Recent and Seasonal Posts
Shorebirds: Fall migrants have arrived! Learn to recognize all our local shorebirds in our overview guide.
Ducks: After the shorebirds come the ducks, reaching peak numbers in December.
Crowned Sparrows: In the backyard and neighborhood, the big event of fall migration is the arrival of the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows.
The Jewel in the Trees: Townsend’s Warblers are the most beautiful winter songbird in Marin.
This Month in Backyard Birds: December
December and January are the real winter months for Marin birds. Winter birds are here, summer birds are gone, and nesting and territorial behavior are at a minimum (songbirds will start nesting in February—put up birdhouses before then). But that doesn’t mean that the bird world is quiet—far from it! In the mild climate of coastal California, bird diversity increases in the winter compared to the summer with the influx of many migratory shorebird, waterfowl, raptor, and songbird species.
Feeder activity tends to increase in winter, with more birds in our area and less natural food available. Goldfinches form hungry flocks at sunflower chips and Nyjer feeders, sparrows poke around on the ground for fallen seeds, and a wide range of insect-eating birds including warblers and kinglets can be tempted by suet or mealworms. Meanwhile, berry-producing plants attract robins and cedar waxwings.
Beyond the yard, waterfowl numbers are now reaching their peak. Local ponds for ducks include Las Gallinas in San Rafael, Ellis Creek in Petaluma, and Pacheco Pond and the Bahia Lagoon in Novato. Tidal mudflats like those at Rush Creek or Hamilton host ducks in deeper water and a wide variety of shorebirds in the shallows and exposed mud, including godwits, curlews, willets, dunlins, and sandpipers.
