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

Bald Eagle, George Folsom

Millerton Lake Eagle Tours

Reserved Space for Eagle Tour (25 people)

Boat ramp #1, 5290 Millerton Rd, Friant, CA 93626

Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 9:00 AM (PT)

Cost: $20 per person (NON-REFUNDABLE) 

(If the event is canceled due to weather a refund will be issued)

Event is full.

Payment of $20 will be collected at time of registration.

Please Note: Registration Closes Sunday, January 26, 2025.

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.

Complimentary hot chocolate will be served.

Tours may be canceled for inclement weather.

Parkfield/Cholame Valley Bird Walk

February 12, 2025

Register here

Join Kevin Enns-Rempel on February 12 for a birding trip to Cholame Valley and Parkfield. We will meet the leader’s home at 6:45am, and depart there by 7am. The address will be provided in you confirmation email. 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. 

Register here

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

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

China Creek Park

Feb. 26, 2025

All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register. The form can be found here

Registration Link

China Creek Park
February 26, 2025
Time: 7:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Leader: John McDaniel
(559) 779-7186
mandomac@comcast.net

Meeting Venue to arrange carpooling:Location: Walmart Parking Lot
Southeast corner
Ashlan and Blackstone Avenues
Fresno CA
Time: 7:45 a.m. with 8:00 a.m. departure time. Late arrivals should plan on meeting at the park.

See Map Below

Destination:
Location: China Creek Park, Centerville, CA (36.722578, -119.502003)

Directions from Fresno:
China Creek Park is located on the west side of Centerville, east of Fresno on Highway
180. Drive east on Freeway 180 16.5 miles to Centerville. Turn right on Smith Road and drive
0.2 miles to Rainbow Route. Cross Rainbow Route and drive down the small road 0.5 miles to
the gate at the end of the road.

Description of Park and Walk:
China Creek Park is 120 acres of Valley Oak woodlands and savanna
located in the Kings River floodplain near Centerville off of Highway 180. This is
undeveloped Fresno County Park that resembles the local area before settlement in
the mid to late 1800’s. Among its many features are huge Valley Oak trees, some
estimated to be over 200 years old, elderberry, rushes, lizard tail and many other
wildflowers and native plants. The creek is a historic tributary of the Kings River tha
is now used as an irrigation channel with native vegetation. There are no amenities
at the park.

Entry is free at China Creek Park, but parking is limited near the entrance.
We will hike around China Creek for about 2-3 hours. At this location, our target
species will be Acorn, Nuttall’s and Downy Woodpeckers; Hermit Thrush; Common
Yellowthroat; Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers; White-breasted
nuthatches; White-crowned, Song and Fox Sparrows. Perhaps early migrating
warblers will be present as well.

Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes (depending on the season, the trail
may be sloppy in some areas), snacks, water, head covering, sunscreen, and binoculars.

Be aware that ticks can be an issue in the park so dress accordingly.

We ask that all participants register individually. This trip is limited to 25 participants. Please reach out to trip leader John McDaniel at mandomac@comcast.net if you have any questions or concerns. 

Meeting Place Map

China Creek Park Map

Mendota Wildlife Area

March 1, 2025

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

All participants must agree to the FAS Liability Waiver Form when they register.  The form can be found here

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

The Raptor Trail on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam

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

Registration Link

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, Oak Titmouse, Acorn Woodpecker,  California Quail,  White-Breasted Nuthatch 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

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

Field Trip to River West Madera

Wednesday

March 12, 2025

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

FAS Release of Liability Form

River West Madera

March 12, 2025

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Leaders:  George Folsom

(559) 351-7192

georgefolsom@icloud.com

Carpooling arrangements (unless Wildwood Nature Park is open—check with trip leaders):

Location: Target Parking Lot (see River Park Shopping Center map)

7600 N Blackstone

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Destination (see Golf Center Trailhead map for both locations):

Location: Intersection next to Valley Golf Center 

41445 Ave 9, Fresno, CA 93720

Alternate location if open (check with trip leaders):

Wildwood Native Park

Madera, California

Time: 8:15 a.m.

We will meet at 8:00 a.m. in the Target parking area in River Park Shopping Center to carpool to our destination due to limited parking at the destination. We will proceed from Target to Valley Golf Center (which is south of and down the hill from Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County). 

Directions from Fresno: 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. Park along either side of the road or under the bridges. Do not park in the Golf Center parking area or in the posted no parking areas immediately to the south.

If the Wildwood Native Park is re-opened by the the time of the trip, we will instead rendezvous at Wildwood and avoid the carpooling arrangements. The route to Wildwood Park is the same as the Golf Center, except you turn left at the Avenue 9 intersection and proceed around the corner to the park entrance. See accompanying maps.

Weather and trail conditions permitting, the plan is to walk on Palm Avenue from the golf course, 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 service road can be followed instead. Total distance is about 3.5 miles. 

Although this is directly across the river from River West Open Space, be prepared for some different birds on the Madera County side, including black-crowned night heron, wigeon, gadwall, green-wing teal, cinnamon teal, phainopepla, wrens, and acorn, Nuttall’s and downy woodpeckers. Expect also to see the usual assortment of white-crowned, song and Lincoln sparrows, several flavor of egrets, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks,  On our spring walks we may see signs of nesting activity by the returning osprey and great-horned owls, and perhaps an appearance by a bald eagle. 

Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes (depending on the season, the trail may be sloppy in some areas), 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. 

REGISTRATION Link 

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

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