01 Dec Field Trip to River West Madera
Field Trip to River West Madera
Wednesday
February 1, 2023
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
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