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MDAS Field Trip — Bodega Bay

Tides Restaurant Bodega Bay 835Bay Highway, Bodega Bay, CA, United States

Bodega 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 States

Jewel 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. […]

Free

Monthly Program: September 2023

Zoom CA, United States

Bloody Feather—Death of the Cardinal, A New Anti Bird Poaching Novel   Bruce Lewis   Bruce Lewis was an award-winning crime reporter for several California daily newspapers, including the Contra Costa Times. After leaving the Times, he spent nearly a decade in corporate public relations at Kaiser Permanente and McKesson Corp. before co-founding Lewis & […]

MDAS Field Trip — Mt. Wanda, John Muir NHS, Martinez

Mount Wanda Trailhead XVQ9+QW, Martinez, CA, United States

This 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, CA

Vaux'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. […]

Free

MDAS Field Trip — Raptor Migration at Hawk Hill

Hawk Hill Conzelman Road, Sausalito, California 94965 Conzelman Road, Sausalito, United States

Hawk 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 States

Outer 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 […]

Monthly Program: October 2023

Zoom CA, United States

Why Birds Flock Jessica Griffiths You may have heard the old saying that birds of a feather flock together. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? Join Jessica Griffiths for a fascinating look at bird flocks and flocking behavior. Why do some species of birds form flocks, while others do not?  Why do geese and ducks fly in a “V” formation?  How […]

MDAS Field Trip — Birding by Bike at Clifton Court Forebay

Clifton Court Forebay Clifton Court Rd., Discovery Bay, CA

Have 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 […]

Free

MDAS Field Trip — Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary/Crab Cove, Alameda

Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary Shore Line Drive, Broadway, Alameda, CA, United States

The 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 […]

Free

Introducing the Birds of Heather Farm

Heather Farm Park 301 N San Carlos Dr, Walnut Creek, CA, United States

Sunday 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 States

Sunday 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 […]

Monthly Program: November 2023

Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library at 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, 94549 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA, United States

Bio-Bowerman Dan Fitzgerald and Dan Sandri, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association The two Dans will take you on a walk along the highest trail on Mount Diablo, highlighting some of the insects like bees, dragonflies and butterflies, unusual plants, and a few birds that they have photographed along this 3/4-mile loop which circumnavigates the summit. Learn […]

MDAS Field Trip — Palo Alto Baylands/Charleston Slough

Terminal Boulevard Terminal Boulevard, Mountain View, CA, United States

We 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: […]

Free

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 States

We 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: […]

Free

Monthly Program: December 2023

Walnut Creek Civic Park Assembly Hall 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, United States

New Zealand: Great Walks and Great Birds Jill Hedgecock Jill Hedgecock will share photos from her hiking and birding adventures in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Come experience the wonders of Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a trek that takes adventurous souls over an active volcano and which has been described as the best […]

MDAS Field Trip — Lynch Canyon Open Space Preserve, Fairfield

Lynch Canyon Open Space Preserve, Fairfield 3100 Lynch Rd, Fairfield, CA, United States

Lynch 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 […]

Free

MDBA Field Trip — Putah Creek

Putah Creek Pleasants Valley Road, Vacaville, CA, United States

This 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. […]

Free

Monthly Program: January 2024

Zoom CA, United States

A Life Bird in Every State Jennifer Rycenga A Life Bird in Every State recounts one birder’s journey across the United States to ensure that every one of the fifty states would have a distinct memory and honor in her birding annals. Part birding narrative, part travelogue, and part reflection on America, this talk recounts […]