Madrone Audubon Society

The Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association in partnership with NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary needs volunteer citizen scientists to help collect data used to assess the condition of our shores along the Sonoma and southern Mendocino coasts. During monthly surveys Beach Watch volunteers monitor an assigned beach segment counting, identifying, and photo-documenting live and dead birds, marine mammals and human activity along the coast.

Beaches from Bodega Bay to Manchester were added into the program as the National Marine Sanctuary expanded along our coast. An intensive training will be done for our area in Gualala/Sea Ranch on 3 weekends of Aug, Sept, and Oct. This begins with: July 8 Informational Orientation, Gualala Community Center (Time: 11am to 1pm) or July 12 Informational Orientation, Bodega Bay Fire District Hall (6pm-8pm)

Two Brown Pelican Surveys will be conducted again in 2019. Roosts along the Sonoma Coast will be counted for one hour, within a 4 hour window, and reported in eBird. This is a 5 year survey along the CA, OR, WA coasts and organized through Audubon CA and USFWS.

When you travel, do you like to plan your destination in advance? Do you like to know where you will stay and dine when you arrive? Hummingbirds like to know this too.

Hummingbirds must sync their migration with the flowering of nectar-bearing plants so that they can refuel after their long journeys. They can lose as much as half of their body weight during their migration. But what if they migrated and rather than finding their expected nectar plants, they found wilted flowers dry of nectar?

The Rufous Hummingbird is a long distance migrant stopping in many places through Mexico and the western U.S. along the way to its breeding grounds that stretch from northern Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana to southern Alaska. In fact, if the distance traveled during migration is measured relative to the size of the bird, the Rufous Hummingbird may make the longest annual trip of any species! Finding abundant nectar plants at these stop-over sites is very important to the successful migration journey for this little bird. The Rufous Hummingbird is a climate endangered species, from findings in Audubon's bird and climate change report.

Scientific research will be essential for helping to understand how climate change is affecting hummingbirds and for learning how to mitigate those impacts. But it's not that simple. Collecting the necessary scientific data across large areas is difficult and costly. That's where you come in. You can help make a difference for hummingbirds by becoming a citizen scientist.

Jenner Headlands Preserve Raptor Migration Project 2014 (Jenner Hawk Overlook). Counts done twice a week during the Fall migration of hawks from September into November, typically 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Birds ride the air currents and thermals along the coastal hills: a variety is in passage on their way further south (Accipiters, Merlins, Red-tails, Kestrels and Harriers), others may overwinter on the coastal prairie (Ferruginous & Rough-legged Hawks). There are occasional sightings of Eagles and Broad-winged Hawks. There is a lot more to experience - such as views to the Farallon Islands and many other wildlife sightings and encounters.

A long term study of nesting egrets and herons around the North Bay, including Sonoma County. Volunteers “adopt a colony” and make visits roughly once per month from March to June.

Soundscapes to Landscapes (S2L) is a NASA-funded project that is looking for experienced birders to join them in placing sound recorders and performing bioacoustic analysis to monitor bird occurrence throughout Sonoma County. One of the project's goals is to work with citizen scientists to collect detailed information about birds that are present at field sites on public and private land across the county.

These field data will be used by the science team to test the capabilities of using audio recorders to increase spatial and temporal sampling of birds through computer-based bioacoustic analysis of bird calls in recordings. Further, the team will compare bird species data from the field to images from airplanes and satellites that describe avian habitat in terms of 3d vertical structure and seasonal variation in canopy chemistry, and use these data to map the predicted occurrence of species. The overall goals of the program are to improve scientific understanding, advance biodiversity monitoring from space, and inform management and conservation of regional landscapes.

The team is currently looking for birders to place audio recorders and identify bird calls in a web-based analysis platform. This project completed a prototype phase in 2017 that surveyed sites in the Mark West watershed. NASA has now funded the projection for a 3-year implementation period to survey sites throughout all of Sonoma County. The first field season will begin in March 2019 and last 3-4 months, with bioacoustics analysis throughout the year. Further field campaigns are planned for years 2020 and 2021. There is no minimum time commitment to participate. Training will be provided to all volunteers on the use of the automated audio recorders and bioacoustics analysis.

A long term study of shorebird use on Tomales Bay. Six counts each winter, plus migration counts in spring and fall (Mon-Fri only). Each count is 90 minutes long. Requires skill in identification of shorebirds likely to be encountered.

A long term study of wintering waterbirds on Tomales Bay. Four counts scheduled each winter (weekends only). Counts are from boats, from approximately 9am-2pm. Requires high level of proficiency in identifying waterbirds in-flight and at a distance.