EVENT CALENDAR - Fresno Audubon Society

Yokohl Valley

November 4, 2023

Virtual General Meeting

Gail Patricelli

Robots, Telemetry, & the Sex Lives of Wild Birds:

Using technology to study courtship and conservation

Introduction to Birding at the River Center

11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730

Introduction to Birding at the River Center

11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730

Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 @ River Center

Oct 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Please register for the October 21 event here.

The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about local and migratory birds that might be visiting the River Center. New birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the various habitats found at the River Center. We will meet at the new picnic shelter on the north side of the center. After learning about using binoculars and various aids in bird identification like guide books and phone apps, we will bird around the property. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome!

Rain cancels this event.

Class is held from 9 AM -12 PM on the third Saturday of each month from October through May.

Please register for the October 21 event here.

Categories: Birding Classes

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island @ Sycamore Island

Tickets

Oct 25 @ 8:45 am – 1:00 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

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

Register Here

Categories: Field Trips

FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting

Tickets

Oct 29 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Categories: Board Meetings

Yokohl Valley: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 @ Yokohl Valley

Tickets

Nov 4 @ 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Register here

We will meet at the Ashlan/Blackstone WalMart at 8:30am for a quick departure. From there we will drive through Visalia to Yokohl Drive, about 12 miles east of Visalia, and start birding at the intersection of Highway 198 and Yokohl Drive. The trip will then follow Yokohl Drive up into the foothills, perhaps as far as the Bear Creek Fire Station. We will then retrace our path back to Fresno.

Plan for a full day of birding. Bring food and water, since there will be no opportunities to purchase anything after reaching Yokohl Drive. Since this trip will involve lots of driving and stopping along the road, participants are encouraged to carpool as much as possible. The fewer the cars, the easier it will be for the group to stop.

Among many other more common species, we stand a good chance of finding Greater Roadrunner, Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Mountain Bluebird, Vesper Sparrow, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow on this trip.

Contact Kevin Enns-Rempel (559-313-4546) for more information.

Register here

Categories: Field Trips

Wednesday Walk – Millerton Lake (Madera West Side) @ Millerton Lake (Madera Side)

Tickets

Nov 8 @ 8:00 am – 1:15 pm

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

The Wednesday Walk on November 8 will be to the Madera(west) side of Millerton Lake and its campgrounds. We will meet at the Target parking lot at Riverpark at 8am and go from there. People are responsible for arranging carpools and rides in advance.

Our first stop will be the Highway 145 bridge at Friant and the Millerton forebay. We will look for waterfowl and wading birds, among other species.

Then we will head to the west side of Millerton Lake. We will first stop just inside the entrance kiosk and look for Rock Wrens and thrashers along the rocky shore. Then we will head to the parking area with the trailer facilities. The campgrounds in and around that area are good for raptors, sparrows, thrushes, towhees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, finches, and possible roadrunners.

Finally, we will go to the end of the road and the boat ramp area for more waterfowl, grebes, and possible loons. The weather will probably have turned cooler by then, so bring warm clothing and 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.

Categories: Field Trips

General Meeting – Nov. 2023 Gail Patricelli, Robots, Telemetry, & the Sex Lives of Wild Birds @ Zoom

Tickets

Nov 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Nov. 14th, 7:00pm

This meeting will be broadcast online via Zoom

Register to receive login information.

New to Zoom? Check out all you need to know here before the meeting.

Female greater sage-grouse soliciting copulation

Description:

Animals use a dizzying array of sounds, smells, colors, dances, electrical fields and seismic vibrations to convince each other to mate. These elaborate courtship signals were a mystery until Darwin’s theory of sexual selection, which proposed that the courting sex (often, but not always the males) must be elaborate because the courted sex (often, but not always the females) demands it. But how do scientists study the conversations males and females in non-human animals have about mating? One way to do this is to participate, controlling one side of the conversation with a robot. Gail Patricelli will talk about using robotic females to study courtship behaviors in two spectacular species of birds, the satin bowerbird and the greater sage-grouse.

Bio:

Gail Patricelli is a professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology and Chair of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. Members of the Patricelli Lab study the evolution of courtship and other forms of communication in birds and the impact of human activities, like urban development and noise pollution, on communication, breeding ecology, and reproductive success. This research uses technology such as biomimetic robotics, microphone arrays, acoustic monitoring, and remote telemetry to study populations in the wild, from local songbirds to species of conservation concern, such as greater sage-grouse.

Register here!

Fresno Audubon Society

PO Box 3315

Pinedale, CA 93650-3315

Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.

Categories: General Meeting

Introduction to Birding November 18, 2023 @ River Center

Tickets

Nov 18 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

10

CANCELED General Meeting – Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots 7:00 pm

CANCELED General Meeting – Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots @ Zoom
Oct 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Tickets

Virtual General Meeting Bruce Lyon The Breeding Biology of Coots: The meeting for tonight is canceled. Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Oct. 10th, 7:00pm This meeting will be broadcast online via Zoom Register to receive login information. New to Zoom? Check out all you...

11

Field Trip to River West Madera 8:00 am

Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera
Oct 11 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Tickets

Field Trip to River West Madera Wednesday October 11, 2023 Register here! 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...

14

The Raptor Trail Field Trip on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam 7:45 am

The Raptor Trail Field Trip on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam @ The Raptor Trail on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam
Oct 14 @ 7:45 am – 12:45 pm

Tickets

The Raptor Trail on The Kings River at Pine Flat Dam Registration is required for this event. Register Here UPDATED MEETING TIME & PLACE We will be meeting at 7:45 for an 8:00 departure at the Walmart parking lot at the SE corner of Blackstone...

21

Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 9:00 am

Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 @ River Center
Oct 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Tickets

Introduction to Birding at the River Center 11605 Old Friant Rd Fresno, CA 93730 Please register for the October 21 event here. The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning...

25

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island 8:45 am

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island @ Sycamore Island
Oct 25 @ 8:45 am – 1:00 pm

Tickets

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island Registration is required for this event. Register Here 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...

29

FAS Board Meeting 11:00 am

FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Oct 29 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Tickets

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Please register for the November 18 event here.

The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about local and migratory birds that might be visiting the River Center. New birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the various habitats found at the River Center. We will meet at the new picnic shelter on the north side of the center. After learning about using binoculars and various aids in bird identification like guide books and phone apps, we will bird around the property. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome!

Link to Beginning Birding Handout

Rain cancels this event.

Class is held from 9 AM -12 PM on the third Saturday of each month from October through May.

Please register for the November 18 event here.

Categories: Birding Classes

Introduction to Birding at Intermountain Nursery @ Intermountain Nursery

Tickets

Nov 19 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Register Here

Intermountain Nursery will host a birding class given by Fresno Audubon Society on the beautiful nursery grounds. Beginning birders will see and learn about fall migratory and resident birds in the foothills. Birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk around the nursery looking for birds. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and dress in layers. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome. Rain cancels this event.

Here is a map of the location of Intermountain Nursery.

Categories: Birding Classes

#optoutside Opt Outside Bird Walk @ Friant Cove/Millerton Lake

Tickets

Nov 24 @ 7:30 am – 1:30 pm

Opt Outside November 24, 2023

Please register here.

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!