| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 ... | 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 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... | |||||
| 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 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... | ||||||
| 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 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... | ||||||
| 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 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... | ||||||
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 the trip leader.
Contact:
Susan Heidebrecht
(559) 313-1777
email: sunheidebrecht@comcast.net
Registration link
Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch
Event 1 (There will be 2 owl walks in April)
Registration is required for this event.
Join FAS for an evening Owl Walk on the Jensen Trail. We plan to start close to sunset to be on the Jensen Trail at dusk when the Great Horned owls and Barn owls come out to hunt. The outing should take about 1 1/2 hours. We will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to the Art of Life Healing Garden in Woodward Park.
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. Any questions, please contact trip leader Susan Heidebrecht at sunheidebrecht@comcast.net.
Registration link
Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch
Event 2 (There will be 2 owl walks in April)
Registration is required for this event.
Registration link
Join FAS for an evening Owl Walk on the Jensen Trail. We plan to start close to sunset to be on the Jensen Trail at dusk when the Great Horned owls and Barn owls come out to hunt. The outing should take about 1 1/2 hours. We will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to the Art of Life Healing Garden in Woodward Park.
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. Any questions, please contact trip leader Susan Heidebrecht at sunheidebrecht@comcast.net.
Registration link
Introduction to Birding at the River Center
11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730
Note: This event was moved to Sunday due to a conflict on the normally scheduled Saturday.
Birding at the Ruth Mckenzie Preserve
Registration is required for this event.
Registration link
MCKENZIE PRESERVE BIRDING
HIKE DATE: April 24, 2024
HIKE START: Please arrive by 7:15AM for a 7:30AM start.
HIKE END: 12:30
NOTE: The Preserve is closed to the public and the entrance gate will be locked during the outing. Therefore, late arrivals will not be able to join the hike and early departure will not be possible except in case of emergency.
Join John McDaniel and Gary Woods of Fresno Audubon Society (FAS) for birding on the McKenzie Preserve to observe resident and migrant foothill birds. Please arrive no later than 7:15 so the walk can proceed from the parking lot by the corrals at 7:30am. This is a relatively easy walk of about 2 miles from the corrals to the waterfall/spring and back. FAS will provide binoculars if you need them, and a spotting scope will also be available.
McKenzie Preserve is the best chance for you to see a Gray Flycatcher out of all the SFC preserves in Fresno County and they mostly come through the foothills in migration between April 20-30. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water, binoculars (if you have them), bird guide and snacks/lunch.
Directions to the Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve
From Fresno, take Freeway 41 north. Exit at Friant Road and turn right at the bottom of the off-ramp. Take Friant Road to the town of Friant. You will see Friant Dam ahead of you. Follow Friant Road uphill, past the dam. At this point, Friant Road bends to the right and changes its name to Millerton Road. Stay on Millerton Road for 5 or 6 miles until you come to a stop sign at Auberry Road.
At Auberry Road you will see a gas station on your left. Using the gas station as your benchmark, note your mileage and turn left. Go slightly over 3 miles on Auberry Road. You will see some table mountain formations ahead. When you reach the 3 mile mark, slow down and turn left onto the preserve property.
The entrance to the preserve is on the left, where you will see a large corral and a gate. Drive in at the gate and park in the parking area.
Birding at Roeding Park
Registration is required for this event.
Join trip leader Maureen Walsh for birding at Roeding Park. We will start at Lake Washington where we will see Wood ducks among other waterfowl in the lake and see the Cattle egret, Black-crowned night herons, and Double-crested cormorants in the rookery on the island. There are hundreds of birds nesting in the rookery. Then we will walk other areas of the park to see a variety of woodpeckers, raptors, warblers, etc.
We will meet at the parking lot in front of the zoo, across from Lake Washington. There is a $5.00 entry fee to the park and a new automated parking system.
If you wish to bring lunch, there are plenty of picnic tables available for eating and calculating our bird count.
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 Maureen Walsh at mewnew10@yahoo.com or (559) 706-4980.
Registration is required.
On Wednesday, May 1, Fresno Audubon will travel to Laton to visit Laton-Kingston Park along the Kings River. This trip was first scheduled for Spring 2020, then had to be cancelled twice due to the Covid Pandemic. Now, it’s finally a go. This 102-acre park is located along the Kings River in the town of Laton. In and around this riverine habitat, our target species will include Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, Bewick’s Wren, and many other Central Valley species. We will also look for migrating warblers.
We will meet in the Walmart parking lot on Blackstone and Ashlan and leave no later than 7:30AM. As there is a $5/vehicle to enter Laton-Kingston Park, we will carpool as much as possible. Participants are responsible for making their own carpool arrangements beforehand. This trip is expected to last until approximately 1:00 PM.
Please be sure to bring binoculars, a hat, sunscreen, lunch, snacks, and water.
Please reach out to trip leader Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com, or at 559-288-3456 with any questions.
Map to meeting location:
Registration is required.
Cancelled due to high winds in the area.
Weekend field trip: Kern County Spring Migration – America’s late April/early May Birdiest Inland County contest winner 7 years in a row!
Leaders: Penny Stewart (559) 978-7182, and Bob Barnes (760) 382-1260
For multiple reasons this trip will be limited to 14 people including leaders.
Event is currently full. Email admin@fresnoaudubon.org if you would like to know if there are any cancelations.
Saturday: meet and depart from Ridgecrest Econo Lodge parking lot, at 5:30. A secondary meeting spot, (for those not staying in Ridgecrest), will be 6:10 at Jawbone Station Visitor Center.
Meeting Place: Econo Lodge Inn, Ridgecrest, CA
Secondary Meeting Place:
This is located at the entrance to Jawbone Canyon Rd, just off Hwy 14. From here we will head to Butterbredt Spring, (part of the designated Souther Sierra Globally Important Bird Area (IBA). This spring is an excellent migrant hot spot, and may have vagrants this time of year. The drive is approximately 6 miles paved, and 6 miles of dirt road, from Jawbone Canyon Rd entrance.
After spending the morning and lunch at the spring, we will continue on a loop, traveling through Joshua tree habitat, toward the Kern River Preserve. This is an extensive Riparian corridor, and is one of the first ten Globally Important Bird Areas designated in the United States.We return to Ridgecrest for dinner via 178.
Sunday: Meets and departs at the same location and time as Saturday. We will bird along Hwy 178 for some higher elevation areas, and to various Kern River Valley locations missed Saturday. Expect to have lunch in the field again, and bird till about 3:00. We can leave for home from the Kern Valley area.
Friday option: Meet Bob Barnes at City Park parking lot, in California City at 11:00. Here we will look for migrants, and eat lunch. Second meeting will be at 3:00 at the Ridgecrest Walmart parking lot. Go to the corner nearest to Panda Express. This is on E. Bowman Rd. Bob Barnes will take us to some local spots for desert birds we may not see during the main trip, as well as migrants.
Recommendations:
Participants arrive Friday night, as we will start early Saturday. Bring lunches (all lunches will be in the field) snacks, sun screen, insect repellent, a hat, and lots of water (with a way to carry water on the trail). s The desert can be very cold in the morning and very hot in the afternoon. Bringing gloves and a warm cap is not unrealistic. If able, carpooling from Fresno will be helpful as we will not be returning to some of the meeting spots. No cars with particularly low ground clearance. We encourage people to stay at Econo Lodge as they will serve us breakfast at 5AM, allowing for early departure. This will also allow carpooling for Saturday. When booking a room, mention that you are part of the Fresno Audubon birdwatching group. If we book 7 rooms we can get a discount.
Target birds: Chukar, Costa’s Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Cassin’s Kingbird, Pinyon Jay, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Black Throated Sparrow, Scott’s Oreole, Summer Tannager, Spring Migrants, and possible eastern vagrants.
Bob Barns is a well known leader in the birding community. His list of conservation projects along with community building is so extensive that I cannot list all here. He has resided on the Kern River Preserve where he was the president of the Kern River Valley revitalization project, and co founded the Southern Sierra Research Station, amongst many other positions. He currently resides in Ridgecrest, and is an expert in the Kern County area.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
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