EVENT CALENDAR - Fresno Audubon Society
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 @ River West Madera
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 ...
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7
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
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...
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11
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
Merced Wildlife Refuge  (off Sandy Mush Rd) Location Change @ Merced Wildlife Refuge
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...
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28
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 @ River West Open Space
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...
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Dec
7
Wed
2022
FULL Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch @ Jensen River Ranch
Dec 7 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch

This event is currently full. You can try using the register here link to see if there are any cancellations.

Registration is required for this event.

Register Here

Join FAS for an evening Owl Walk on the Jensen Trail.  We plan to start close to sunset to be on the Jensen Trail at dusk when the Great Horned owls and Barn owls come out to hunt. The outing should take about 1 1/2 hours.  We will meet at 4:00 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to the Art of Life Healing Garden in Woodward Park.

 

 

The $5.00 City entrance fee applies if you park in Woodward Park. Alternative parking may be available in the Fort Washington Shopping Center.

 

Registration is required for this event. Any questions, please contact trip leader Larry Cusick at (559) 313-1777, larrywcusick@gmail.com.

Register Here

Dec
13
Tue
2022
General Meeting – Robert Groos, Wild Turkeys, up close and personal @ Zoom
Dec 13 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Robert Groos

Wild Turkeys, Up Close and Personal

Wild Turkeys by Robert Groos

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting December 13th, 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.

Title: Robert Groos, Wild Turkeys, up close and personal

 

Description: Wild Turkeys, up close and personal

 

Wild Turkeys roam the foothills of Coarsegold. In early spring, an annual pageant unfolds: traveling leks of hopeful males seeking to mate with willing females. It is a wondrous exposition of biological desire, and much more. I’ve had the good fortune to observe and capture it all with photos and video. In this presentation, you will witness the phenomena of Wild Turkey leks, courtship displays, male to male combat, copulation, predation upon nests, and more. 

 

Don’t be a turkey and miss out on this opportunity to experience the thrill of seeing these magnificent birds at their wild best.

 

Biography: 

 

Robert received a PhD in French from the University of Wisconsin, became a university professor, but eventually left academia to pursue a career in computer technology consulting.

 

He began photographing birds in preparation for a safari in Botswana. What better way to learn how to use a camera than photographing birds, he reasoned. Birds eventually became his favorite photographic subject. “I’ve never met a bird I didn’t want to photograph,” he admits.

 

His photograph of a Cedar Waxwing was selected to appear in a special Audubon Photography Awards gallery of  “our favorite female bird shots 2021.”

 

Choosing to be a bird photographer necessitated becoming an avid birder, and that pursuit led to storytelling about his experiences observing birds.

 

You can read FAS member Robert Groos’ stories on his website: robertgroosphotography.com

 



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Dec
14
Wed
2022
Field Trip to Merced National Wildlife Refuge 2022 @ Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Dec 14 @ 11:45 am – 5:30 pm

Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Wednesday, December 14

Please register here.

 

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 Wednesday, December 14 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 below) at 11:45 for a noon start.

 

Secondary meet up is at the first parking lot of the refuge, near the bathrooms and the first observation deck, at 1:00pm (see map). After driving the auto tour, we will gather at the second observation deck at sundown for the spectacular crane fly-in, which should end around 5:30pm.

 

Target birds include Lesser Sandhill Cranes, Black and Say’s Phoebes, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, American Pipits, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teals, Greater White-fronted Geese, Snow Geese, Ross’s Geese, American White Pelicans, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, American Coots, Black-necked Stilts, White-faced Ibis, Long-billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, Wilson’s Snipe, Least Sandpipers, Long-billed Curlews, Red-tailed Hawks, and Northern Harriers. Also possible are Cackling Geese, Red-shouldered Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Bald Eagles, Kestrels, and Great-horned Owls. Both a Burrowing Owl and female Vermillion Flycatcher have recently been seen at the refuge as well.

 

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 is required for this event.

Please register here.

Jan
10
Tue
2023
General Meeting – Julie Brown, Why count raptors? @ Zoom
Jan 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Julie Brown

Why count raptors?

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting January 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.

Julie Brown

Monitoring migratory raptors in the Americas

 

Description: 

I will be speaking about the Hawk Migration Association of North America, our current programs and the work we do to support the raptor migration monitoring network. I’ll talk about HawkCount.org, the largest citizen science database in the world and how these data are being used to determine raptor population trends across the continent.

 

Biography: 

Julie Brown is the Raptor Migration and Programs Director at HMANA since 2008. Prior to her work at HMANA,  she migrated throughout the US and tropics working as field biologist primarily with raptors, focusing on human impact studies,  migration research and behavioral studies.  Julie received her BS in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Maine and received her MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England where she studied Peregrine Falcon migration in Costa Rica. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband who she met hawkwatching and her two bird loving children.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Jan
18
Wed
2023
Wednesday Walk – Avocado Lake/Choinumni Park
Jan 18 @ 7:45 am – 1:00 pm

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

 

On January 18, Fresno Audubon will have its Wednesday Walk to Avocado Lake and nearby Choinumni Park, led by Larry Parmeter. Avocado Lake, an often-overlooked little jewel of a birding site, has a large open lake, riparian areas along the Kings River, and oak woodlands. It’s a great place for woodpeckers, nuthatches, sparrows, finches, including Lawrence’s Goldfinch, towhees, and raptors. Wintering waterfowl may be on the lake, along with possible Common Loons. Choinumni Park is known for woodpeckers and raptors among many other species. We’ll meet at 7:45am at the Walmart parking lot at Ashlan and Blackstone for an 8am departure. Carpooling arrangements must be made beforehand.

Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios

Trip Leader: Larry Parmeter (559)276-8753, lanpar362@gmail.com

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

Click here for a map to the meeting place

Jan
21
Sat
2023
Saturday Field Trip – Merced Grasslands & Merced NWR
Jan 21 @ 6:45 am – 5:45 pm

Registration required for all FAS field trips.

Registration for this trip is here.

Event details subject to change.

Jeff Seay will lead this trip through the Merced Grasslands Important Bird Area finishing at Merced National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at that Walmart parking lot at Ashlan and Blackstone at 6:45 am for a 7 am departure. The trip will cover the Madera County’s foothill Grasslands on the way to the Merced Wildlife Refuge. We expect to see wintering raptors and other birds of the low foothills and grasslands. We will mostly be driving and getting out of the car periodically with possible small walks. At the end of the trip we will enjoy the spectacle of sandhill cranes, snow and Ross’s geese, and other waterfowl. It will last most of the day, ending about 5:45 at the refuge.

Checklist: binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, radios, jackets, lunch/snacks, water, and insect repellent.

Registration for this trip is here.

Directions to the assembly point are here.

Trip leader: Jeff Seay, ‭(559) 960-0849‬, jeffseay@sbcglobal.net

 

Jan
28
Sat
2023
Field Trip to River West Open Space @ River West Open Space
Jan 28 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Field Trip to River West Open Space, Saturday, January 28, 2023

Event Details Subject to Change

Register here!

Join Fresno Audubon for a bird hike at River West Open Space on Saturday January 28. We will meet at River View Dr and W Bluff Ave at 8 a.m.

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 no restrooms or water available so come prepared!

Register here!

Feb
1
Wed
2023
Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera
Feb 1 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Field Trip to River West Madera

Wednesday

February 1, 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). For those who participated in Rachel Clark’s outing last fall from Wildwood Native Park, a lot of the terrain will look familiar. However, as the park is not open during the work week, we will be assembling west of the park.

 

Weather and trail conditions permitting, the plan is to take Palm Avenue down 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 road can be followed instead. Total distance is about 3.5 miles.

 

Although this is directly across the river from River West Open Space (that walk is set for January 28 and led by the incomparable Susan Estep), be prepared for some different birds on the Madera County side, including black-crowned night heron, wigeon, green-wing teal, cinnamon teal, phainopepla, various wrens, and acorn, Nuttall’s and downy woodpeckers. We may also see early signs of nesting activity by the returning osprey and great-horned owls, and perhaps an appearance by one or two bald eagles.

 

Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes (note 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.

 

Directions: 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.

Leader: John McDaniel

Phone: (559) 779-7186

Email: mandomac@comcast.net

Register here!

Feb
14
Tue
2023
General Meeting – Larry Parmeter, How the Birds Taught Humanity to Fly @ Zoom
Feb 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Larry Parmeter

How the Birds Taught Humanity to Fly

Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting February 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.

Larry Parmeter

How the Birds Taught Humanity to Fly

 

Description: 

Since the dawn of recorded history, humans have wanted to fly like the birds. Although many studied the secret of avian flight during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that the technological tools for humanity to fly became available. By the mid and late 1800s, spurred on by the science of bird flight, dozens of people, and the Wright Brothers were not the first, were attempting to master human flight. This culminated in the early 20th century with pioneering aviators on both sides of the Atlantic, and the Pacific as well, joining the birds in the air. 

 

Biography: 

Larry is a retired high school English teacher who currently teaches for the Osher Adult Continuing  Education Program at Fresno State. He has been a member of Fresno Audubon for over 30 years, and was its president during the 1990s. He currently leads field trips for both Audubon and the San Joaquin River Parkway, and is also involved in the Parkway’s  environmental education program for elementary school students. He has also had a longtime interest in the space program and aviation, which led him to tonight’s presentation.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Feb
15
Wed
2023
Wednesday Walk – Lions Park @ Lions Park
Feb 15 @ 7:45 am – 1:00 pm

Registration Required.

Link to Registration.

 

On Wednesday, February 15, Fresno Audubon will travel to Lions Park in Kerman for its Wednesday Walk. This is a small park in what used to be a rural area outside Kerman but is now surrounded by residential homes. Nevertheless, it is still a major bird attractor, with many different sparrows, woodpeckers, Robins, nuthatches, and other species. A pond on the premises has ducks, wading birds, and grebes. It’s a little-known and overlooked but wonderful birding place.

 

We will meet the Walmart at Blackstone and Ashlan at 7:45 and go from there. If time permits, we will go to nearby Kerman Rotary Park, which is also a good birding site. People are responsible for arranging their carpooling beforehand. Bring a 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.