2019 dates are here.... North Bay Area outings, presentations, events

West County Hawkwatch 2019 season is here!

Please contact us with any questions, thank you.

Sept 15^th  Jenner Headlands, Sonoma Land Trust,, Member outings, SLT membership Raptor Migration Sensation, two walks. 9am/12pm to 1pm/4pm. Sonoma Land Trust website for details. 

Sept 29^th  Lynch Canyon Open Space, Solano Land Trust, Raptor Migration Sensation Hike 10am to 2pm, (Public Hike) Solano Land Trust website for details. 

Oct 26^th  Lynch Canyon Open Space, Solano Land Trust, Over-wintering Raptor education and Identification, 10am to 2pm. (Public Hike) Solano Land Trust website for details.

Oct 27^th  Estero Americano, Sonoma Land Trust (time TBD) Over-wintering Raptor education and Identification (Public Hike) Keep an eye out for details.

Nov 9^th Tolay Lake, Madrone Audubon, Annual Fall/Winter, Raptor and Bird hike. 8am to 2pm (Public Hike) go to Madrone Audubon website for details. [west count hawkwatch sponsored, lead by Gordon Beebe]

Nov 16^th  Skaggs Island, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Public Tour, Sonoma Land Trust, 10am 2pm, (Public Tour) Keep an eye out for announcement.

Nov 17^th  Skaggs Island, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Member Tour, Sonoma Land Trust, 10am 2pm, (Member Tour) Keep an eye out for announcement.

Nov 23rd Lynch Canyon Open Space, Solano Land Trust, 10am to 2pm

(Public Hike) Solano Land Trust website for details.

Dec 8^th Rush Ranch Open Space, Solano Land Trust, Birds of Prey Education Day and Hawk hike. Announcement will be on Solano Land Trust website.

Details:
The Solano Land Trust the events have no limit on attendance, same with Madrone, there has been no limits on attendance. 

For Sonoma Land Trust events go to their webpage: sonomalandtrust.org

Go to outings page: https://sonomalandtrust.org/outings   

For Solano Land Trust go to their webpage: solanolandtrust.org  

Home: Events: Birds of Prey  solanolandtrust.org/events/birds-of-prey

For Madrone Audubon Society check their webpage: www.madroneaudubon.org  

2019 Trione - Annadel Presentation Announcement coming

2020 Madrone Audubon Presentation, Announcement coming.
2020 Sonoma Land Trust Presentation, Announcement coming
2020 January, February, March and April, Solano and Sonoma Land Trust outings, hikes, tours coming.

(all photos West County Hawkwatch Jesse & Larry)

Monte Kirven, Wildlife Biologist, Peregrine Falcon researcher

Monte Neil Kirven (1936-2017)

July 2017 with new peregrine.

Monte Neil Kirven, born August 5, 1936, perished in the wildfires that consumed the forested hills near Santa Rosa, CA, in October of 2017.

Wildlife biologist helped ensure peregrine falcon survival:

Wildlife biologist Monte Kirven was instrumental in ensuring the survival of peregrine falcons in Northern California.

Monte’s love of nature and the outdoors was an integral part of his life. In time, his interest in fishing and hunting were nurtured into consuming passions that became lifelong pursuits. When his mother remarried a Navy man, they moved frequently. He attended Coronado High School in Coronado, CA, and East High School in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated in 1955. He then attended the University of Mississippi where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology in 1960. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was in the Army ROTC program; later commissioned as an officer after graduation. In 1964, he was trained in Military Intelligence at Fort Ord, CA.

In 1977, Monte earned a Ph.D. in Biology at University of Colorado studying bat falcons in Venezuela. Returning to California, he taught courses in biology and ecology at both Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College. During this period, he collaborated with Robert Riseborough, Geoff Monk, D.A. “Sandy” Boyce, Brian Walton, and others to determine the pesticide contamination levels in peregrine prey species; studied the foraging behavior of nesting peregrines in a geothermal development area via radio-telemetry with Dr. James Enderson; and was employed by the Ukiah District of the Bureau of Land Management to conduct a decade-long survey of nesting peregrines in northern California. He is credited with helping to show eggshell thinning in endangered peregrine falcons that led to the banning of DDT for agricultural use in 1972.

A falconer for over 50 years, Monte was accomplished at training peregrine falcons for the hunting of waterfowl. In addition, he mentored many aspiring falconers to care properly for their birds and to hunt successfully with them.

He is survived by his daughter Kathleen K. Groppe of Lancaster, TX, sons Kenneth of San Diego, CA, and Brian of Point Reyes Station, CA, sister Marcia A. Gray of Helen, MT, and her children Alex, Tessa, Andrew and Jimmy and former wife Valerie Quate.

Sears Point Bird Walk this Saturday! ~ February 25th! 9:30am Dickson / Baylands units.

Sears Point Bird Walk this Saturday! ~ February 25th! 9:30am Dickson / Baylands units.

Part of the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge. Park at the Reclamation Road parking lot, Reclamation Road is off of Lakeville Highway / Highway 37 ... hike is 9:30am to 11/11:30am .....

hike is free! its a non advertised, non planned event, we just have a free day and we decided to go birding! Come on out! Experienced, Novice, Beginner... all are welcome.

Larry Broderick West County Hawkwatch Group... We'll walk along the Dickson trail looking into both the Baylands and Dickson units of the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge!

some west county wildlife! Wildlife of ACR's Modini Mayacamas Preserves