| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| Field Trip to River West Madera 8:00 am Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera Feb 1 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm Field Trip to River West Madera Wednesday February 1, 2023 Register here! We will meet at 8:00 a.m. just outside the Valley Golf Center (which is south and down the hill from Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County). For those who participated in Rachel Clark’s... | ||||||
| Wednesday Walk – Lions Park 7:45 am Wednesday Walk – Lions Park @ Lions Park Feb 15 @ 7:45 am – 1:00 pm Registration Required. Link to Registration. On Wednesday, February 15, Fresno Audubon will travel to Lions Park in Kerman for its Wednesday Walk. This is a small park in what used to be a rural area outside Kerman but is now surrounded by residential homes.... | Introduction to Birding Feb. 18, 2023 9:00 am Introduction to Birding Feb. 18, 2023 @ River Center Feb 18 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Introduction to Birding at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies 11605 Old Friant Rd, Fresno, CA 93730 Please register for the February 18 event here. The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction,... | |||||
| Parkfield/Cholame Valley, Feb 2023 6:45 am Parkfield/Cholame Valley, Feb 2023 @ Parkfield/Cholame Valley Feb 25 @ 6:45 am – 3:45 pm Parkfield/Cholame Valley Bird Walk February 25, 2023 Register here Join Kevin Enns-Rempel on February 25 for a birding trip to Cholame Valley and Parkfield. We will meet in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Ashlan & Blackstone at 6:45am, and depart there by 7am.... | ||||||
Field Trip to River West Madera
Wednesday
February 1, 2023
We will meet at 8:00 a.m. just outside the Valley Golf Center (which is south and down the hill from Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County). For those who participated in Rachel Clark’s outing last fall from Wildwood Native Park, a lot of the terrain will look familiar. However, as the park is not open during the work week, we will be assembling west of the park.
Weather and trail conditions permitting, the plan is to take Palm Avenue down from the golf course, following the river downstream, first on the service road to Sycamore Island, then along the Riverfront Trail, ultimately emerging at a grouping of several ponds and a large lagoon just north of the river channel. The Riverfront Trail follows a berm next to the river and is somewhat narrow and uneven. For anyone not comfortable with it, the Sycamore Island road can be followed instead. Total distance is about 3.5 miles.
Although this is directly across the river from River West Open Space (that walk is set for January 28 and led by the incomparable Susan Estep), be prepared for some different birds on the Madera County side, including black-crowned night heron, wigeon, green-wing teal, cinnamon teal, phainopepla, various wrens, and acorn, Nuttall’s and downy woodpeckers. We may also see early signs of nesting activity by the returning osprey and great-horned owls, and perhaps an appearance by one or two bald eagles.
Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes (note the trail may be sloppy in some areas), snacks, water, head covering, sunscreen, and binoculars. The ponds and lagoon will be quite amenable to spotting scopes, although they are more than a mile and a half from the assembly area.
Directions: Take Highway 41 north from Fresno, to the first exit north of the San Joaquin River (Exit 138A). Turn right at the intersection and follow Cobb Ranch Road back toward Fresno until you get to the first intersection. Turn right and proceed under the Highway 41 bridges to the parking area just outside the golf course where we will assemble.
Leader: John McDaniel
Phone: (559) 779-7186
Email: mandomac@comcast.net
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
On Wednesday, February 15, Fresno Audubon will travel to Lions Park in Kerman for its Wednesday Walk. This is a small park in what used to be a rural area outside Kerman but is now surrounded by residential homes. Nevertheless, it is still a major bird attractor, with many different sparrows, woodpeckers, Robins, nuthatches, and other species. A pond on the premises has ducks, wading birds, and grebes. It’s a little-known and overlooked but wonderful birding place.
We will meet the Walmart at Blackstone and Ashlan at 7:45 and go from there. If time permits, we will go to nearby Kerman Rotary Park, which is also a good birding site. People are responsible for arranging their carpooling beforehand. Bring a lunch.
For more information, contact Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com or at 559-288-3456.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
Introduction to Birding at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies
11605 Old Friant Rd, Fresno, CA 93730
Please register for the February 18 event here.
Parkfield/Cholame Valley Bird Walk
February 25, 2023
Join Kevin Enns-Rempel on February 25 for a birding trip to Cholame Valley and Parkfield. We will meet in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Ashlan & Blackstone at 6:45am, and depart there by 7am. It’s about a 90-minute drive to our destination, so we’ll try to do as much carpooling as possible.
From the junction of Highway 41 & Cholame Valley Road, we’ll bird our way slowly up to the little community of Parkfield. Expect to see good numbers of wintering raptors as well as grassland birds. With some luck we’ll also see both Tule Elk and Pronghorns.
Bring lunch and water. This will be mostly a stop-and-go driving route, so there won’t be much walking. From Parkfield, participants are free to retrace their steps back to Fresno or take the Parkfield-Coalinga Road back home through Coalinga. We should be done birding by early afternoon, so expect to be back in Fresno by late afternoon.This is always a great trip, so we hope that lots of you can make it.
Please reach out to trip leader Kevin Enns-Rempel (559-313-4546 or kevin.enns.rempel@gmail.com) with any questions.
The Raptor Trail on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam
Registration is required for this event.
Join FAS for birding along the Kings River. The trail begins across from the parking lot on the south side of the bridge just below Pine Flat Dam. The trail is basically an easy walk of approximately a mile and a quarter each way, but there is some uneven terrain and river rocks create a cobblestone surface in parts. Some of our target species include Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, and Osprey.
Meet in the parking lot at the south side of the bridge. If you want to look for directions from the eBird map, the Raptor Trail is just across the river from the North Riverside Access Park eBird Hotspot. GPS Coordinates 36.8298592686927, -119.33621274737327.
Participants should bring snacks, lunch (if desired), water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to either trip leader.
Contact:
Maureen Walsh
(559) 706-4980
email: mewnew10@yahoo.com
Clayton Dahlen
(559) 593-2367
email: mc_dahlen@yahoo.com
Lost Lake Audubon Field Trip Saturday March 18th
Due to flooding Lost Lake is closed.
This trip is cancelled.
Registration is required for this event.
Location: Lost Lake , Fresno County Park
Lost Lake Rd, Friant, CA 93626
Date and Meeting time: 8:30 am , March 18th
Meeting location in park: Audubon Trailhead at the west end (down stream end) of the park. There is a small parking area at the trailhead, and a larger one a few hundred yards further into the park.
Duration of walk: 8:30 am – 12 pm
Special instructions: on weekends the park entrance fee is usually enforced. Fee is $5. Please follow instructions at the entry kiosk if there is no attendant at the kiosk.
What to bring: Binoculars, check weather report for comfortable clothing, (this is the month of March, almost any weather is possible), walking shoes, sunscreen / hat, water, snacks ( or lunch if staying beyond noon), free downloads of Audubon and/or Merlin Apps are very useful, western bird identification field guides are also useful. Be advised , there may be insects such as mosquitos, gnats etc.
Walk Description: walking on mostly flat park grass, or on paved park road, from west ( at the trailhead) to east ( toward Friant Dam and the park campground). We will bird river, river lined grass/ shrub and oak tree habitat, and on the upper road the grassland leading into the park, using binoculars but also using the Merlin Sound ID app as an enhanced identification tool. In the park, there are picnic benches for rest stops, and the restrooms are usually open.
Possible birds: Egrets (several species), Cedar Waxwing, Hawks (several species) Varied Thrush, Bald Eagle, Common Merganser , Acorn Woodpecker, Canada Goose, Ring- necked Duck, Anna’s Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Phainopepla, Black Phoebe, and many others.
Other possible sightings…Coyotes, Bobcats…on the other side of the river.
Registration is required for this walk.
Hard Rain cancels this walk.
Trip Leader: Lynda Schafhauser
Contact information: cell for voicemail or text: 559-474-0651
Email: rufusradar@att.net
Introduction to Birding at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies
11605 Old Friant Rd, Fresno, CA 93730
Please register for the March 18 event here.
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island
Canceled due to rain and conditions.
Registration is required for this event.
Meeting location: Sycamore Island (36.8590560, -119.8230324)
Meeting time: 8:45 AM
End time: Noon, or you may stay and have lunch with the group
Sycamore Island, part of the San Joaquin River Parkway, is along the San Joaquin River in Madera County downstream from River West open space. It offers a variety of habitats: river, ponds, riparian, grasslands, and wetlands. We can expect ducks, raptors, herons, egrets, owls. woodpeckers, finches, swallows, sparrows among many others.
This is a large property and we will do a combination of driving and walking. Walking distance will be 1 to 2 miles but those who don’t care to walk can drive to most of the areas. There are picnic shelters with tables for lunch and restrooms on the property.
Participants should bring snacks, lunch (if desired), water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers.
Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to trip leader at 559-435-9374 or geofolsom@gmail.com
Intermountain Nursery will host a birding class given by Fresno Audubon Society on the beautiful nursery grounds. Beginning birders will see and learn about spring migratory and resident birds in the foothills. Birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk around the nursery looking for birds. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and dress in layers. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome. Rain cancels this event.
Here is a map of the location of Intermountain Nursery.
Event is currently full.
More information:
https://latinooutdoors.org/eventbrite-event/bird-watching-and-picnic-at-roeding-park/