What walks, talks, and other nature-related events are coming up in Novato and North Marin in February? Read below for our upcoming events as well as our monthly compilation of local guided walks and nature-related events sponsored by other groups.
Want advance notice of upcoming events?
Nature in Novato events are posted over the course of each month. Near the beginning of each month, they are listed in the Wild Birds Unlimited email newsletter, at which point most events fill up within a day or two. If you would like to beat the bird store crowd to the punch, you can subscribe to Nature in Novato and receive an email notice whenever a new post is published, including this new monthly event summary, which goes out out a few days before the bird store newsletter. Just type your email address below! (All contact information is completely private and will not be used for any commercial purposes; unsubscribing is easy.)Our Nature in Novato/Wild Birds Unlimited events are free of charge, but are limited to small groups for the best possible experience; please click through to each event to reserve your space.
Nature in Novato Events
Saturday, 2/15: Loch Lomond Bird Walk
Join leaders Jack and Angela from Wild Birds Unlimited for a late fall walk at San Rafael’s Loch Lomond Marina. We’ll be particularly looking out for rocky shoreline birds like oystercatchers, black turnstones, and spotted sandpipers, but we’re also certain to see various ducks and other waterbirds as we explore this bayfront trail. To learn more about the birds of Loch Lomond, see our full site profile.
See the full details and reserve your space on the event page.
Thursday, 2/20: Hamilton Wetlands “Behind the Scenes” Birding
Our full array of winter shorebirds has now arrived, and there is no better local area for large numbers and diversity of plovers, sandpipers, stilts, avocets, and much more than at the restored Hamilton Wetlands in Novato. At this time of year, waterfowl and raptor numbers are also at their peak, and winter songbirds like Say’s phoebes and Lincoln’s sparrows are in place. On this special “behind the scenes” trip, we’ll travel in carpools on levees roads normally closed to public access from where we’ll get unique views of the wetlands as we approach the breach to San Pablo Bay. Our guides will be David Sexton, long-time bird monitor throughout the restoration project, and Jack from Wild Birds Unlimited, who also volunteers with the Hamilton bird monitoring. To learn more about some of the birds we’ll see, take a look at our Hamilton Wetlands profile.
See the full details and reserve your space on the event page.
Sunday, 2/23: Backyard Birdsong Seminar
By late February, spring’s crescendo of birdsong is already well underway. In this in-store seminar, we’ll introduce you to the most common songs and other vocalizations heard from our backyard birds. In addition to learning how to recognize about a dozen of our favorite yard birds by ear, you’ll also gain insight into questions like:
- Why do birds sing? Which kinds of birds sing and when?
- What are other bird calls communicating?
- How do you learn birdsong? What tips, tricks, and techniques will make it easier both to remember these birds and to learn others in the future?
For full details and to reserve your space, visit the event page.
Other Upcoming Nature Events
The two most active other groups that regularly offer free public bird walks in our area are Marin Audubon Society and Marin County Parks. Check their calendars for additional scheduled events in other parts of the county; Novato and San Rafael-based activities are listed below.
February 1: Trail maintenance at Pacheco Valle, Marin Open Space.
February 6: Birds at Deer Island, Marin Audubon. See our profile of Deer Island.
February 13: Wildflower lecture at the Civic Center Library, Marin Open Space.
February 18: Nature for kids at Indian Tree, Marin Open Space. See our profile of Indian Tree.
February 20: Live raptors at the Novato Library.
February 23: Build your own birdfeeder at Stafford Lake, Marin Open Space.
February 23: Early wildflowers at Mount Burdell, Marin Open Space. See our profile of Mount Burdell.
March 14: Native trees of Marin, presentation by Jack from Nature in Novato, at the Novato Library.
Header photo: red-shouldered hawk by Susie Kelly.