EVENT CALENDAR - Fresno Audubon Society
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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3
4
Field Trip to River West Madera 8:00 am
Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera
Dec 4 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm
Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera
Field Trip to River West Madera Wednesday December 4, 2024 REGISTRATION Link    All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also be found here River West Madera December 4, 2024 ...
5
6
7
Saturday Field Trip – Merced Grasslands & Merced NWR 6:45 am
Saturday Field Trip – Merced Grasslands & Merced NWR
Dec 7 @ 6:45 am – 5:45 pm
Saturday Field Trip - Merced Grasslands & Merced NWR
Saturday Field Trip – Merced Grasslands & Merced NWR Registration required for all FAS field trips. All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also be found here Registration for this...
8
9
10
11
Merced Wildlife Refuge  (off Sandy Mush Rd) Location Change 10:00 am
Merced Wildlife Refuge  (off Sandy Mush Rd) Location Change @ Merced Wildlife Refuge
Dec 11 @ 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Merced Wildlife Refuge  (off Sandy Mush Rd) Location Change @ Merced Wildlife Refuge
Audubon Field Trip to Merced Wildlife Refuge Location changed from Eastman OR Hensley (TBD) due to lack of birds in this location. All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also...
12
13
14
Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count 2024
Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count 2024
Dec 14 all-day
Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count 2024
Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count Details Subject to Change.   On Saturday, December 14, 2024, Fresno Audubon will be hosting the annual Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count, which covers sections of both Fresno and Madera Counties. Participants will be assigned to particular sections, and will...
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21
Introduction to Birding Saturday Dec. 21, 2024 9:00 am
Introduction to Birding Saturday Dec. 21, 2024 @ River Center
Dec 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Introduction to Birding Saturday Dec. 21, 2024 @ River Center
Introduction to Birding at the River Center 11605 Old Friant Rd Fresno, CA 93730     Registration link  All registrants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also be found here Description...
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28
Field Trip to River West Open Space 8:00 am
Field Trip to River West Open Space @ River West Open Space
Dec 28 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm
Field Trip to River West Open Space @ River West Open Space
Field Trip to River West Open Space Saturday, December 28, 2024 Event Details Subject to Change All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. Use the QR code below or the form can also be found here Register here! Join...
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May
28
Sat
2022
Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center @ River Center
May 28 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Join Fresno Audubon Society experts for an entry-level bird walk at the River Center. This is a follow-on birding trip for our Introduction to Birding class, but all (including children) are welcome. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from Fresno Audubon. Also bring sun protection such as a hat and sunscreen, plus water and snacks. This class will begin at the picnic tables just south of the Ranch House.

 

Please register for the event here.

 

Jun
11
Sat
2022
Swanson Meadow/McKinley Grove/Courtright Reservoir @ Swanson Meadow/McKinley Grove/Courtright Reservoir
Jun 11 @ 6:00 am – 3:00 pm

Western Tanager by Clayton Dahlen

Register Here

Swanson Meadow/McKinley Grove/Courtright Reservoir

Join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, June 11 as we journey up Dinkey Creek Road and McKinley Grove Road to visit various birding hotspots. We will meet at 6:00 AM in the Wal Mart parking Lot at Ashlan and Blackstone (36.793565, -119.789792, near El Pollo Loco) to arrange carpooling. The group will depart by 6:15 AM. Our first stop will be the Edison Rest Area (located just outside the town of Shaver Lake at 37.104806, -119.309209). We will bird around the rest area for approximately 30 minutes. Goal birds at this location include Fox Sparrow, Mountain Chickadee, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager. From there, we will head to Swanson Meadow (37.095708, -119.291487), where we will bird for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Goal birds at Swanson Meadow include Green-tailed Towhee, Lazuli Bunting, Cassin’s Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and many more!

 

Our next stop will be McKinley Grove (37.022900, -119.108313), where we will bird for approximately 1.5 hours. Goal birds at McKinley Grove include Hermit Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Pacific Wren, Purple Finch, and White-headed Woodpecker.

 

Our next stop will be Courtright Reservoir (37.076151, -118.974566), where we will sit down for a picnic lunch and spend approximately 2 hours birding. Goal birds at Courtright Reservoir include Hermit Thrush, Mountain White-crowned Sparrow, Violet-green Swalllow, Clark’s Nutcracker, Cassin’s Finch, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Williamson’s Sapsucker, and Black-backed Woodpecker. The plan is to depart the Courtright area around 3:30 or 4:00 PM.

 

Participants can certainly leave earlier if they’d prefer. Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and binoculars, and should dress in layers.

 

Registration is required and there is a limit of 25 participants.

Please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at 515-357-0122 or tanagergirl@gmail.com with any questions. 

Meeting Place Map

 

Please register for the event here.

 

Jun
12
Sun
2022
Let’s Go Birding Together @ Dinkey Creek Road and McKinley Grove Road
Jun 12 @ 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Green-tailed Towhee by Gary Woods

Register Here

Let’s Go Birding Together!

Fresno Audubon Society (FAS) President Rachel Clark will be leading a beginning birding trip exploring various locations along Dinkey Creek and McKinley Grove Roads in the Sierra National Forest, near Shaver Lake. This event is co-sponsored with LGBT Fresno. Stop by our booth at Fresno Pride on June 4th!

FAS invites the Fresno LGBTQIA++ community to join us in celebrating not just the diversity of the birds in area, but also our people. Let’s Go Birding Together! is a birding walk intentionally welcoming of the LGBTQIA++ community and is designed to be a space where people can be themselves without fear of judgment. Let’s Go Birding Together! bird walks are held nationwide during June to build community and create diversity, reflecting the biodiversity in our ecosystems.

 

 Our FAS leaders will point out birds, enthusiastically identify them and share their knowledge about the birds. All ages, allies, and families are welcome, but youth under 18 years should be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Loaner binoculars will be available.

 

Even if you have never been birding before, you are specifically welcome to join!

 

We will be meeting at 7:00 AM in the Walmart parking lot at Blackstone and Ashlan, near the El Pollo Loco, to arrange carpooling (36.793721, -119.789637). The plan will be to depart Fresno by 7:15 AM. We will wrap the birding festivities up around 2:30 PM and head back down to Fresno.

 

Participants should bring plenty of water, snacks, a lunch, sunscreen, a hat, binoculars (if you have them), and should dress in layers. We will have some loaner binoculars available for participants’ use. Registration is required for this event, and is limited to 30 people, so sign up as soon as you can!

 

Please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at 515-357-0122 or tanagergirl@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns. 

Meeting Place Map

 

For more perspective on this topic, feel free to check out the following article:

“For the LGBTQ Community, Birding Can Be a Relief—and a Source of Anxiety”

 

Register Here

Jun
22
Wed
2022
Stevens Ranch/Elkhorn Slough, 22 June 2022 @ Stephens Ranch
Jun 22 @ 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit and Willet by Peter Nagayama

Register here

 

Join us for an exciting field trip to the Stevens Ranch in Moss Landing. This unique property was originally purchased by David Packard to stop the development of the northern side of Elkhorn Slough. His son-in-law Robert Stevens continues to run the ranch as a haven for birdlife. Expect to see numerous species of upland birds as well as shorebirds in the multi-thousands.

 

This is an out of town trip starting at 8:00 am, so you can either stay the night before nearby (Watsonville is the most economical) or leave Fresno at 5:30 am to arrive by 8:00. After birding the ranch we will eat lunch and then bird the Elkhart Slough mouth at Moss Landing before returning home. Expect the day to end around 4:00 pm.

 

Register here

 

Checklist: binoculars, bird guide, water, sun protection and lunch.

 

Leader: Robert Snow, (650)483-2347, rsnow@fresnoaudubon.org.

 

Directions to the Stephens Ranch. The coordinates are Struve Rd, Moss Landing, CA 95039, 36.831258, -121.758357. From Highway 1, turn east on Struve road. Turn right in 0.15 miles and proceed another 0.15 miles. Park near the ranch house.

Sep
9
Fri
2022
Field Trip to Woodward Park (Rare Bird) @ Woodward Park
Sep 9 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 am

 

Rare Bird Sighting

Woodward Park, Friday, September 9, 2022

Please register here.

As you might have heard, a very rare Prothonotary Warbler has been spotted at Woodward Park this week. This may be only the second Valley record of all time. These birds typically favor swamps in the southeast, like Louisiana. FAS invites you to join us on Friday morning at 7am, with leader FAS President Rachel Clark, to try for a chance to spot this rare bird, assuming it cooperates and stays in the vicinity.

 

Note: There is a $5 fee to enter the park.

Where: Woodward Park, Lake View Picnic Shelter
When: Friday, Sept 9, 7am

 

Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at tanagergirl@gmail.com or 515-357-0122.

 

Please register here.

Sep
10
Sat
2022
Grant Grove, Sept. 10, 2022 @ Grant Grove
Sep 10 @ 6:00 am – 3:00 pm

 

Grant Grove Bird Walk

September 10, 2022

Register here

 

Join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, September 10, as we journey up Highway 180 to the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park and beyond. Registration for this trip is required. Register here

 

We will meet at 6:00 AM in the parking lot between Javier’s Mexican Restaurant (5680 E. Kings Canyon Rd.) and the Educational Employees Credit Union to arrange carpooling. See Map Below.

 

The group will depart by 6:15 AM. Our first stop will be Grant Grove Village, where we will bird around the meadow. We will then drive about 6.5 miles farther on Highway 180 to the Indian Basin Grove Interpretive Trail/Princess Campground. Depending on time, we may also stop at the Big Stump Grove on the way back. We will head back down by about 3pm. Participants can certainly leave earlier if they’d prefer.

 

Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and binoculars. Registration is required and there is a limit of 25 participants.

 

Please reach out to trip leader Kevin Enns-Rempel (559-313-4546 or kevin.enns.rempel@gmail.com) with any questions. 

 

Register here

 

Sep
24
Sat
2022
Field Trip to Wildwood Native Park @ Wildwood Native Park
Sep 24 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm

Field Trip to Wildwood Native Park, Saturday, September 24, 2022

Please register here.

Join FAS on Saturday, September 24 as we explore Wildwood Native Park and the surrounding areas. Wildwood Native Park is located in Madera County, just north of Fresno, right off of the 41: https://goo.gl/maps/SKW27jQZhu7kCWpr6 

Our target species include Red-shouldered Hawk, Black-crowned Night Heron, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Phainopepla, Lesser Goldfinch, and an exciting array of fall migrants! We will be meeting at 7:00 AM in the parking lot. 

 

Participants should bring snacks, lunch (if desired), water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. We will likely be wrapping up between noon and 1:00 PM, depending on the weather.

 

Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at tanagergirl@gmail.com or 515-357-0122.

 

Please register here.

Sep
28
Wed
2022
Wednesday Bird Walk at Jensen River Ranch @ Jensen River Ranch
Sep 28 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Jensen River Ranch

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Join trip leader John McDaniel to explore Jensen River Ranch. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. the Art of Life Healing Garden next to the north east parking lot in Woodward Park.

From there we will walk down the Tom MacMichael Senior Trail to the San Joaquin River and along its bank upstream until we meet the Flood Control District’s ditch. We will continue along the MacMichael Trail following the ditch back toward the bluff, and circle back to the parking area. We hope to see many of our usual suspects including scrub jays, black phoebes, house finches, lesser goldfinches, red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, turkey vultures, American kestrel, great blue herons, double-crested cormorants and great egrets. Some of the fall returnees may show up as well, including cedar waxwing, northern flickers, various and sundry sparrows as well as migrating waterfowl.

 

Depending on time and interest, we may walk over to the large pond near the Park entrance, which should be populated with Canada geese, mallards, American coots, and pied-billed grebes, among others.

 

The $5.00 City entrance fee applies if you park in Woodward Park. Alternative parking may be available in the Fort Washington Shopping Center.

 

Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to trip leader John McDaniel at (559) 779-7186 or mandomac@comcast.net

Register Here

Oct
9
Sun
2022
Introduction to Birding at SFC’s McKenzie Preserve @ McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve
Oct 9 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Sierra Foothill Conservancy (SFC) and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about fall migratory birds visiting the McKenzie. Birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the habitat found on the lower McKenzie Preserve. We will meet at the parking lot and then bird up towards the picnic tables. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection.  Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own.

This event is hosted by Sierra Foothill Conservancy. Cost is $15 to members or $25 per non-members, with special family pricing. Please register at https://sierrafoothill.org/events-listing/#event=73892498;instance=20221009090000?popup=1

Oct
12
Wed
2022
Wednesday Field Trip to Madera Wastewater Treatment Plant @ Madera Wastewater Treatment Plant
Oct 12 @ 7:45 am – 1:00 pm
On Wednesday 12 October 2022 we will be visiting the Madera Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP).  Please register for the event here. The group will meet at the MacDonald’s parking lot in the Marketplace at El Paseo (6741 N Riverside Dr, Fresno, CA 93722, see map below) at 7:45 am for an 8:00 am departure to the WTP. Secondary meeting point is at the facility, 13048 Rd 21 1/2, Madera, CA 93637. at 8:30 am. See maps below.
With migration beginning we expect to see plenty of shorebirds and other migrants and perhaps Peregrine Falcons.
Checklist: ID, binoculars, bird guide, water, sun protection and lunch.
Leader: Robert Snow, rsnow@fresnoaudubon.org, (650) 483-2347

Fresno Meeting Point is MacDonald’s parking lot, see map above.

Field trip location is 13048 Rd 21 1/2, Madera, CA 93637. See map above.

Please register for the event here. By registering to attend this event you are binding yourself to the terms of Fresno Audubon Society’s Liability Waiver. The liability waiver can be found here: https://fresnoaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FAS-Waiver.pdf