| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings River Mitigation Site 8:00 am Kings River Mitigation Site Nov 9 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm  Kings River Mitigation Site 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 Link Leader: Rick Grijalva, rickgrijalva2@gmail.com . Field Trip Description: Join us for... | ||||||
| Field Trip to Merced National Wildlife Refuge 2024 11:45 am Field Trip to Merced National Wildlife Refuge 2024 @ Merced National Wildlife Refuge Nov 13 @ 11:45 am – 5:30 pm Merced National Wildlife Refuge Wednesday, November 13, 2024 Registration Link 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 With winter migrants filling... | Elkhorn Slough, November 16, 2024 1:30 pm Elkhorn Slough, November 16, 2024 @ Elkhorn Slough Nov 16 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm  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 Note: Payment is now a part of the registration process. When: Saturday, November 16, 2024... | |||||
| Field Trip to Kern National Wildlife Refuge 2024 6:45 am Field Trip to Kern National Wildlife Refuge 2024 @ Kern National Wildlife Refuge Nov 21 @ 6:45 am – 3:00 pm Kern National Wildlife Refuge Thursday, November 21, 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 November 21, join trip leader Judy Johnson... | ||||||
| #optoutside Opt Outside Bird Walk 7:30 am #optoutside Opt Outside Bird Walk @ Friant Cove/Millerton Lake Nov 29 @ 7:30 am – 1:30 pm Opt Outside November 29, 2024 Registration is required for this event. 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 . On November 29, Fresno... |
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:
Maureen Walsh
(559) 706-4980
email: mewnew10@yahoo.com
Bald Eagle, George Folsom
This event is full.
See below for Waiting List Link.
Millerton Lake Eagle Tours
Reserved Space for Eagle Tour (25 people)
Boat ramp #1, 5290 Millerton Rd, Friant, CA 93626
Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 9:00 AM (PT)
Cost: $18 per person (NON-REFUNDABLE)
(If the event is canceled due to weather a refund will be issued)
Use this link to join the waiting list
Please Note: Registration Closes Sunday, January 7, 2024.
Event information:
You will be given a ticket to place on your vehicle dashboard when you meet the host at boat ramp #1. Tour fee includes vehicle day-use fee, do not pay for admission at entry kiosk. This ticket solely reserves your space for the selected date and does not waive fee.
Tours meet at Ramp#l on the South Shore (Fresno side) of the lake. Address is 5290 Millerton Rd Friant, CA 93626 . Follow signs for Millerton Courthouse after going through the entrance kiosk.
Tours depart promptly at 9:00 am and run through 12:00 pm. Please plan to arrive by 8:45 am to allow time for check-in and fee collection.
Be sure to dress warmly for the weather. We recommend dressing in layers, along with beanie style hat, gloves, sweater or jacket, and even long johns for those who are extra sensitive to the cold. Blankets may also be brought aboard for your comfort. Boat makes one bathroom stop l ½ hrs into the tour. Please be sure to use the restroom prior to boarding the vessel.
Complementary hot chocolate will be served.
Tours may be canceled for inclement weather.
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 559.351.7192 or geofolsom@gmail.com
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
Registration required for all FAS field trips.
Registration for this trip is here.
Event details subject to change.
Jeff Seay will lead this trip through the Merced Grasslands Important Bird Area finishing at Merced National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at that Walmart parking lot at Ashlan and Blackstone at 6:45 am for a 7 am departure. The trip will cover the Madera County’s foothill Grasslands on the way to the Merced Wildlife Refuge. We expect to see wintering raptors and other birds of the low foothills and grasslands. We will mostly be driving and getting out of the car periodically with possible small walks. At the end of the trip we will enjoy the spectacle of sandhill cranes, snow and Ross’s geese, and other waterfowl. It will last most of the day, ending about 5:45 at the refuge.
Checklist: binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, radios, jackets, lunch/snacks, water, and insect repellent.
Registration for this trip is here.
Directions to the assembly point are here.
Trip leader: Jeff Seay, (559) 960-0849, jeffseay@sbcglobal.net
Merced National Wildlife Refuge
February 7, 2024
Canceled due to rain.
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
San Luis NWR
Saturday Feb. 10, 2024
Join a tour of one of the great remnants of the historically bountiful wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway located in the Bear Creek, Salt Slough, and San Joaquin River floodplain. It hosts a myriad of tree-lined channels, wetlands and native grasslands. There is a good chance of seeing Tundra Swans, several species of geese, numerous species of ducks, raptors, shorebirds, sparrows and many other wetland and grassland species. Along the way we will keep an eye out for the native Tule Elk that once numbered in the millions in the Central Valley. We will stop at the visitors center and view the wildlife and history exhibits before starting the auto-loop drive. This is an all day trip so plan accordingly.
We will meet at Target near Herndon and highway 99 at 7:45 am for an 8:00 am departure.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Field Trip to River West Open Space, Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Join Fresno Audubon for a bird hike at River West Open Space on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. We will meet at River View Dr and W Bluff Ave at 8 a.m.
This is a rich area with many target species. We can expect to see a wide variety of ducks, including Goldeneye, Mergansers, and Bufflehead. There are many resident raptors – including Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, and occasional Osprey and Bald Eagle sightings. There are many songbirds waiting to be discovered as well – sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Anna’s Hummingbirds, and Loggerhead Shrikes. It is not unusual to log more than 40 species.
Participants should bring snacks, water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. There really isn’t anywhere to eat lunch at this property; we will likely be wrapping up by 12:30. Registration is required for this event.
The trip leader is Wes Beal. He can be reached at beal4farms@gmail.com if you have any questions. There is plenty of on street parking available on River View Dr and W Bluff Ave. It is about a 3-mile loop of flat walking. There are no restrooms or water available so come prepared!
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
From there we’ll take the dirt trail that flows along the Fresno Slough. The trail is relatively flat but may be uneven and muddy in some areas. Walk should end around noon.
We expect to observe various species of waterfowl, songbirds, woodpeckers, as well as raptors. Target species include American Bittern, Clark’s Grebe, Marsh Wren, Sora, Virginia Rail, White-tailed Kite, and Great Horned Owl.
To ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience, please bring snacks, water, a hat, binoculars (if you need loaners, contact Rick). Dress in layers to prepare for chilly morning temperatures.
Registration is required for this event. To secure your spot and receive any additional details, please complete the registration process.
If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out to the trip leader, Rick Grijalva at rickgrijalva2@gmail.com or 559-578-6168.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
Field Trip to River West Madera
Wednesday
March 6, 2024
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). The walk will mostly follow along the San Joaquin River downstream toward Sycamore Island. Although the river is also accessible from Wildwood Native Park, we will start from the Golf Center as the status of the Park is uncertain at this time.
We plan to take Palm Avenue south toward the river from the golf course, past the pipe gate, then 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.
We hope to see a variety of waterfowl, raptors, swallows, sparrows, kinglets, bluebirds, meadowlark and warblers. We will be on special lookout for nesting activity, as this has been an active area for breeding osprey, red-tailed hawks, and great-horned owls in recent years.
Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes, 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