Outer Point Reyes is a wonderful place for fall migrants, many of them Eastern passerine vagrants. You never know who’ll turn up…sightings in past years have included Blackburnians and Blackpolls; Chestnut-sided, Connecticut, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated, and Black-throated Blues…and that’s just the warblers. We’ve also seen Yellow-green, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Orchard Orioles, Ovenbirds, American Redstarts, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Peregrine Falcons, and Broad-winged Hawks.

To be clear, we don’t see all—or even most!—of these species every year. Not even one is guaranteed. But we can hope! The chance to see migrants is very much dependent on the weather: an absence of winds from the northwest and an overcast night sky helps to hold these land birds at the Outer Point. More reliable are the waterbirds: we usually have Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Cormorants, and Loons.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in the past this trip has met at Bear Valley. This year we’ll try meeting at the Drake’s Beach visitor center, closer to the hotspots on the Outer Point. At Drake’s Beach we’ll combine cars, as parking on the Outer Point is extremely limited. MDAS does not require carpooling on our trips but in this case it’s very helpful, so if you’re comfortable sharing a car please come prepared to do so. Or carpool all the way from home with a friend or two!

Weather is highly changeable even on a good day, so bring layers and be prepared for damp wind. Storm Warning cancels. Bring lunch and plenty of water, as the Outer Point is a remote area with no conveniences. If you need to borrow binoculars, please advise the leader before the trip so they can bring an extra pair. If you have a scope of your own to bring it can be useful for sea-watching.

Hike Rating: Category 2 – Moderate. Two planned walks of ~1 mile on paved, hilly roads; plus short walks over tricky terrain at a few optional stops.
Elevation change: A few well-graded climbs on paved roads, none over about 100 feet.
Leaders: Matt Tarlach, , 925-482-6129

Meet: 8:30am at Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center, Drake’s Beach. Leader will park not far from the picnic tables behind the visitor center.

This trip is limited to 15 participants. All Field Trips are first-registered, first-served. Participants acknowledge the MDAS Liability Waiver (available during registration)

Register HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/outer-point-reyes-tickets-695160653227