Bolinas Lagoon - Winter Birds are here!

January 1, 2007 on 9:18 pm | In Bird Alert |

Greetings and Happy New Year from Birding Sonoma County!

My husband and I ended the old year with a fabulous afternoon at the Bolinas Lagoon, and I can’t think of a better way for you to start 2007 off than with a trip to this winter birding heaven. Above, you will see my sketch of some of the amazing long-legged waders and waterfowl we saw in just a couple of hours at the lagoon. Here’s the key to the birds shown here:

1) Long-billed Curlew
2) American Avocet
3) Northern Pintail
4) American Widgeon
5) Lesser Yellowlegs
6) Marbled Godwit
7) Willet
8) Red-breasted Merganser
9) Killdeer

Other ducks were present, including Buffleheads, and we also saw numerous hawks along the lagoon, Snowy and Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and a beautiful Belted Kingfisher. My sketch is by no means an all-inclusive portrait of the dozens of spectacular birds that pass through this very special environment on their winter migration. According to a birding acquaintance of ours, he has also seen Whimbrels, Scaups, various phalaropes and sandpipers, as well as several varieties of gulls. The winter afternoon proved all too short for us to identify as many birds as we would have liked to, but even our short visit added 7 new species to our lifelist! Incredible.

It was an especial thrill to see the American Avocet in his snowy winter plumage. We had seen him with his rufous feathers earlier in the year, but during the cold months, the change in his appearance is quite striking. Also, the Willet was wearing his soft grey mantle which made identification easier.

More expert birders than ourselves may find identifying wading birds a snap, but we most definitely needed our birding field guide on this day out. Binoculars were helpful, too. Pay careful attention to sizes. This can mean the whole difference between a Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs. And, I’ll take a moment here to sing the praises of the Sibley Guide again. Without his illustrations of seasonal changes, we’d have been sunk!

My husband and I took a picnic lunch with us, and though the day was quite fine enough to enjoy a leisurely meal outdoors, I’ll confess, I could hardly swallow a mouthful, so wild was I to see as many of the lovely birds as I could in my race against the sunset clock. Sandwiches and birdwatching combined may present a choking hazard!

If you’ve never been birding at the Bolinas Lagoon…
…now is the time to go! Though the lagoon is the year-round home of many wonderful wild birds, November - March are the peak months in which to observe migrants. If this will be your first trip to the lagoon, nothing I can say will really prepare you for the abundance of birds present. Whole flocks of Marbled Godwits with their chestnut plumes and 1/2 salmon orange, 1/2 black beaks. Flurries of ducks. Hosts of gulls. And, I cannot write about the lagoon without at least one mention of the Long-billed Curlew (shown above). Words cannot describe the amusing appearance of this tall, unique bird with the unbelievably long beak. When standing, he looks rather smug, serene, an institution unto himself. But when the fancy takes him to bestir himself, he runs along the shore in a sneaking, hysterical way as though he is going to creep up upon one of the other fowls and surprise him with a ‘boo’! I hope to have the time to devote an individual post to each of the species that are special visitors to the lagoon, but for now, suffice it to say that new birders are guaranteed to see new birds there, and old hands will simply be delighted.

The landscape is inspiring with its mix of muddy bank and mirror-like water. We watched the surface gradate slowly from sky blue, to gold and green, to apricot and finally to lavender and deep blue.

Checklist for what to bring when Birding the Bolinas Lagoon

Bird guide
Binoculars
Lifelist or birding journal (take notes so you won’t forget all that you see)
Waterproof shoes (it’s very muddy on the shore)
Warm clothing (even if the weather is clear, it gets cold in the evening)
Food and water (you’ll want to stay all day once you get there)

So where is the Bolinas Lagoon, anyhow?

Whether you are coming North or South on Hwy 101, take the Hwy 1 exit West in Mill Valley. Simply follow Hwy 1 past Stinson Beach to the Bolinas Lagoon. I will add here, however, that I am not a fan of this hair-raising stretch of Hwy 1 myself, and my husband and I invariably take the more scenic, less scary route that goes from Petaluma, out D St. D St. then becomes Petlama-Point Reyes Rd. Follow this past the Nicasio Reservoir and continue until you see a sign indicating to go right toward Olema or left toward Fairfax. Take the right toward Olema to the town of Olema. In the middle of town, at the ‘T’ intersection, turn left. You are now on the nice, pretty end of Hwy 1. Continue on until you reach the lagoon. If you are not partial to twisty cliff roads, this alternative route through Olema will ensure a happier birding day for you and your loved ones.

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know that I am not a great traveler. Unlike those adventurous birders who seem to think nothing of shooting off to South America in pursuit of birds, I’m a real homebody, and that’s why our blog focuses so heavily on local birding. Now, it’s quite true the Bolinas Lagoon is located in Marin, not Sonoma County, but from time to time, we hope you’ll enjoy our peregrinations a bit farther afield. I figure if a birder like me can accomplish a day trip like this, so can most folks. And, when you consider that the world’s top bird men and women consider the Bolinas Lagoon a must-see place, you may suddenly realize that you’ve got a universal treasure located practically in your own backyard.

The lagoon encompasses 1,100 acres of tidal estuary, and is an incredibly important environment for healthy, rare and endangered populations of birds and animals. For more information, please visit the Bolinas Lagoon Foundation.