1 *CHIPPING SPARROW* Saw one close-up on ground before it flew to a nearby oak branch where a group of large Valley White and Oregon Oak occur next to both sides of the trail as it ascends northeast from the flat meadow trail area.
Heard two singing individuals in the southern part of the meadow and saw one at CLOSE range on a fencepost before it flew. Characteristic white outer tail feathers were seen on fleeing individual.
Heard two different classic calls (one a chip note and the other a rattle), then the melodic, classic song amid the large Valley White Oak and Oregon Oak in the north-northeastern portion of the meadow...and where the trail begins to ascend as you leave the meadow. Given female may potentially periodically sing, I marked the sex below as "unknown."
Heard two classic songs from different individuals within 400' of where the trailhead begins at the San Andreas Drive parking area where it dead ends.
*2 singing YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER* I was not surprised to hear the annual singing of this common, ubiquitous non-breeding resident at three spots amid my 2.3-mile bike ride here......given this species nests at sporadically at some high altitude portions of the NBB, including Mt. Burdell....but, otherwise, sings among flatter areas before leaving (or while dispersing/migrating) in the NBB in April. Do I hear this species singing at lower altitude in Marin other than April annually. No. Never in the past 39 years since I've been in the Bay Area/Marin.....But listen carefully now if you wish and you'll hear this species singing before they soon leave flatland areas for nesting elsewhere (Likewise, Townsend's Warbler is another NBB non-breeding season resident that sings in our region in April before leaving to nest elsewhere). 4/13/25 Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, San Rafael *6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL* *....* in the sludge ponds (football field enclosure within a barbed wire fence immediately east of pond #2 along the main trail running north-northeast from the parking lot). *1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS* *....* in pond #1 (visually seen and heard calling with aberrant, less common call than the too-too....though I heard the double too-too call also. *6 BONAPARTE'S GULL*....in pond #2, though Bob Atwood spotted 60 before I arrived. 4/13/25 Marsh Drive flooded area (ephemeral pond that is 150-200 acres at Hwy. 37 & Hwy. 101 (southwest corner) *62 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE*
Regards, Daniel Edelstein Novato, CA WarblerWatch.com
