Event has been canceled.

Join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, May 11 as we explore China Creek Park and Avocado Lake Park. We will meet at 6:45 in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Blackstone and Ashlan (36.793565, -119.789792, near El Pollo Loco), where we will arrange carpooling.

From there, we will make the approximately 30 minute drive to China Creek Park in Centerville (36.722578, -119.502003). Entry is free at China Creek Park, but parking is a little limited near the entrance. We will hike around China Creek for about 3 to 4 hours. At this location, our target species will be Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and many more!

After birding at China Creek, we will head to Avocado Lake (36.782435, -119.407550), where we will have a picnic lunch before birding. Be advised that there is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter Avocado Lake Park. Our target species at Avocado Lake will be Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Violet-green Swallow, Oak Titmouse, Phainopepla, Lesser Goldfinch, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and several others! We will plan to wrap up around 2:00 or 3:00 PM.

Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Registration is required for all participants.

We ask that all participants register individually. This trip is limited to 25 participants. Please reach out to trip leader Kevin Enns-Rempel at kevin.enns.rempel@gmail.com or 559-313-4546 if you have any questions or concerns. 

Meeting Place Map

China Creek Park Map

Lost Lake Audubon Field Trip Wednesday May 18th

Registration is required for this event.

Registration closes 24 hours before the event or when full.

Registration link

Location: Lost Lake , Fresno County Park

                  Lost Lake Rd, Friant, CA 93626

Date and Meeting time: 8:00 am, May 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: 8:00 am – 11 am

Special instructions: 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 or flooding cancels this walk.

Trip Leader: Rick Grijalva

Contact information: 

Email: rickgrijalva2@gmail.com

Registration link

Wednesday Walk – Balsam Meadows Snow-Park and Forebay

Registration is required.

Registration closes 24 hours before the event or when full.

Registration link

George Folsom will lead this trip to Balsam Meadows Snow-Park and Forebay on Southern California Edison Company property, just off Highway168, nine miles above Shaver Lake.  The elevation is 6,500 feet.  We will be walking a loop trail of about 2 miles with very little elevation change.  Parts of this area were burned in the Creek Fire leaving a mixture of burned and unburned habitats.

There are restrooms at the parking lot and at the Forebay, about halfway through our walk.  Parking is available at the Snow-Park just off Highway168 on the left as you pass the sign.

We can expect woodpeckers, raptors, finches, warblers, swifts, sparrows among may others.

Participants should bring snacks, lunch (if desired), water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers.  We will meet at Walmart, Ashlan and Blackstone, at 7:45 for an 8:00 AM departure.  For those driving directly to Balsam Meadows we should be there by 9:30.

Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat.

Trip Leader: George Folsom georgefolsom@icloud.com (559)351-7192

Map to Fresno meeting location, 7:45 AM

Map to Balsam Meadows Sno-Park, 9:30 AM

Registration is required.

Registration link

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Camp Edison, Shaver Lake Walk

Registration is required for this event.

Registration closes 24 hours before the event or when full.

Registration Link

On Saturday, June 1, Fresno Audubon will head to Camp Edison at Shaver Lake for a look at mountain birds. Camp Edison is always a good place to see mountain species, including White-headed Woodpecker, Gold-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, Western Tanager, Yellow and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, and many others. With luck, we may also see Pileated Woodpeckers, and hear, if not see, Mountain Quail. Shaver Lake, as well, has its resident Ospreys and Bald Eagles, among several other raptors.

We will meet in the parking lot in front of the Target at Riverpark at 7:30AM and go from there. Camp Edison does require a fee to enter, so carpooling is recommended. Participants are responsible for making carpool arrangements beforehand.

Bring warm clothing(even in June, the mountains can still be cold), optics,  lunch, and snacks.

For more information or questions, contact trip leader Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com or at 559-288-3456.

For more information, contact Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com or at 559-288-3456.

Map to meeting place.

Registration is required for this event.

Registration Link

Fresno Audubon will have a booth at the Fresno Rainbow Pride celebration on the Fresno City College campus from 11 AM to 3 PM.

Be sure to stop by and say “Hello”!

Long-billed Curlew by Rachel Clark

Registration is required for this event for each participant.

Registration closes 24 hours before the event or when full.

Event is full if you want to be added to the wait list email admin@fresnoaudubon.org.

Please join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, June 15 as we escape the Valley heat and journey to Morro Bay.

We will meet at 5:30 AM at the Walmart parking lot on the southeast corner of Blackstone and Ashlan to arrange carpooling. The plan is to depart by 5:45 AM.

The first destination will be Montaña de Oro State Park. Goal birds at this location will be Brown Pelican, Western Gull, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic  Cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, Pigeon Guillemot, Wrentit, California Thrasher, California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Bewick’s Wren, California Quail, and many more!

Next, we will visit Morro Bay State Park, where we will visit the Marina/Boardwalk Trail and the heron rookery. Our goal birds at these locations will be Heermann’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Black-crowned Night Heron, and many more.

Sometime while in Morro Bay State Park, we will sit down for lunch. Our next birding destination will be Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, where our goal birds will be Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Common Yellowthroat, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Egret, and many more. If there is time, we will stop by Morro Rock to look for Peregrine Falcons and various shorebirds.

The plan is to leave Morro Bay around 3:30 or 4:00 PM and be back in Fresno by 6:30 PM. Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Please be aware that there is poison oak along the trails at Montaña de Oro State Park and other locations along the coast; long pants and poison oak/ivy wipes are recommended.

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

Registration is required for this event for each participant.

Event is full if you want to be added to the wait list email admin@fresnoaudubon.org.

Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios

Trip leader: Rick Grijalva at 559-578-6168 or rickgrijalva2@gmail.com.

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials.

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials.

Owl walk by Nancy Gilmore

FAS Field Trip Leader Planning Meeting

If you would like to be a part of this planning meeting please register at this link.