| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| FAS Board meeting 12:15 pm FAS Board meeting @ Bety Rodriguez Library Mar 1 @ 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm This meeting will serve as our February Board meeting. | Wednesday Walk – Eastman Lake 8:15 am Wednesday Walk – Eastman Lake @ Eastman Lake, Raymond CA Mar 4 @ 8:15 am – 1:45 pm Linda Schafhauser will lead this trip through the Madera grasslands and foothills along Rd 26 to Eastman Lake. Expect to see eagles, hawks, shorebirds and owls, and possibly migrating Rufous Hummingbirds if the right trees are in bloom. After lunch at Eastman Lake we will... | Introduction to birding at the River Center 9:00 am Introduction to birding at the River Center @ River Center Mar 7 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am Join the River Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon for an Introduction to Birding Class at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies. Class participants will learn how to use binoculars, why birding is a fun and valuable hobby, and about the resources available to help... | ||||
| Pre-meeting Dinner with Susan Schneider 5:00 pm Pre-meeting Dinner with Susan Schneider @ BJ's Brewhouse Mar 10 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Join us for dinner at BJ’s Brewhouse with Biopsychologist Susan Schneider. Susan has over 25 years of research and teaching experience in the science of consequences and nature-nurture relations. She’s also an avid birder, field trip leader, and environmental activist. President of San Joaquin Audubon... General Meeting – Susan Schneider on Bird Intelligence 7:00 pm General Meeting – Susan Schneider on Bird Intelligence @ UC CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP Mar 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm Please join us for an evening discussion of bird intelligence by Biopsychologist Susan Schneider, PhD. Susan has over 25 years of research and teaching experience in the science of consequences and nature-nurture relations. She’s also an avid birder, field trip leader, and environmental activist. Her... | Saturday Walk – Audubon Kern River Preserve 7:00 am Saturday Walk – Audubon Kern River Preserve Mar 14 @ 7:00 am – 4:00 pm Join us for a trip to the beautiful and important Audubon Kern River Preserve and Lake Isabella. We will begin birding at 7:00 am on Saturday, so it is best to leave Friday and spend the night in Kernville. Accommodations in Kernville can be found... | |||||
| Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center 8:00 am Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center @ River Center Mar 15 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Join Fresno Audubon Society experts for an entry-level bird walk at the River Center. This is a follow-on birding trip for our Introduction to Birding class, but all (including children) are welcome. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from Fresno Audubon. Also bring... | ||||||
| Wednesday Walk – River West CANCELED 8:00 am Wednesday Walk – River West CANCELED @ River West Mar 25 @ 8:00 am – 11:30 am  River West is several hundred acres of grasslands, riparian areas, ponds, bluffs and river habitats. The walk is mostly level but we may walk as much as 3 miles on dirt trails and through wet grass. Those who don’t want to walk the entire property... | ||||||
| FAS Board meeting CANCELED 12:15 pm FAS Board meeting CANCELED Mar 29 @ 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm All FAS Board meetings are open to the public. |
Join us for dinner at BJ’s Brewhouse with Biopsychologist Susan Schneider. Susan has over 25 years of research and teaching experience in the science of consequences and nature-nurture relations. She’s also an avid birder, field trip leader, and environmental activist. President of San Joaquin Audubon (just stepped down this summer), she was on the Tropical Audubon board in Miami and is a past president of Mountaineer Audubon in West Virginia. She’s published numerous scientific articles and book chapters, and has been a faculty member at St. Olaf College, Auburn University, and Florida International University; she’s currently a Visiting Scholar at University of the Pacific. Her book for the public, The Science of Consequences: How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World (see www.scienceofconsequences.com) was a selection of the Scientific American Book Club and took her on a 3-year international book tour. It describes the science of reinforcement learning, its important role in the larger realm of nature-nurture relations, and its many beneficial applications for people and animals. Schneider is currently focused on fighting climate change: giving talks, consulting professionally, and co-chairing the San Joaquin County Climate Action Coalition.
Please register for the event here.
Please join us for an evening discussion of bird intelligence by Biopsychologist Susan Schneider, PhD. Susan has over 25 years of research and teaching experience in the science of consequences and nature-nurture relations. She’s also an avid birder, field trip leader, and environmental activist. Her talk is titled No Birdbrains Here: The Latest on Bird Learning, Instinct, and Intelligence. Birds can learn from consequences, as we and many other species can: Baby chicks learn to peck accurately, wild mockingbirds can learn to recognize individual people, and pigeons were able to learn to categorize art and music. Even instinctive behaviors like imprinting can be more flexible than scientists used to think, and songbird song appears particularly malleable. This talk will explore bird learning and intelligence, from everyday foraging, to learning through observing, to tool use. Such adaptability may be critical as wild birds attempt to adjust to the many threats they face. Scientists also take advantage of this powerful learning ability to help save endangered species.
Please register for the event here.
Map to the UC Center:
Join us for a trip to the beautiful and important Audubon Kern River Preserve and Lake Isabella. We will begin birding at 7:00 am on Saturday, so it is best to leave Friday and spend the night in Kernville. Accommodations in Kernville can be found online (e.g. here). To learn more about the preserve click here. A map of the trails on the preserve is found here. A list of winter birds can be found here.
Please register for the event here.
We will meet at the preserve headquarters at 7:00 am on Saturday 14 March. A map to the headquarters is here:
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Trip Leader: Robert Snow, (650)483-2347, rsnow@fresnoaudubon.org
Join Fresno Audubon Society experts for an entry-level bird walk at the River Center. This is a follow-on birding trip for our Introduction to Birding class, but all (including children) are welcome. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from Fresno Audubon. Also bring sun protection such as a hat and sunscreen plus water and snacks.
Marsh Wren by Larry Cusick
River West is several hundred acres of grasslands, riparian areas, ponds, bluffs and river habitats. The walk is mostly level but we may walk as much as 3 miles on dirt trails and through wet grass. Those who don’t want to walk the entire property can bird a smaller area. We are not able to drive this property. Because the trail gate is open all day, participants are able to leave early. This is the area where we saw the Vermillion Flycatcher several years ago. He hasn’t been spotted this year, but there are lots of good birds in the ponds and river habitat. It’s not unusual to record more than 50 species this time of year. Possible sightings included American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned kinglets, Sparrows, Northern Harriers, White-tailed Kites to name a few. We will also be able to see the habitat restoration that the SJR Parkway and Conservation Trust has been working on for the past few years. We will meet outside the gate at the intersection of W Riverview Dr and W Bluff Ave at 8:00am. There is plenty of on street parking in this area. There is a port-a-potty available on the premises. We plan on finishing by 11:30 am. Register for this walk here
All FAS Board meetings are open to the public.
Kearney Park, which was originally the estate of Martin Kearney, a land developer and agricultural promoter in the late 1800s, was once owned by the University of California, and is now a Fresno County park. Kearney Park is good for sparrows, nuthatches, wrens, woodpeckers and sapsuckers, and finches among many other birds. Spring migrants such as flycatchers, tanagers, and warblers can be seen at the park. Kearney Park is also one of the few places in the Fresno area where Yellow-billed Magpies can be seen. Owls are sometimes found at the park, as are nighthawks. Wear walking shoes and warm clothes; early April mornings in the country can be cool. Bring a lunch. There is a $5 entrance fee. Register for this walk here
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Trip Leader: Larry Parmeter lanpar362@gmail.com (559)288-3456
The Kearney Park entrance location is here
Map to meeting location:
Gray Flycatcher by Gary Woods
Join us for a trip to the San Joaquin Experimental Range (SJER) with Rebecca Ozeran from UC Cooperative Extension. The SJER is a US Forest Service research area and active cattle ranch in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. This property has restricted access so this is a great opportunity for Fresno Audubon. We may see Gray Flycatchers and Western Bluebirds, as well as a variety of sparrows and Lewis’s Woodpeckers. We will meet at 7:15am for a 7:30am departure at the UC Cooperative Extension parking lot, 550 E. Shaw Ave., Fresno.
There will be restrooms available. The terrain is sometimes rocky and sloping, so it’s not a good site for people with limited mobility.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Trip Leader: Rebecca Ozeran (livestock and natural resources advisor). Please contact Susan Estep estepmail@yahoo.com (402)212-1215 with any questions.
Please register for the trip here. Registration is limited to 25 people.
Map to meeting location:
Join Fresno Audubon Society for a birding hike on the McKenzie Preserve. Explore local birds during spring migration.
This is a Sierra Foothill conservancy event staffed by Fresno Audubon Society. Cost is FREE but you must register here: https://sierrafoothill.org/event/birding-on-the-mckenzie-3/?instance_id=411.
Sierra Foothill Conservancy (SFC), Fresno Audubon Society, and the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area (BLM) have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about spring migratory birds visiting the San Joaquin River Gorge. Birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the fall habitat found on the scenic hillsides of the River Gorge. The address of the event is 40060 Smalley Rd, Auberry, CA 93602.
Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection. There is no cost to attend, but there is a $5 daily use fee for the property. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own.