San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival

13th Annual San Francisco Bay

February 6th - 8th, 2009

Festival Sponsors

Festival Host ($6,500+)
Weston Solutions, Inc.

Festival Partner
($5,000+)
Lennar Mare Island LLC

Major Sponsors
($2,000 - $4,999)
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Coastal Program
City of Vallejo (IK)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Festival Sponsors
($1,000-$1,999)
California Coastal Conservancy
Saintsbury Winery
US Fish & Wildlife Service, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Festival Supporter
($500-$999)
Apollo Internet (IK)
Bear Basin Outfitters
Crockett Cogeneration
ENGEO, Inc.
Napa River Adventures (IK)
Valero Refining Co. - Benicia Refinery
Vallejo Convention & Visitors Bureau (IK)
Vallejo Garbage Service
Vallejo Sanitation and Flood Control District
Wildbirds Unlimited-Pleasant Hill

Festival Donors
($100-$499)
Benicia Plein Air Group
California Native Plant Society
Chateau St. Jean
Citizen’s Committee to Complete the Refuge
CS Marine Constructors, Inc.
Dolphin Charters
Down Window Press (IK)
Eagle Optics (IK)
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Robin Leong
Madrone Audubon Society
Marin Audubon Society
Mt. Diablo Audubon Society
Napa-Solano Audubon Society
Nourot Glass Studio, Benicia
Reyes Paintings (IK)
San Francisco Bay Joint Venture
Save San Pablo Baylands (IK)
Sierra Club-Napa Group
Sierra Club-Solano Group
Solano County Green Party
Starr Mansion Bed and Breakfast
VALCORE Recycling, Inc.
Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation

Regional Outings

Friday, February 1st

8:00 am - 9:45am

Morning Boat Tour of Napa’s New Marsh
Repeats Friday 10am and 12noon, Saturday and Sunday 7am, 9am and 11am.

Gain a different perspective of Napa Valley’s birds; expect to see shorebirds as well as raptors on this guided birdwatching cruise into Napa’s New Marsh aboard a luxury, electric-motor launch with an experienced guide. Meet at Kennedy Park Dock for prompt departure. Bring binoculars. Ample parking. Refreshments served. Boat canopied for shelter from rain and wind. Trip goes rain or shine.

SPACE LIMITED. No children under 12. Reservations required; $35 – (707) 224 9080 [FLY1] (www.napariveradventures.com)

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Ducks, Shorebirds, and Raptors of American Canyon Wetlands

David Takeuchi, Field Trip Chairman, Napa Solano Audubon Society
If you are new to birding, learn about ducks, shorebirds, hawks and falcons. These birds are wintering in our wonderful wetlands, and we are very fortunate to have this area in our back yard, right in the Pacific Flyway. If you are a birder, experience another season of bird migration at an expanding wetlands. Depending on ground conditions, we may visit the American Canyon Waste Water Treatment Plant catchment ponds at the end of Eucalyptus Drive. An easy walk. No restrooms.

Directions: From Hwy 29, turn west onto American Canyon Rd. Turn right onto Wetlands Edge Rd. Meet in the parking lot to the left on Eucalyptus Dr.

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Photograph by Steve Farley

Skaggs Island’s Hawks

Repeats Saturday 8:30am and 12noon and Sunday 8am

Field Trip Leader Murray Berner, Napa County Birder Extraordinaire

Visit one of the North Bay’s premier hawk wintering grounds. New this year, our outings will be on the Haire Ranch at the northern end of the Island; this is a walk along levees, not a carpool. Numbers vary, but in a "normal" year up to 19 species of raptors have been observed here! Expect a variety of buteos, including Red-tailed, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks. Previous festival outings have observed 4 species of falcons. Golden Eagle is a distinct possibility. Anyone for Short-eared Owl?

Directions: From Napa, Vallejo and East Bay, turn west at light from Hwy 29 onto Hwy 12/121. Continue to Duhig Rd. Turn left. Proceed on Duhig until it becomes Ramal Rd. at sharp turn. Continue on Ramal Rd. to Skaggs Island Rd. Turn left. Continue to Hudeman Slough boat launch. Click here for link to google map: 28020 Skaggs Island Road, Sonoma Meet your field trip leader in the parking lot. From Petaluma, Sonoma & Marin, turn right onto Ramal Rd. from Hwy 12/121. Continue about 3 miles to Skaggs Island Rd. Turn right. Follow directions above to boat launch parking lot.

GUIDELINES FOR OUTING: Not appropriate for young children. There are NO restrooms––coffee drinkers beware! Levee not handicapped accessible, however since the parking lot, dead-end road and bridge are paved and there is virtually no traffic beyond the parking lot, the bridge and road from the bridge to the Haire Ranch and Skaggs North Gate could make a great viewing location for wheelchair users or those who need to bird from their car. Just make an effort to keep the roadway clear for ranch vehicle use. Note: Depending on the amount of rains we get before the trips, the levee could be muddy; dress accordingly. This is a rain or shine outing. Only heavy rain cancels!

9:30 am - 12:00 noon

Photograph by Steve Farley

Shollenberger Park Wetlands Tour
Led by Park docents with viewing scopes, Petaluma Wetlands Alliance

Repeats Saturday, 9:30am and Sunday, 9:30am

Twenty-five species of duck, teal and grebe and Sora and Virginia Rails. Shorebirds may include Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, and Willet. Two-mile trail is paved and wheelchair accessible. Species list and photos www.petalumawetlandspark.org

Directions: From Hwy 37, turn north onto Lakeville Hwy and left at 2nd signal, South McDowell Blvd. Drive 3 blocks to to park opposit Cader Lane. Call Bob Dyer, (707) 763-2934

10:00 am - 11:45pm

Morning Boat Tour of Napa’s New Marsh
Repeats Friday 12noon, Saturday and Sunday 7am, 9am and 11am.

Gain a different perspective of Napa Valley’s birds; expect to see shorebirds as well as raptors on this guided birdwatching cruise into Napa’s New Marsh aboard a luxury, electric-motor launch with an experienced guide. Meet at Kennedy Park Dock for prompt departure. Bring binoculars. Ample parking. Refreshments served. Boat canopied for shelter from rain and wind. Trip goes rain or shine.

SPACE LIMITED. No children under 12. Reservations required; $35 – (707) 224 9080 [FLY2] (www.napariveradventures.com)

12:00 noon - 2:45pm

Afternoon Boat Tour of Napa’s New Marsh from Kennedy Park, Napa
Repeats Saturday and Sunday 7am, 9am and 11am.

SPACE LIMITED. No children under 12. Reservations required; $35 – (707) 224 9080 [FLY3] (www.napariveradventures.com)

1:45 pm - 5:00 pm

Mare Island Birding Hot Spots Tour
Robin Leong, Napa-Solano Audubon Society field trip leader Get to know what’s on Mare Island. Stroll amongst “Captain’s Row”, Alden Park, and the grounds around St. Peter’s Chapel. Learn about the people, its historic buildings, the trees, avian fauna, and possibly, monarch butterflies. Meet at “Outing Tent”, Building 897 where carpools will form. If you have a "talkabout", bring it and if you can tune to 11-22 the bird channel, do.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Suisun Wildlife Center Tour
The Suisun Marsh Natural History Association presents a tour of its Suisun Wildlife Center, which rehabilitates and releases back to the wild Solano County wildlife. Go behind the scenes to learn how injured wildlife is helped. See the center’s non-releasable education birds and animals - - a Golden Eagle, Coyote and Red-tailed Hawk.

Limit: 30 participants. To preregister call 707-429-4295. Directions: From I-80 exit at Hwy 12 in Fairfield-near the Budweiser Brewery. Travel East on Hwy 12 toward Suisun for 3 miles to the first exit AFTER the Pennsylvania St. junction. Exit at the Suisun City/Main St. Business District exit. Turn left onto Main St. Proceed to stop sign past downtown. Turn left onto Cordelia Rd. Take next right: to 1171 Kellogg St.