field trips

 

Sat. Jan 10 -Elkhorn Slough shorebird class

Leader: Jessica Griffiths, email: Jessica.l.Griffiths@gmail.com

Sat. Jan. 31- Monastery Beach & Whalers Cove

Leaders: Larry & Carole Rose /372-2616

Join us on this walk to see wintering birds of Carmel Bay. Monastery Beach will be our first stop where we can expect seabirds such as Surf Scoter and Common Loon along with a variety of gulls, grebes and cormorants. Then, on to Pt. Lobos, where we will start our walk at Hwy.1, following the trail to Whalers Cove. The pine forest should yield Townsend’s Warbler, Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, along with a variety of woodpeckers. Additional seabirds and shorebirds are possible at Whalers Cove and the surrounding rocky shores. Meet at the Wild Bird Center at 8:30AM.

Sat-Sun. Feb. 14&15-Los Banos Nat’l Wildlife area/Panoche Valley “photo safari”

Leader: Chris Hartzell/625-9533, email: c.hartzell@sbcglobal.net

Join us for a different kind of Los Banos/Panoche Valley trip. We will be taking a limited carpooling group of 6 (max of 2 additional cars) on an overnight Photography/Birding trip of the Los Banos area refuges on Saturday and then travel home via Panoche Valley on Sunday. There will be a focus on photographing any "good subjects", with birding for rarities as secondary. We will be taking those who have intermediate photography skills and intermediate birding skills. Basic working knowledge of camera operations and a Pre-SLR or SLR camera is needed. We will fine tune the basics of shooting as well as touch on advanced skills and editing.

Sat. Feb. 21- Pinnacles Natl. Monument

Leader: R.J. Adams/831-771-9303 email: rjadams55@yahoo.com

Call or email for reservations!

Join R.J. Adams for a trip to the east side of Pinnacles National Monument on Saturday, February 21st. We'll check Paicines Reservoir for Bald Eagles and waterfowl, and then head down to the Bear Gulch Visitors Center. It's a 2.2 mile loop from the trailhead to the Bear Gulch Reservoir and back and is listed as "moderately" strenuous. The trail passes through lovely riparian that can be thick with sparrows and woodpeckers before reaching the reservoir (also some fantastic views from the trail). From there we will keep our eyes open for raptors including the a hoped for look at the resident California Condors. The trail continues through thick chamise and chaparral before returning back to the trailhead. Time permitting we may go back and check out the Bear Gulch Cave so if you think you're interested in this, bring a flashlight! We will meet at 8:00 am in the Nob Hill parking lot on the corner of 68 & Blanco in Salinas and if anyone is coming from the north we can do a second stop at the Windmill Market in San Juan Bautista (around 8:30) and will finish the hike between 2:00 and 3:00.

Sat. Feb. 28-Lake El Estero/Wharf & vicinity

Leader: Bill Hill/624-3300 email: billhill@redshift.com

Meet at WBC in Del Monte Center at 8 am

This time of year is great for over wintering waterfowl such as Loons, Grebes, Pigeon Guillemots and possibly the Harlequin Duck that has been making a winter home here for the last several years. Winter storms can always add to the excitement of finding something unusual as some of the pelagic species can get blown in and then take refuge in the bay.

Sat. Mar. 14-Salinas River NWR

Leader: Robert Horn/372-4608

Located just north of Marina, this wildlife refuge has a variety of birds that are readily accessible due to the open expanse of grasslands blending into a marshy/riparian habitat. Great for raptors like White-tailed Kite, Marsh Hawk as well as numerous shorebirds along the banks of the river and in the ponds that sometimes form in the winter. Meet at 8 PM at the WBC for carpooling

Sat. Mar. 28-Del Monte Forest

Leader: Rita Carratello/375-0794

Several years ago a Williamson’s Sapsucker wintered in the area where we will be birding. We'll take an easy walk on the fire road in the pine forest to look for Hairy & Acorn Woodpeckers and Red-breasted Sapsucker.  It's possible we may find a lingering Hermit Warbler.  Chickadees and nuthatches might be starting to nest. Meet at 8:30 in front of the WBC for carpooling.

Sat. April 4-Garland Park-Songbird class, Carmel Valley

Leader: Jessica Griffiths, email: Jessica.l.Griffiths@gmail.com

If you're a beginning birder feeling a bit overwhelmed by the hundreds of species found in Monterey County, then this walk is for you!  Join Jessica Griffiths for a springtime walk tailored to beginning birders.  We will focus on what to look at when attempting to ID a bird, the characteristics of certain groups of birds (warblers vs. vireos, for instance), and even tips on how to better use your binoculars to spot hard-to-see birds.  We will be birding Garland Park, where we are sure to spot a wide variety of species.  The class is targeted to beginners, but all experience levels are welcome.  Meet Saturday April 4 at 8 AM at the Wild Bird Center Monterey, and we will carpool to Garland Park.  We will be back by noon

*Sat. April 18 (evening walk)BLM/Ft. Ord-Owls & Poorwill, Search

Leader: David Styer/633-2590

Common Poorwills are members of the nocturnal Goatsucker family and found in the maritime chaparral of Ft. Ord (BLM). We will meet at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of Saturday, April 18 at the Wild Bird Center, and drive to the Thrift Shop on Ft. Ord. From there we will carpool to backcountry Ft. Ord. We will watch birds until dusk, and then we will watch and listen for night birds. We often see Great Horned Owls, and sometimes Western Screech-Owls or Soras call. If the day has been sunny, then we should hear the Poorwills calling and possibly see them flying as darkness comes on. We will end the trip at the Thrift Shop (the Wild Bird Center will be closed by then).

Sat. April 25-Andrew Molera State Park

Leader: Craig Hohenberger/624-1962 email: chohenberger@carmelunified.org

Meet at the Carmel Middle School “Habitat” project at 7AM for carpooling.

This park in the Big Sur area happens to be one of the county’s best spots for finding migratory birds that are known as “vagrants”, those birds that have wandered out of their normal migratory patterns and have found their way to our area. Join past Audubon President Craig Hohenberger as he leads the group in search of these unusual visitors as well as the plethora of our resident birds.

International Trip to Ecuador

Northern Ecuador, March 2-15, 2009

TRIP FILLED!

For info on future trips, call or email: Chris Tenney, 831-656-9830, tenneyx2@mac.com

Sat. May 16-Upper Carmel Valley road

Leader: Robert Horn/372-4608

Springtime birding along upper Carmel Valley road beyond the “village” can be sometimes be exhilarating as we encounter many birds in their breeding plumage and are more easily noticed by their melodious songs etc. Some of the highlights may include Northern Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Swainson’s Thrush and Golden Eagle to name only a few. Meet at 8 AM at WBC for carpooling

Sat. May 23-Carmel River mouth

Leader: Craig Hohenberger/624-1962, email: chohenberger@carmelunified.org

Truly one of our local birding hotspots, this area always provides something exciting for birders. Peregrine Falcons, Osprey, Merlin are only a few of the raptors that can sometimes be seen, as well as numerous species of sparrow, ducks, and shorebirds. Join Craig as he informs the group about their biology and natural history as well as birding ID tips. Meet at 7:30 AM at the WBC for carpooling.