Irish Canyon
Peacock Creek Drive Park and Ride, Clayton 1000 Peacock Creek Dr, Clayton, CA, United StatesPartnership hike with Save Mount Diablo and MDAS on private land with 320 acres of oak savannah and grassland—reservations required. Meet at 9 AM at the Park & Ride, 1000 Peacock Creek Drive off Clayton Road in Clayton. From Ygnacio Valley Road, take Clayton Road toward Clayton for about 2 miles. Turn left onto Peacock Creek […]
Shadow Cliffs Regional Park
Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area 2500 Stanley Blvd, Pleasanton, CA, United StatesNew field trip this year! Gulls, ducks, grebes, herons, and raptors are possible. Carpool leaves at 7:30 AM from Sycamore Valley Road Park & Ride. Or meet at the park at 8 AM . Go south on I-680, then east on I-580 toward Livermore. Exit at Santa Rita Road and turn right, drive about 1 mile to Valley Avenue […]
iNaturalist, a Tutorial for Citizen Scientists by Kendall Oei
Save Mount Diablo office in Walnut Creek 1901 Olympic Blvd #320, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesNaturalist and nature videographer Kendall Oei will convert you into an active, and interactive, citizen scientist in 90 minutes. An early adaptor to the revolutionary digital app, iNaturalist, developed by Bay Area naturalists and now used globally, Kendall will walk us through the iNaturalist website and the phone app, showing us how we can each become a resource to science. Enrollment required.
Limantour Beach
Limantour Beach Bear Valley Visitor Center, Point Reyes Station, CA, United StatesThis trip includes forest birds on the ridge and ducks, shorebirds and often loons and grebes on the ocean. Tule Elk are often seen. Carpool leaves at 7:00 am from El Nido Ranch Road. Meet at 8:30am at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, Point Reyes National Seashore. Take SR 24 to Oakland, then I-580 west […]
American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park
American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park 2 Eucalyptus Drive, American Canyon, CA, United StatesWintering ducks, shorebirds and raptors possible along the wetlands and the Napa River; some passerines in the fields and eucalyptus. We will walk 3-4 miles on level paths along ponds and reach the Napa River before returning to the park. High tide is at noon. Bring walking shoes, trail snacks and water; lunch in the […]
Monthly Program: December 2019
The Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesBirding info: Gorillas on the Mountain Jill Hedgecock with gorilla Did you know that gorillas share over 99% of their DNA with humans? Learn about these knuckle-walking great apes as Jill Hedgecock shares her amazing experiences while visiting with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Main Program: Kenya - A Birding and Wildlife Frontier with Jill […]
Central Contra Costa County Christmas Bird Count
Hold the date for the Central Contra Costa County Christmas Bird Count, a tradition going back to 1955! Species and total numbers of birds within this count circle will be censused. To participate in field trips led by experienced birders on this special occasion, or to tally birds at your yard/feeder if you live within […]
East County Christmas Bird Count
Hold the date for the 20th annual East Contra Costa County Christmas Bird Count! Species and total numbers of birds within this count circle will be censused. To participate in field trips led by experienced birders on this special occasion, or to tally birds at your yard/feeder if you live within the count circle, contact […]
Sacramento Refuges
Sunvalley Mall 1 Sunvalley Mall Rd, Concord, CA, United StatesThis full-day field trip will include visits to several wonderful wildlife refuges in the Sacramento Valley, highlighting Sacramento and Colusa NWR’s. Collectively these sanctuaries are home to tens of thousands of wintering ducks, geese and swans. Carpool leaves Sunvalley Mall at 7 AM, or meet the group at 8:15 AM at the I-5 North Dunnigan […]
Southeast Solano County Raptors and More
McDonald's Suisun City 109 Sunset Center, Siusun City, CA, United StatesWe will search the grasslands of southeast Solano County for raptors and other birds not common south of the Sacramento River channel, including Rough-Legged Hawk and the elusive Mountain Plover. Carpool leaves Sunvalley at 7:15 AM. Or, meet the leader at 8 AM at Suisun City McDonald’s. Take I-680 north, cross bridge to Benicia and […]
Monthly Program: January 2020
The Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesBirding info: Mt. Diablo Audubon Society Vice-President Jerry Britten will report highlights of the 2019 Christmas Bird Counts. Main Program: Feathers and Flight: A Journey to the New World Tropics Masked Trogon. Photo by Benjamin Jacobs-Schwartz International bird guide, naturalist and wildlife photographer, Benny Jacobs-Schwartz will share his dazzling bird photos, captivating videos, and animated […]
Putah Creek
Sunvalley Mall 1 Sunvalley Mall Rd, Concord, CA, United StatesPutah Creek is usually reliable for Phainopepla, Lewis's Woodpecker and Hooded Merganser, as well as possibly Barrow's Goldeneye. Carpool leaves Sunvalley at 8:00 AM. Meet at 8:45 AM at the intersection of Cherry Glen and Pleasants Valley Roads, approximately 1 mile north from I-80, west of Vacaville. Dress warmly; this can be a cold, windy […]
Colusa Wildlife Refuge (Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Walk Series)
Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill 692 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, United StatesA long journey, but well worth it. Visitors report snow geese, bald eagles, white faced ibis, herons, pintails, teals, northern shovelers, and other ducks, white pelicans, grebes, ring necked pheasants, horned owls, kites, and many other raptors. Eurasian wigeons are often seen, and in the past there have even been reports of the elusive falcated […]
East Contra Costa County
Big Break Regional Shoreline 69 Big Break Road, Oakley, CA, United StatesWe will look for wintering birds at Big Break, Iron House Sanitary, and several other spots in the eastern portion of our county. Carpool leaves Sunvalley at 8:15 AM. Or, meet at Big Break at 9:00 AM. From Central Contra Costa, take Highway 4 toward Stockton/Pittsburg, after Antioch take right Exit 30 toward CA-160/Sacramento/Rio Vista […]
Lake Merritt /Arrowhead Marsh—High Tide
We should find a good variety of wintering ducks and gulls at Lake Merritt. Then we will then drive to Arrowhead Marsh for the high tide around 11:15 AM; the rising tide should flush out rails. The area is also good for shorebirds and more wintering ducks on the estuary. A visit to Garretson Point […]
Shollenberger Park/Ellis Creek
Shollenberger Park 1400 Cader Lane, Petaluma, CA, United StatesBoth sites are good for wintering waders, shorebirds, waterfowl and a few raptors.Carpool leaves Sunvalley parking lot at 7:30 AM. Take I-680 across the Benicia Bridge. Go west on I-780 to I-80 towards Sacramento, exit to SR 37. Follow SR 37 to Lakeville Road, then turn right. Before reaching Petaluma, look for the water recycling […]
Cranes & Geese at Staten Island – 1st YBC field trip of 2020
Pittsburg Bay Point Bart Station 2393+2V, Pittsburg, CA, United StatesThe first MDAS Young Birders field trip of the New Year will be to the well known crane and waterfowl wintering site of Staten Island, in the center of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, on Saturday January 25th. If we're lucky we'll be able to see hundreds, and maybe even thousands of cranes, geese and other […]
Martinez Waterfront Birds
Waterbird Regional Preserve, Martinez 2701 Waterfront Rd., Martinez, CA, United StatesWe will visit several areas along the Martinez shoreline. Meet at 9 AM in the Waterbird Regional Preserve parking lot. From I-680, exit for Waterfront Road; when driving north, this is the last exit before the Benicia Bridge. Go east about ½ mile and turn right onto Waterbird Way. Go around the corner to the […]
Contra Loma reservoir (Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Walk Series)
Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill 692 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, United StatesAn easy winter 3 mile stroll looking for common gallinules, green herons, soras, as well as red-shouldered hawks, harriers and other raptors. Leave at 8:00 am from the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot returning approximately noon. Carpooling encouraged. Parking $5.00. Wear layers and bring rain gear. Leader: Kevin Hintsa, 925-798-0303. Category 1. Donation to MDAS […]
Thornton Area/Cosumnes Preserve
Westgate Landing Regional Park 4GF5+HP, Terminous, CA, United StatesWe will look for Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, hawks and grassland birds. Carpool leaves Sunvalley at 8 AM. Meet at 8:45 AM in Westgate Landing Park at end of Glascock Road. Take SR 4 to Antioch Bridge, go north on SR 160 along river to Rio Vista bridge. Turn right on SR 12 for 11.5 […]