Birding
MDAS/SMD Field Trip — Curry Canyon
Curry Canyon RanchJoint Mt. Diablo Audubon & Save Mount Diablo Birding Walk at Curry Canyon Mount Diablo Audubon Society and Save Mount Diablo are partnering up for a hike on Save Mount Diablo's gorgeous Curry Canyon Ranch. This portion of Curry Canyon Ranch showcases beautiful rangeland ecosystems and valley oak and riparian habitat. We will be […]
MDAS Field Trip — West Briones Regional Park
Bear Creek Staging Area Briones Bear Creek Staging Area, 16 Bear Creek Rd, Lafayette, CA, United StatesWest Briones Regional Park Thursday, May 11, 8 AM to 1 PM A visit to the west entrance of Briones Regional Park in the spring offers views of spring wildflowers and spring birds. Lazuli Buntings are usually present; many years this trip provides the first viewings of these beautiful birds for most of us. Bring […]
MDAS Field Trip — East Contra Costa County
Marsh Creek Regional Trail Trailhead X8R3+9H, Oakley, CA, United StatesEast Contra Costa County Monday, May 15, 7 AM to 12PM Note starting time: we start this trip early as the location can be very hot by mid-day. We will walk part of the Marsh Creek Trail, and then visit Piper Slough north of Bethel Island. Other locations are possible. Target birds include: Blue Grosbeak, […]
MDAS Field Trip — Outer Point Reyes
Bear Valley Visitor Center 25RX+CV, Inverness, CA, United StatesOuter Point Reyes Saturday, June 3, 8:30 AM to 3 PM Point Reyes is one of the premiere birding locations in Northern California, a great spot to find rarities during migration---like the Prairie Warbler pictured on the registration page (image by Beth Branthaver). MDAS tries to visit at least twice a year. On this trip […]
MDAS Field Trip — Hayward Regional Shoreline, Frank’s Dump
Hayward Regional Shoreline 3010 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA, United StatesHayward Regional Shoreline, Frank's Dump Friday, July 21, 3:30 PM to 6 PM For a shorebird spectacle, we will visit the hotspot known as "Frank's Dump" in late afternoon when the sun will be at our backs, allowing good viewing of shorebirds congregating on the dry flats at high tide. At this time of year […]
MDAS Field Trip — Bodega Bay
Tides Restaurant Bodega Bay 835Bay Highway, Bodega Bay, CA, United StatesBodega Bay Saturday, August 19, 9 AM to 3 PM The last trip of our annual field trip calendar, but sometimes considered the first trip for fall birding. At Bodega Bay we'll encounter flocks of shorebirds including Black Oystercatcher and Marbled Godwit, as well as terns, gulls, cormorants, near-shore pelagics and more - perhaps a […]
MDAS Field Trip — Jewel Lake, Tilden Park
Jewel Lake, Tilden Nature Area, California 600 Canon Dr, Berkeley, CA 94708, Berkeley, CA, United StatesJewel Lake, Tilden Park Thursday, August 31, 7:30 AM - 11 AM Our traditional first field trip of fall - a short walk along Wildcat Creek and around Jewel Lake in Tilden Park. Possible highlights include fall warblers, Red-Breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch, Pacific Wren and maybe a Varied Thrush. This trip is suitable for beginners. […]
MDAS Field Trip — Mt. Wanda, John Muir NHS, Martinez
Mount Wanda Trailhead XVQ9+QW, Martinez, CA, United StatesThis hike is especially for beginning birders! We'll walk through oak woodlands and oak savannah habitats, climbing uphill on a rutted fire road with one steep section. Then we'll walk a single track trail back to the fire road, about 2.5 miles total. We should have excellent views of acorn woodpeckers, likely views of red-tailed […]
MDAS Field Trip — Vaux’s Swifts at McNear Brickyard
McNear Brickyard 1 McNear Brickyard Rd., San Rafael, CAVaux's Swifts migrate south along the Pacific Americas Flyway each fall, and one of their few known stopping points in Northern California is McNear Brick and Block in San Rafael. At sunset on many September and October evenings, as many as 20,000 swifts mass and fly into the decommissioned brickyard chimneys to spend the night. […]
MDAS Field Trip — Raptor Migration at Hawk Hill
Hawk Hill Conzelman Road, Sausalito, California 94965 Conzelman Road, Sausalito, United StatesHawk Hill in the Marin Headlands is one of the best spots in the entire US to see raptors during the fall migration! We'll also have stunning views of the Golden Gate, San Francisco, and the Pacific Ocean. We'll meet at the parking lot at Hawk Hill at 10:30am. From there it's a short walk […]
MDAS Field Trip — Outer Point Reyes
Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center 1 Drake Beach Rd, Inverness, CA, United StatesOuter Point Reyes is a wonderful place for fall migrants, many of them Eastern passerine vagrants. You never know who'll turn up...sightings in past years have included Blackburnians and Blackpolls; Chestnut-sided, Connecticut, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated, and Black-throated Blues...and that's just the warblers. We've also seen Yellow-green, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Orchard Orioles, Ovenbirds, American […]
MDAS Field Trip — Birding by Bike at Clifton Court Forebay
Clifton Court Forebay Clifton Court Rd., Discovery Bay, CAHave a bicycle, e-bike or scooter, and like to bird? Join MDAS at Clifton Court Reservoir in eastern Contra Costa County, where we will do an out-and-back biking/birding trip of approximately 10 miles on a flat, paved levee road, to see a myriad of bird species. Those who are equipped for it can also navigate […]
MDAS Field Trip — Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary/Crab Cove, Alameda
Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary Shore Line Drive, Broadway, Alameda, CA, United StatesThe millions of shorebirds that winter on San Francisco Bay make it a state and global Important Bird Area. It is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and is also designated as a Wetland of International Importance under UNESCO’s Ramsar Convention. We’ll start at the viewing platform at Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary, which […]
Introducing the Birds of Heather Farm
Heather Farm Park 301 N San Carlos Dr, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesSunday October 29, 8:30-10:30AM and Wednesday November 1, 8:30-10:30AM Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek is an underrated birding spot, home to dozens of resident species and attracting many migrants as well! We'll meet at the overlook of the Natural Lake, on the west side of North San Carlos Drive about 100 yards beyond the […]
Introducing the Birds of Heather Farm
Heather Farm Park 301 N San Carlos Dr, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesSunday October 29, 8:30-10:30AM and Wednesday November 1, 8:30-10:30AM Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek is an underrated birding spot, home to dozens of resident species and attracting many migrants as well! We'll meet at the overlook of the Natural Lake, on the west side of North San Carlos Drive about 100 yards beyond the […]
MDAS Field Trip — Palo Alto Baylands/Charleston Slough
Terminal Boulevard Terminal Boulevard, Mountain View, CA, United StatesWe see a variety of birds on the water on this trip, that is only about a 55 minute drive from Walnut Creek. It is exciting to be on the largest tract of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay. Locations include Charleston Slough, Shoreline Lake, Palo Alto Baylands, and Redwood Shores. Hike Rating: […]
MDAS Field Trip — Lodi Lake & Woodbridge Preserve
Lodi Lake 1101 W. Turner Rd, Lodi, CA, United States** Please note change in trip date ** We'll bird first at Lodi Lake and its riparian area alongside the Mokelumne River. Plan to see waterfowl and many bird species including Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, Herons, Warblers and Wood Duck. (We've had Varied Thrush in the past but cannot guarantee!) From Lodi Lake we'll […]
MDAS Field Trip — Mt. View Sanitary and McNabney Marsh
Mountain View Sanitary District 3800 Arthur Rd, Martinez, CA, United StatesWe expect to see a variety of water birds here, from grebes and ducks to waders and peeps. Marsh passerines and raptors might also be present. This trip is suitable for beginners. Hike Rating: 1 - Easy. Under 1 mile on flat terrain. Unpaved paths, potentially muddy. Elevation change: N/A Leader: Randy Huey, 925-518-8439 Meet: […]
MDAS Field Trip — Lynch Canyon Open Space Preserve, Fairfield
Lynch Canyon Open Space Preserve, Fairfield 3100 Lynch Rd, Fairfield, CA, United StatesLynch Canyon Open Space, an asset of the Solano County Land Trust, is a fantastic place for raptors in the winter! It's also home to grassland species, and waterbirds on the reservoir. The trails are wide and firmly packed but unpaved. Participants will be able to choose between two routes: A loop of about 2.5 […]
MDBA Field Trip — Putah Creek
Putah Creek Pleasants Valley Road, Vacaville, CA, United StatesThis is a great chance to see a variety of birds and ducks along Putah Creek and Lake Solano. Possibilities include Osprey, Lewis's Woodpecker, Phainopepla, Barrow's Goldeneye and Hooded Merganser. Dress warmly; this is a cold, windy area. Bring lunch, and bring $6 in exact bills to pay the parking fee at Solano County Park. […]