Out in Black Point, in the far northeastern corner of Novato, the Day Island Wildlife Area is tucked away in secrecy and seclusion. While it has snuck beneath almost everyone’s radar, it is in fact a piece of public land, managed by California Fish and Wildlife as part of its larger Petaluma Marsh Wildlife Area including other parcels adjacent to Rush Creek Open Space, parts of lower Novato Creek, and the main acreage along the Petaluma River. Most of these other units provide no public access, or access only by boat, but Day Island does have trails that explore a pair of ponds, a wooded hill, adjacent marshlands, and Novato’s closest bayshore access.
Like the not-too-far-away Deer Island, Day Island is not these days a true island. Instead it is a naturally wooded hill that once rose above the tidal marshlands that mediated Novato’s approaches to the bay. Much of those marshes have since been drained or hemmed in with dikes to make way for agricultural and other human use, leaving a dry route of access to the former island.
The main uniqueness of Day Island, as far as Novato birding is concerned, lies in its proximity to the Bay. In general, we have a band of agricultural land keeping us from getting too close to the water, or where we do have tidal wetlands (the Bahia side of Rush Creek Open Space Preserve; Hamilton Wetlands) public access is generally from the landward side of a big muddy expanse. This is in contrast to San Rafael, where the rocky shorelines of China Camp’s Point San Pedro, the Loch Lomond Marina, and the Bay Trail to the south offer a close approach to deep water. Here at Day Island, we still aren’t quite that close, with a strip of more or less impassable marsh still keeping humans off the immediate shoreline, but this is one of the few places in this town where you can still feel the historical truth that Novato is a bayfront settlement. (Once upon a time we would send our agricultural products down Novato Creek for distribution to the world via water. Now we stew in traffic on Highway 101.)
What does this mean for seeing birds? Although not close (a spotting scope is very helpful), you can see the deep water of the bay. In winter, hundreds of diving ducks and dozens of large Clark’s and Western Grebes are a common sight from the hilltop terminus of the main entry road. Bufflehead are probably the most common of the diving ducks, but there may also be groups (sometimes in the hundreds) of scaup, ruddy ducks, or canvasbacks. Goldeneyes are also common in lower numbers, and an occasional true coastal visitor like a surf scoter is not unheard of. At low tide, there is a narrow mudflat bordering the water that can attract dense flocks of shorebirds, including “peep” sandpipers, willets, godwits, or curlews. At high tide, however, there is no transition zone between the water and the marsh and there will be few if any shorebirds to be seen.
If staring out into distant water is not to your tastes, there is also some closer water in the form of two small ponds or lagoons. In all frankness, I’m not quite sure of the inflow source and management practices here, with water levels apparently varying throughout the year based on management decisions I am not privy to. Often though, the eastern lagoon (closer to the bay and on your left as you enter on the main road) seems to offer slightly deeper water and attract small flocks of diving ducks like goldeneyes and buffleheads and smaller grebes like the pied-billed or eared, while the western lagoon (more inland, on the right as you enter) is often more shallowly filled or partly drained, hosting small flocks of surface feeding ducks like mallards, wigeons, and shovelers and some wading shorebirds like stilts or yellowlegs. But these are averages and not rules.
There is a substantial amount of tidal saltmarsh surrounding Day Island, visible from the trails surrounding the island itself and some radiating trails that go out upon the levees. Of course, when I say “visible,” I must issue the disclaimer that much of what lives in the marsh is notorious invisible. In spring you will hear and see singing song sparrows easily enough, and the egrets are stark white and not furtive, as far as people are concerned.
But the other marsh songbirds (common yellowthroat and marsh wren) are easily overlooked and the most characteristic marsh birds (Ridgway’s rail and black rail) are more elusive yet. At sunset, it is easy enough to hear the “clapping” sound of Ridgway’s rail (formerly known as clapper rail) and the occasional ki-ki-doo of the tiny and nearly invisible black rail. Both rails have suffered from major reductions in extant tidal marsh habitat, making it both crucial to preserve high quality remnants such as found here in the Petaluma Marsh system and to avoid disturbing birds by intensive searching. Enjoy the strange and distant calls across the pickleweed as a sign that the rails are living as they should, secure and hidden in their increasingly scarce refuges.
You will also often hear the Great Horned Owls that live in the woody hills of Black Point, and it seems like there would be plenty of good barn owl habitat out here too. I guess I haven’t spent enough twilight hours here – why don’t you check it out and see if you can spot a short-eared owl in winter?
During the day, northern harriers, white-tailed kites, red-tailed hawks, and (especially in winter) American kestrels are all common. The near bayshore location makes this a particularly good spot for osprey (“fish eagles”). In June of 2018, I saw one here bearing sticks off into the distance, but where the nest location is I’m not sure. The other interesting raptor phenomenon I observed here during summer was a Swainson’s hawk. This broad-winged Buteo hawk (similar in proportion and flight style to our common red-tailed hawks) is unusual in its migratory pattern compared to most of our hawks, breeding in roughly our latitudes in the Sacramento Valley and then migrating south to Argentina for the winter (most of our hawks are either residents or winter visitors who breed to the north). Historically, they nested more broadly in the Bay Area and have recently been increasing in numbers following a long pesticide-linked decline over much of the 20th century, with a few recent nesting records in Sonoma and Napa counties. I saw one here during the June harvesting of the hayfields, when many raptors, egrets, and corvids were following the tractor in the adjacent fields. Others reported seeing one or two in the area in the weeks prior and after, suggesting a relatively prolonged stay and raising hopes that they could nest in Marin once again.
The wooded hill itself is mostly covered in pleasant mixed woodland with a variety of oaks. Here on the northward edge of the county (Sonoma is visible right across the Petaluma River), the transition towards a more northerly ecotone is already visible in the presence of Oregon white oaks, a tree which is uncommon in Marin but reasonably common in Sonoma and which becomes increasingly abundant further north. It has deeply lobed, unpointed leaves, similar to our more familiar valley oak, but the lobes are fewer, broader, and less deep. If you see the acorns, they are relatively averaged sized compared to the massive bullets of the valley oaks, also present here along with coast live and black oaks. The woods are not extensive, but do host the normal expected birds of the oak forest: titmice, chickadees, and various woodpeckers, joined by kinglets and yellow-rumped warblers in winter. A significant chunk of the hill is also being swallowed up by invasive broom, which may have a negative impact on the future understory diversity and eventually animal life.
Other Minor Points of Interest in Black Point
While out here in Black Point, you may want to pop by a few other locations. The major sites in the general vicinity are the Bahia Lagoon and Deer Island, profiled elsewhere, but there are also a few other little sites worth noting. One is the Black Point Boat Launch, part of the Marin County Parks system and located underneath the Highway 37 bridge over the Petaluma River. I suppose this is technically even closer access to the water than Day Island (it is a boat launch, after all) and you can sometimes see those various deep water birds I mentioned by just pulling up here without any walking at all. If you want to park for a while though, there is a $5 fee. Another is the very nearby Stone Tree Golf Club ponds. This is not a public course and parking is officially limited to golf course and clubhouse patrons, but I like to ride my bike by early in the morning on my way out to Day Island, before the golfers arrive. These ponds often have a few shorebirds (I’ve seen snipe) and a nice smattering of ducks. My most notable sighting came earlier this month, in early December, when I saw no fewer than 22 hooded mergansers in this wee little pond.
Practical Details
Getting There: Google seems to recognize the address 302 Days Island Road (though the official name of the property does seem to be Day Island). From the eastern end of Atherton Ave. in northern Novato, pass under the Highway 37 overpass and turn left on Harbor Dr. Turn right over the railroad tracks on Grandview Avenue to head uphill into the Black Point neighborhood, continuing uphill until a several-way intersection at the hill crest, turning right to stay on Grandview. Take the first left on Iolanthus and then the fourth right on Norton Ave. The gravel Days Island entrance road is on your left and is blocked by an (unlocked) gate. Park outside the gate and walk in.
Parking is very limited, with room for only one or two cars outside of the gate, but I have never encountered more than one car here (the area is largely unknown outside of neighborhood residents). Of course, once this article goes live and I spill the beans, there will probably be a permanent queue.
Access and rules: Day Island Wildlife Area is a unit of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Petaluma Marsh Wildlife Area. Although their minimal website does not mention it as offering public trail access, it does. The sign at the entrance does note a few rules, most notably that all dogs should be kept on leash. There are two residences within the wildlife area; you may walk by them, but do not disturb the occupants.
Getting Around: The gravel entrance road (Days Island Road) leads up the main hill and forks to reach the two residences. Take the road to the left and continue past the Fish & Wildlife building to their rustic roundabout/bayshore lookout point. Alternatively, obvious footpaths border the lower edge of the “island” and head out on several of the surrounding levees into the marsh. The quickest route to the bay overlook is by taking the trail that leaves the road on your left, heading off into the coyote bush shortly before the road heads uphill.
Birds: Up until last year there was no eBird hotspot for Day Island and so the historical records are somewhat scattered rather than being listed under one location name. Contribute to the now growing list of sightings and see recent reports at the now active eBird hotspot page.
Header photo: Western grebe by Don McCollough. The deeper waters of the bay are the place to see them!