizations.

This meeting is ZOOM only. We will not be meeting physically.

To join the meeting use this link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86579668337?pwd=0KO8BkMWW1qvilDqVlbAwEBQlmHUql.1

Meeting ID: 865 7966 8337

Passcode: 466172