| 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... | ||||||
| Save the DATE Big Dry Creek Reservoir Grasslands 8:00 am Save the DATE Big Dry Creek Reservoir Grasslands Dec 18 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Save the DATE! Time subject to change. More details and registration link available soon. | ||||||
| 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... | ||||||
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island
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
Yokohl Valley
November 4, 2023
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
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.
Opt Outside November 24, 2023
Thanksgiving this year is on Thursday, November 23, and the day after is Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Instead of heading to the stores and braving the hordes of shoppers on Friday November, 24, please join Fresno Audubon for our #OptOutside event in and around the Friant area! We will be meeting at 7:30 AM at Friant Cove at the intersection of Millerton Road and North Fork Road (36.991123, -119.711654).
We will bird at Friant Cove for approximately 30 minutes, and after that, we will head to the Friant Interactive Nature Site, just down the road. After spending approximately an hour at the Friant Interactive Nature Site, we will head to the Fresno County side of Millerton Lake State Recreation Area (36.986393, -119.684266) and explore some of the habitat near the boat launch, and a part of the nature trail that parallels the road.
At Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, there is a $10 entry fee per vehicle (up to 9 people per vehicle). The cost for seniors is $9 per vehicle. If you have a State Parks pass, definitely bring it along! To reduce costs, we would like to encourage carpooling. Parking vehicles outside the entrance and walking in is not allowed per park rules. Our target species will include Bewick’s Wren, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, California Towhee, California Quail, White-breasted Nuthatch, Spotted Towhee, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Bald Eagle, and many more! We will likely be wrapping up at Millerton Lake around 1:30 or 2:00. Please note that this itinerary is subject to change. We will keep registrants informed of any changes.
Participants should bring day packs, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, plenty of water, snacks, lunch (if desired), and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Hiking shoes are recommended.
Registration is required for this event. Please register here.
Please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at tanagergirl@gmail.com or 515-357-0122 with any questions you might have.
Even if you’re not able to join us, we hope that you are able to Opt Outside on Friday following Thanksgiving!
Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Nov. 29, 2023
Registration required: Please register here.
With winter migrants filling local refuges and putting on a tremendous show, it is a wonderful time to bird Central Valley wetlands. Join Fresno Audubon on Wednesday, November 29 for a tour of the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. We will meet at the MacDonald’s parking lot in the Marketplace at El Paseo (6741 N Riverside Dr, Fresno, CA 93722, see map) at 11:45 for a noon start. Secondary meet up is at the first parking lot of the refuge, near the bathrooms and the first observation deck, at 1:00pm (see map).
Map to McDonald’s
Map to MNWR
After driving the auto tour, we will gather at the second observation deck at sundown for the spectacular crane fly-in, which should end around 5:30pm.
Target birds include lesser sandhill cranes, phoebes, various sparrows, American pipits, numerous species of ducks and geese, American white pelicans, wading birds and shore birds, egrets, American coots, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and other hawks. Also possible are bald eagles, great-horned owls, and vermillion flycatchers.
Participants should bring day packs, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, plenty of water, snacks, lunch (if desired), and binoculars, and should dress in layers. We probably will not be doing much hiking, but comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Please bring radios (walky-talkies) if you have them.
Registration required: Please register here.
Checklist: binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, jackets, snacks, water, insect repellent, and radios.
Trip Leader: Judy Johnson (559)977-2787
Saturday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch
Registration is required for this event.
Join trip leader Susan Heidebrecht for birding along the San Joaquin River on the beautiful Sumner-Peck Ranch property. It is mostly flat terrain with good trails. The walk will be approximately 1 ½ miles each way. Expect to see a variety of waterfowl, warblers, raptors, Belted kingfishers, and woodpeckers.
We will meet at the parking area at the end of the drive (do not turn left into the parking lot near the entrance, but drive straight ahead).
If you wish to bring lunch, there is a small picnic area near the parking lot. Seating, however, is limited, so it is recommended you bring a chair.
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 Susan Heidebrecht at sunheidebrecht@comcast.net or (559)313-1776
California Condor
Please register for the trip here so we know how many to expect.
Pinnacles National Park Walk
Join George Folsom for a trip to Pinnacles National Park; there’s good chance you will see California Condors. We will meet in the parking lot at the Target Store located in the Marketplace at El Paseo (Herndon and Golden State Blvd.) at 7:00 AM and carpool to the park. The trip will take 2.5 hours of drive time, so we will stop along the way to bird and stretch our legs. We will meet at the Camp Ground Store parking lot in the Park. For those who choose to spend the night near the Park, we should arrive about 9:30 AM depending on traffic. Please note that this is a national park, and thus a fee is charged. Bring your National Park Pass, if you have one. This will be a long day trip, returning around 5 pm, so plan accordingly.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios.
The Fresno Target Store meeting location is here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
The Panicles National Park Campground Store meeting location is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Please register for the trip here so we know how many to expect.
Wednesday Bird Walk at Jensen River Ranch
Registration is required for this event.
Join trip leader Wes Beal 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 Wes Beal at (559) 250-2988 or beal4farms@gmail.com
Event is full!
Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch
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 4:00 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 Larry Cusick at (559) 313-1777, larrywcusick@gmail.com.
Lost Lake Audubon Field Trip
Registration is required for this event.
Location: Lost Lake , Fresno County Park
Lost Lake Rd, Friant, CA 93626
Date and Meeting time:
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.
TBD, visit to FINS ( Friant Interactive Nature Site, .2 miles east of Lost Lake Park) after birding Lost Lake location.
Duration of walk: 8:30 am – 12 pm
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, (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.
Hard Rain or flooding cancels this walk.
Trip Leader: Lynda Schafhauser
Contact information: cell for voicemail or text: 559-377-8427
Email: rufusradar@att.net
Registration is required for this walk.