| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| 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... | Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count 2024 Lost Lake Christmas Bird Count 2024 Dec 14 all-day  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... | |||||
| 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... | ||||||
Lake Yosemite in Merced
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
FAS Release of Liability Form
Pixley NWR Field Trip
Details subject to change.
Registration is required for this event.
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
Date: January 9, 2025
Trip Leaders: Susan Heidebrecht & Lowell Young
Meeting time: 8:30 AM
Meeting location: Pixley National Wildlife Refuge at 8:30
We will meet in the parking lot at the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge at 8:30 AM. We will form carpools immediately, enter the refuge and lock the gate behind us. After that point, those who are late will be out of luck. But, they will be able to bird along the path to the viewing platform and see some of the refuge from there.
Duration of Field trip: 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Weather: We will go rain or shine. So, be prepared for any weather.
We will have walkie-talkies available.
Location: Pixley National Wildlife Refuge: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fRTKEtGJjkdA9cRBA
What to bring: Binoculars, clothing, (this is the month of January, almost any weather is possible), walking shoes, sunscreen / hat, water, snacks and lunch, 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.
Walking will be limited and will be on dirt roads. Driving will be on dirt and/or graveled roads. Rest rooms are available in the parking area of the Refuge.
Using the Merlin Sound ID app as an enhanced identification tool.
Possible birds: Over 100 bird on the wildlife refuge in January. Approximately 300 acres (120 ha) of managed wetlands provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.
Other possible sightings…Threatened and endangered species include the San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Tipton kangaroo rat, and the vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Contact:
Lowell Young
(209) 617-9921
yosemite.birder@gmail.com
Susan Heidebrecht
(559) 313-1777
email: sunheidebrecht@comcast.net
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
Introduction to Birding at the River Center
11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730
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
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
Field Trip to River West Open Space
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
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
FAS Release of Liability Form
Join Fresno Audubon for a bird hike at River West Open Space on Wednesday, January 22. We will meet at 9am as it is frequently foggy in the morning in the river bottom.
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 Susan Estep. She can be reached at (402)212-1215 or sbse820@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 porta-potties available but no fresh water.
O’Neill Forebay
Registration Required.
Link to Registration.
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
FAS Release of Liability Form
On Saturday, January 25, Fresno Audubon Society will travel to O’Neill Forebay, west of Los Banos and part of the San Luis reservoir complex. We will meet in front of the Target store at El Paseo Shopping Center, off Herndon near Highway 99, at 7:30am, and go from there. Participants are responsible for arranging carpool rides before the trip.
Our main objective will be the Medeiros Recreation Area west of Los Banos and off Highway 152, on the south shore of the forebay. There, we will look for waterfowl, including scaup, merganzers, Canvasbacks, Ruddy Ducks, grebes, and possibly Loons. This is also a good place for several species of hawks and eagles, including Golden and Bald. We have also seen wintering Swainson’s Hawks here. The riparian areas around the forebay have warblers, towhees, several species of sparrows, and goldfinches, among many other birds. An entrance fee is required for the Madeiros Recreation Area.
If time permits, we will drive to the south side of Highway 152, on the road to Basalt Campground(which is currently closed). In the past, this has been a good site for warblers, shrikes, more raptors, and even Cassin’s Kingbirds. In addition, elk are often seen in this area. Dress warmly and bring lunch.
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.
Wednesday Bird Walk
Ball Ranch
Registration is required for this event.
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
FAS Release of Liability Form
Ball Ranch meeting location (36.9361267, -119.7309237)
Green Heron by Clayton Dahlen
Merced National Wildlife Refuge
February 8, 2025
Registration required: Please register here.
Co-leaders: Judy Johnson & Lowell Young
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 Saturday, February 8 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 7:45 for a 8:00 am departure. Secondary meet up is at the first parking lot of the refuge, near the bathrooms and the first observation deck, at 9:00am (see map).
Map to McDonald’s
Map to MNWR
The stars of this trip will be the geese. We are hoping to see snow, Ross’s, white-fronted and cackling geese in flocks numbering in the thousands. Other target birds include lesser sandhill cranes, phoebes, various sparrows, American pipits, numerous species of ducks, American white pelicans, wading birds and shore birds, egrets, American coots, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and other hawks. Also possible are bald eagles, and great-horned owls.
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 & Lowell Young (209)617-9921
Parkfield/Cholame Valley Bird Walk
February 12, 2025
Join Kevin Enns-Rempel on February 12 for a birding trip to Cholame Valley and Parkfield. We will meet in the (MEETING LOCATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE) Wal-Mart parking lot at Ashlan & Blackstone at 6:45am, and depart there by 7am. It’s about a 90-minute drive to our destination, so we’ll try to do as much carpooling as possible.
From the junction of Highway 41 & Cholame Valley Road, we’ll bird our way slowly up to the little community of Parkfield. Expect to see good numbers of wintering raptors as well as grassland birds. With some luck we’ll also see both Tule Elk and Pronghorns.
Bring lunch and water. This will be mostly a stop-and-go driving route, so there won’t be much walking. From Parkfield, participants are free to retrace their steps back to Fresno or take the Parkfield-Coalinga Road back home through Coalinga. We should be done birding by early afternoon, so expect to be back in Fresno by late afternoon.This is always a great trip, so we hope that lots of you can make it.
Please reach out to trip leader Kevin Enns-Rempel (559-313-4546 or kevin.enns.rempel@gmail.com) with any questions.