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Saturday Field Trip to Fresno/Clovis Wastewater Treatment Plant 7:45 am
Saturday Field Trip to Fresno/Clovis Wastewater Treatment Plant @ Fresno/Clovis Wastewater Treatment Plant
Apr 9 @ 7:45 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday Field Trip to Fresno/Clovis Wastewater Treatment Plant @ Fresno/Clovis Wastewater Treatment Plant
On Saturday 9 April 2022 we will be visiting the Fresno Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP). Logistics of entry require that names be submitted in advance to the plant security personnel. Please register for the event using your name as it appears on your Government-issued ID no...
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General Meeting – Pamela Flick “Wolves in California” 7:00 pm
General Meeting – Pamela Flick “Wolves in California” @ Zoom
Apr 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
 Virtual General Meeting Pamela Flick “Wolves in California” Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting April 12th, 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. The...
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Wednesday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch 8:30 am
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch @ Sumner-Peck Ranch
Apr 13 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch Registration is required for this event. Register Here Join trip leader Susan Heidebrecht for birding along the San Joaquin River on the beautiful  Sumner-Peck Ranch property.  It is mostly flat terrain with good trails. The walk will be approximately...
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Introduction to birding at the River Center 9:00 am
Introduction to birding at the River Center @ River Center
Apr 16 @ 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...
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Earth Day Birding at Roeding Park 8:00 am
Earth Day Birding at Roeding Park @ Roeding Park (meet in parking in front of zoo)
Apr 23 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Earth Day Birding at Roeding Park Registration is required for this event. Register Here Celebrate Earth Day with trip leaders Maureen Walsh and Wes Beal birding at Roeding Park.  We will start at Lake Washington where we will see Wood ducks among other waterfowl in...
Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center 8:00 am
Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center @ River Center
Apr 23 @ 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...
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FAS Board Meeting 12:00 pm
FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Apr 24 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Contact rsnow@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials
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Wednesday Bird Walk at Lost Lake 8:00 am
Wednesday Bird Walk at Lost Lake @ Lost Lake
Apr 27 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wednesday Bird Walk at Lost Lake Registration is required for this event. Register Here Join trip leader Judy Johnson at Lost Lake Park during spring migration. Possible species include Western tanager, phainopepla, Western bluebird, spotted towhee, lark sparrow, spotted sandpiper, kingfisher, red breasted sapsucker, various...
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Apr
12
Tue
2022
General Meeting – Pamela Flick “Wolves in California” @ Zoom
Apr 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Pamela Flick

“Wolves in California”

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting April 12th, 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.

The Return of Gray Wolves to California

Once common throughout much of North America, the gray wolf (Canis lupus) was driven to localized extinction in most areas of the contiguous United States by the mid-1930s through bounties and wildly successful predator control efforts. The last wild gray wolf in California was shot in Lassen County in 1924. 

Flash forward to late December 2011, when a young male wolf known as OR-7 entered our state from Oregon, making him the first known wild wolf in the Golden State in nearly 90 years. In Summer 2015, news spread that California’s first resident wolf family, dubbed the Shasta Pack for the massive dormant volcano near where they were discovered, had settled into eastern Siskiyou County. The following summer, we learned about the Lassen Pack, which straddles the Lassen/Plumas county line and has produced pups every year since 2017. Yet another pair of wolves, known as the Whaleback Pack in Siskiyou County, produced seven pups in 2021. Wolves are no longer merely passing through; they’re settling in and making themselves at home here in our state.

This presentation will provide an overview of gray wolf natural history, ecological role and current distribution and population in North America and here in California. The historic reintroduction efforts in the northern Rockies to bring wolves back from the brink of extinction will be discussed, as will implications for wolf recovery in the western states with an emphasis on the importance of coexistence and moving beyond myths.

Speaker Bio:

Pamela Flick is the California Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife based in Sacramento, where she engages on a variety of issues statewide including gray wolf recovery, responsible renewable energy planning and development, forest resilience and fire restoration, and advancing conservation of imperiled species and natural communities.

Pam is a founding member of the Pacific Wolf Coalition and has served as an advisor to the Department of Fish and Wildlife in development of the Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California and the Department’s wolf conflict compensation pilot program. She currently serves on Sierra Forest Legacy’s advisory board, the Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council advisory committee, and the Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Working Group.

Prior to joining Defenders in 2005, Pam worked to permanently protect public lands and rivers throughout the Golden State in various roles within the California Wild Heritage Campaign, Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign and at Friends of the River.

Pam graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biological Sciences. She also holds associate degrees in Biology and Liberal Studies from Sierra College and is a Certified California Naturalist through the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She is a third-generation Californian and hails from Mariposa.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Apr
13
Wed
2022
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch @ Sumner-Peck Ranch
Apr 13 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Join trip leader Susan Heidebrecht for birding along the San Joaquin River on the beautiful  Sumner-Peck Ranch property.  It is mostly flat terrain with good trails. The walk will be approximately 1 ½ miles each way.  Expect to see a variety of waterfowl, warblers, raptors, Belted kingfishers, and woodpeckers.  Recently, at least 10 Lewis woodpeckers were spotted in the area.  

We will meet at the parking area at the end of the drive (do not turn left into the parking lot near the entrance, but drive straight ahead). 

If you wish to bring lunch, there is a small picnic area near the parking lot.  Seating, however, is limited, so it is recommended you bring a chair.

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 Susan Heidebrecht at sunheidebrecht@comcast.net or (559)313-1776

Register Here

Apr
16
Sat
2022
Introduction to birding at the River Center @ River Center
Apr 16 @ 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 identify birds. After the initial class work, participants will accompany Fresno Audubon experts on a bird walk around the River Center property including the Hidden Homes Trail. This class will begin at the Wisteria Shade Arbor just north of the Ranch House.

Participants should bring binoculars, snacks, water, and sun protection. Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan for anyone who doesn’t have their own pair.

There is no cost to attend. Children are welcome.

Please register for the event here.

Apr
23
Sat
2022
Earth Day Birding at Roeding Park @ Roeding Park (meet in parking in front of zoo)
Apr 23 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Earth Day Birding at Roeding Park

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Celebrate Earth Day with trip leaders Maureen Walsh and Wes Beal birding at Roeding Park.  We will start at Lake Washington where we will see Wood ducks among other waterfowl in the lake and see the Cattle egret, Black-crowned night herons, and Double-crested cormorants in the rookery on the island. There are hundreds of birds nesting in the rookery.  Then we will walk other areas of the park to see a variety of woodpeckers, raptors, warblers, etc.  

We will meet at the parking lot in front of the zoo, across from Lake Washington.  There is a $5.00 entry fee to the park and a new automated parking system.  

If you wish to bring lunch, there are plenty of picnic tables available for eating and calculating our bird count.  

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 Maureen Walsh at mewnew10@yahoo.com or (559) 706-4980.

Register Here

Introductory Bird Walk at the River Center @ River Center
Apr 23 @ 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 sun protection such as a hat and sunscreen, plus water and snacks.

Please register for the event here.

Apr
24
Sun
2022
FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Apr 24 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Contact rsnow@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Apr
27
Wed
2022
Wednesday Bird Walk at Lost Lake @ Lost Lake
Apr 27 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Lost Lake

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Join trip leader Judy Johnson at Lost Lake Park during spring migration. Possible species include Western tanager, phainopepla, Western bluebird, spotted towhee, lark sparrow, spotted sandpiper, kingfisher, red breasted sapsucker, various warblers, and many more. We will meet at the southwest end of the loop, at 8:00am, near the start of the nature trail. Be aware that there is a $5 fee for entering the park. Expect to be finished by 1:00 pm.

The walking will be easy and flat. Bring water, sunscreen, a hat, snacks, lunch (optional), binoculars and bird guides, and dress in layers.

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 Judy Johnson (559) 977-2787 (voice or text)

Register Here

May
10
Tue
2022
General Meeting – “Dan Airola – Yellow-billed Magpies” @ Zoom
May 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Dan Airola

Yellow-Billed Magpie Population Status in Urban Sacramento

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting May 10th, 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.

Program Description

Dan’s talk covers his studies of the Yellow-billed Magpie population that occupies parks and other open space areas within the urban Sacramento area. Dan documents the previously unstudied ecology of Central Valley magpie populations. He also describes new information that explains the occurrence and abundance of magpies in this area. He also solves the mystery of how magpies appear to have maintained stable and healthy populations in this urban area, while populations in more rural areas have been decimated by West Nile virus.

Speaker Bio:

Dan Airola is a Wildlife Biologist and Ornithologist,  who has lived in the Central Valley since 1985. Dan conducts research and conservation efforts for birds of concern in northern California, often with a community science component. He began studies of Yellow-billed Magpies during 2020 after discovering that almost no ecological study of the species had occurred in the Central Valley. His other research and conservation program species include the Tricolored Blackbird, Purple Martin, Swainson’s Hawk, Osprey, and migratory and wintering songbirds. He is a Board member and Conservation Chair of the Central Valley Bird Club, and Editor of the journal Central Valley Birds. His recent book on 30 years of Purple Martin research and management is available at cvbirds.org.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
May
11
Wed
2022
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island @ Sycamore Island
May 11 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Join trip leader George Folsom to explore Sycamore Island. Sycamore Island is along the San Joaquin River in Madera County downstream form River West open space. It offers a variety of habitats: ponds, riparian, grasslands, oak woodlands and wetlands. We can expect ducks, raptors, herons, egrets, orioles, woodpeckers and perhaps migrating warblers and vireos among may others.

Meet at the access gate off Ave 9, Madera County at 8:00 a.m.. See map below. 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

May
14
Sat
2022
China Creek Park and Avocado Lake Park, May 14, 2022 @ China Creek
May 14 @ 6:30 am – 3:00 pm

Register Here

Join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, May 14 as we celebrate World Migratory Bird Day 2022 by exploring China Creek Park and Avocado Lake Park. We will meet at 06:30 in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Blackstone and Ashlan (36.793565, -119.789792, near El Pollo Loco), where we will arrange carpooling.

 

From there, we will make the approximately 30 minute drive to China Creek Park in Centerville (36.722578, -119.502003). Entry is free at China Creek Park, but parking is a little limited near the entrance. We will hike around China Creek for about 3 to 4 hours. At this location, our target species will be Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and many more!

 

After birding at China Creek, we will head to Avocado Lake (36.782435, -119.407550), where we will have a picnic lunch before birding. Be advised that there is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter Avocado Lake Park. Our target species at Avocado Lake will be Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Violet-green Swallow, Oak Titmouse, Phainopepla, Lesser Goldfinch, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and several others! We will plan to wrap up around 2:00 or 3:00 PM.

 

Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Registration is required for all participants.

 

We ask that all participants register individually. This trip is limited to 25 participants. Please reach out to trip leader Rachel Clark at 515-357-0122 or tanagergirl@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns. 

Meeting Place Map

China Creek Park Map

For anyone curious about World Migratory Bird Day, here is a link to more information: https://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/

Please register for the event here.