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

 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 need to know here before the meeting.

Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots

Description:

Reconsider the coot: the crazy reproductive antics of a common marsh denizen.

Coots are often overlooked by birders because they are so common. I have been studying the reproductive antics of American coots for the past two decades and have discovered that there is far more to this bird than meets the eye. In the talk I highlight some of our discoveries about the parental and reproductive strategies of coots, from both a natural history and scientific perspective. We all are familiar with the story of the cuckoo female that lays eggs in the nests of other species rather than raising chicks herself.  Some coot females do this sort of thing, but they lay their eggs in the nests of other coot females. Why would they do this — why lay eggs elsewhere when you have your own nest? What do the birds that receive these unwanted foster eggs do? Coots are just as bizarre when it comes to raising their own kids, and there are many puzzling features of coot parental care behavior. For example, why do coots lay far more eggs than they can normally raise and why do they beat up their kids so much? And, finally, why are baby coots born with such a ridiculously fluorescent orange plumage? I will answer these questions in my talk. In addition, because our coot research was done in a wild part of central British Columbia, I will also briefly highlight a few of the special birds we encounter at our study site. Finally, the research program is expanding to ask similar questions in a mysterious coot in the High Andes of Argentina.

Bio: 

 

Bruce Lyon is a professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the evolution of reproductive strategies and mating behavior of birds. His long-term research on the adaptive basis of brood parasitism in American coots has sought to understand why parasitism within species evolves and how the behavior influences other aspects of social behavior. Dr. Lyon has also investigated the evolution of ornamental plumage signals in a variety of species, including lark buntings, lazuli buntings and the evolution of ornamental offspring plumage in the newly hatched chicks of American coots. Most recently, he has conducted a decade-long investigation into the winter social lives of migrant golden-crowned sparrows that spent their winters on the Arboretum of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has also begun work on the horned coot, a rare and giant South American coot species with boring drab chicks.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Oct
11
Wed
2023
Field Trip to River West Madera @ River West Madera
Oct 11 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

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 the San Joaquin River downstream toward Sycamore Island. Although the river is also accessible from Wildwood Native Park, we will start from the Golf Center as the status of the Park is uncertain at this time.

 

We plan to take Palm Avenue south toward the river from the golf course, past the pipe gate, then 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, be prepared for some different birds on the Madera County side. We will be looking especially for our some of our early returning winter friends, including common merganser, white-crowned sparrows, black-crowned night heron, white-throated swift, northern flickers, phainopepla, Say’s phoebes, ruby-crowned kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers, and black-throated gray warblers.
Bring suitable clothing (layers) and walking shoes, 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!

Oct
14
Sat
2023
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

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 and Ashlan for preliminary carpooling.

 

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 the expected target species include Bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, nuthatches, woodpeckers and oak titmice.

 

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 either trip leader.

Contact:

Susan Heidebrecht #(559) 313-1776 sunheidebrecht@comcast.net
Larry Cusick  #(559) 313-1777   cusicks@comcast.net

 

Register Here

Oct
25
Wed
2023
Wednesday Bird Walk at Sycamore Island @ Sycamore Island
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

Nov
4
Sat
2023
Yokohl Valley: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 @ Yokohl Valley
Nov 4 @ 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

 

Yokohl Valley

November 4, 2023

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

 

 

Nov
8
Wed
2023
Wednesday Walk – Millerton Lake (Madera West Side) @ Millerton Lake (Madera Side)
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.

 

Nov
14
Tue
2023
General Meeting – Nov. 2023 Gail Patricelli, Robots, Telemetry, & the Sex Lives of Wild Birds @ Zoom
Nov 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Gail Patricelli

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

Using technology to study courtship and conservation

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.



Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Nov
24
Fri
2023
#optoutside Opt Outside Bird Walk @ Friant Cove/Millerton Lake
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!

 

 

 

 

Nov
29
Wed
2023
Wednesday Walk – Merced NWR @ MNWR
Nov 29 @ 11:45 am – 8:00 pm

Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Nov. 29, 2023

 

Registration required: 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, November 29 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 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).

Map to McDonald’s

Map to MNWR

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, phoebes, various sparrows, American pipits, numerous species of ducks and geese, American white pelicans, wading birds and shore birds, egrets, American coots, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and other hawks. Also possible are bald eagles, great-horned owls, and vermillion flycatchers.

 

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

 

Dec
2
Sat
2023
Saturday Bird Walk at Sumner-Peck Ranch @ Sumner-Peck Ranch
Dec 2 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Saturday 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.  

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