Mount Diablo Bird Alliance

Shollenberger Park/Ellis Creek
2020-01-18 07:30 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Shollenberger Park, 1400 Cader Lane, Petaluma, CA, 94954, United States
Both 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 facility on the left and turn left on South McDowell Blvd. After a short distance, turn left onto Cypress Dr. The Shollenberger access is behind the Point Blue offices on the right, Ellis Creek is farther along. We will decide which to visit first on the day of the trip. Bring lunch and a beverage. Leader: Sandy Ritchie, 925-685-8048. Category 2.

Cranes & Geese at Staten Island - 1st YBC field trip of 2020
2020-01-25 09:00 - 14:00 | Pittsburg Bay Point Bart Station, 2393+2V, Pittsburg, CA, 94565, United States
The 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 birds.
Because it’s an hour away and can be tricky to get to, and some of the road is narrow and unpaved, we’ll carpool there. Meet at the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station at 1700 W Leland Rd at 9AM (everyone from the Diablo area will have to pass by here). We’ll get into carpools and then head out. Depending on where the birds are we’ll stick to the island or look at other sites, then head back.
As always, every Young Birder need to be accompanied by a parent or other adult responsible for them. Heavy rain cancels, but if it’s only drizzle or some showers the trip is still on. Bring layered clothing for cool temperatures and potential showers, shoes you can get muddy, along with binoculars, camera, snack, water, hat, sunglasses, etc. We have extra field guides and binoculars if you need them.

Martinez Waterfront Birds
2020-01-29 09:00 - 14:00 | Waterbird Regional Preserve, Martinez, 2701 Waterfront Rd., Martinez, CA, 94553, United States
We 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 left and then turn right into the parking lot. Bring lunch and a beverage. Leader: Tracy Farrington, 925-788-6223 Category 2.

Contra Loma reservoir (Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Walk Series)
2020-02-01 08:00 - 12:00 | Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill, 692 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
An 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 encouraged.

Thornton Area/Cosumnes Preserve
2020-02-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Westgate Landing Regional Park, 4GF5+HP, Terminous, CA, 95242, United States
We 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 miles. East of Terminous, turn right onto the exit to Glasscock Rd. The road will go under the bridge. Turn left onto Glasscock Rd. proper and continue to the park at the end. Trip will go in light rain. Bring lunch and a beverage. If questions, call the leader. Leader: Ethan Chickering, 925-686-9231. Category 1.

Monthly Program: February 2020
2020-02-06 19:00 - 21:00 | The Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States
Birding info: The Peregrine Team in Pine Canyon, an all-volunteer natural history education team, has just begun its sixth season helping to monitor this beautiful apex predator nesting on the western edge of Mount Diablo State Park. You’ll hear an update of last season from a core team member, Wally De Young, and see his brief, inspiring film about the falcons.

Main Program: Audubon Climate Report with Juan Pablo Galván
Audubon’s new science shows that two-thirds (64%) (389 out of 604) of North American bird species are at risk of extinction from climate change. The good news is that our science also shows that if we take action now we can help improve the chances for 76% of species at risk. MDAS Young Birders Club Coordinator Juan Pablo Galván will present Audubon’s new report on the impacts of climate change on birds. He’ll also show the drastic impacts that climate change is already having on the Bay Area and other parts of the world, attempt to explain why it’s been so difficult to make progress against a drastically warmer climate caused by humans, and make a provocative case for who is responsible for this tragedy. Most importantly, every person in the audience and everywhere on the planet must ACT NOW to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Juan Pablo runs the MDAS young Birders Club. He grew up in Benicia, but since high school has lived and worked in Costa Rica, Mexico, Washington D.C. and different parts of California. Juan Pablo has always loved animals and been interested in learning about and protecting them and the habitats they live in – even since kindergarten when he brought an octopus in for show and tell. Juan Pablo graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and a minor in Political Science. Then after working in Mexico for a year, he pursued an M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park. He’s been back and forth between Mexico, Sacramento, and other places, but has lived in the Bay Area the past six years hiking the mountains and checking out the beaches.

Bodega Bay
2020-02-08 07:15 - 17:00 | Tides Restaurant Bodega Bay, 835Bay Highway, Bodega Bay, CA, 94923, United States
Bodega Bay is a premier location for wintering shorebirds, loons, gulls, cormorants and waterfowl. The carpool leaves Sunvalley at 7:30 am. We will meet at the Tides Restaurant on water side of Highway 1 in Bodega at 9:15 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 and turn right. In Petaluma turn left on E Washington Street and continue on Bodega Road, Valley Ford Road and SR 1 to Bodega Bay. Walk through or around The Tides to find the group viewing the harbor birds from the outdoor seating. Possibilities at Bodega Bay are wintering shorebirds including Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, and Marbled Godwit. Bring lunch, liquids and sunscreen. Leader: Hugh Harvey, 925-935-2979. Category 1.

Grizzly Island Wildlife Area
2020-02-13 07:00 - 17:00 | Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, 2548 Grizzly Island Road, Fairfield, CA, 94585, United States
The California Department of Fish and Game’s Grizzly Island Wildlife Area is in the heart of the 84,000-acre Suisun Marsh, the largest contiguous estuarine marsh in the United States. Grizzly Island provides habitat for more than 200 species of birds and is home to a variety of threatened or endangered wildlife and plants, including a herd of Tule Elk. Carpool leaves at 7 am from Sunvalley. Meet at 8:30 am at Refuge headquarters. Take I-680 north, then I-80 east to SR12. Follow SR12 through Fairfield, watch for sign to Grizzly Island Refuge on right and follow road to headquarters. Entry fee for refuge. Watch for raptors and Short-eared Owls along road. We may also bird at the Rush Ranch if time permits after finishing at Grizzly Island. Bring lunch and a beverage. Leader: TBD. Category 1.

Sunol Regional Park
2020-02-19 07:30 - 15:00 | Sunol Regional Park, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol, CA, 94586, United States
Carpool leaves at 7:30 AM from Sycamore Valley Road Park and Ride lot in Danville. Meet at 8:00 AM in the first parking lot on the left, Sunol Regional Park. Go south on I-680 to Calaveras Road. Go left under I-680 and drive 4 miles south on Calaveras; turn left on Geary Road and go 2 miles to park. Possible entry fee. Watch and listen for Wild Turkey along Geary Road. Golden Eagles and other raptors, Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Dipper, and Canyon and Rock Wrens are possible. Bring lunch and a beverage. Leader: Tracy Farrington 925-788-6223. Category 3.

Los Banos/Panoche Valley - 2 Days
2020-02-22 06:30 - 2020-02-23 17:00 | Sycamore Valley Park & Ride, R265+W9, Danville, CA, 94506, United States
On Saturday we will leave from Sycamore Valley Road Park & Ride at 6:30 AM or meet at McDonald’s in Gustine at 8 AM. We will bird Santa Fe Grade Road, together with the San Luis and Merced Wildlife Refuges and should see a full range of waterfowl and raptors. On Sunday we will bird Little Panoche Road and Panoche Valley. Target birds include Mountain Bluebird, Mountain Plover and Long-eared Owl. Motel options in Los Banos include Best Western Executive Inn (209) 827-0954, Los Banos Days Inn (209) 826-9690, and Vagabond Inn Executive Los Banos (209) 827-4677. Participants need to bring lunch for both days. A communal (optional) dinner is being planned for Saturday evening, let Beth know if you plan to join us. A fee is charged at Mercey Hot Springs. If you plan to go on the trip, please call the leaders as soon as possible for likely last minute detail changes! Bring a radio if you have one. Leaders: Beth Branthaver, 510-502-4869, Hugh Harvey, 925-935-2979. Category 1.

YBC Eagle Quest at Brushy Peak
2020-02-22 10:00 - 12:30 | Brushy Peak Preserve, 2234 Laughlin Rd, Livermore, 94550, United States
Our next field trip will be to Brushy Peak Regional Preserve near Livermore, where we’ll look for, among other things, golden eagles. This area has one of the highest concentrations of golden eagles in the world, and when we feel the wind and see all the squirrels out there, you’ll know why. But, the wind also makes it a great place to put wind turbines for renewable energy, which can impact birds like eagles, hawks and others. We’ll see and talk more about that on the trip.
We’ll meet at the Preserve (2234 Laughlin Rd, Livermore) at 10am on Saturday February 22. We’ll be walking on dirt trails that shouldn’t be strenuous, but there will be some uphill. We’ll either do a loop or go out and back, but expect an hour and a half to two hours of walking. Wear comfortable shoes that can get dirty and are good on a trail, snack, jacket and clothes for wind and maybe some showers, water, sunglasses, hat and binoculars. We have extra binos and field guides if needed. Heavy rain cancels. See you then!

Walnut Creek City Parks
2020-02-26 08:30 - 13:00 | Heather Farm Park, 301 N San Carlos Dr, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States
Meet 8:30 AM Heather Farm Park at wooden railing at the natural pond, just past the community center. This is down the hill from where our monthly meetings are held. We will continue our birding at the Borges Ranch off Castle Rock Road. Leader: Hugh Harvey, 925-935-2979. Category 1.

Contra Loma Reservoir
2020-03-04 07:45 - 15:00 | Contra Loma Reservoir, 1200 Frederickson Ln, Antioch, CA, 94509, United States
Expected species include waterfowl and woodland, riparian/marsh, shore and grassland birds.Carpool leaves Sunvalley at 7:45 AM. Or meet the leader at 8:30 AM at the Channel Point Parking Lot in Contra Loma Regional Park. Go east on Highway 4 and exit at Lone Tree Way in Antioch. Continue south to Golf Course Road and turn right. Continue on Golf Course Road to Frederickson Lane, turn right and continue into the park and the entrance kiosk. Fee required at kiosk. Turn left and continue to first parking lot on right, which is Channel Point Parking Lot. Leader: Paul Schorr, 925-998-0070. Category 1.

Monthly Program: March 2020
2020-03-05 19:00 - 21:00 | The Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States
Main Program: Birds of the American West with Norman Kikuchi
Birding info: Microplastics: The ‘Almost’ Invisible Threat
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that are less than five millimeters (about the size of a grain of rice) or smaller. These fragments of plastics are everywhere—in table sea salt, in fish and shellfish, in detergent, and personal care products. In her role as an environmental risk assessor, Jill Hedgecock has been on the leading edge of addressing the emerging environmental concern of microplastics. Jill will share information of this “almost invisible threat” and ideas on how every person can reduce their “plastic” footprint. Jill Hedgecock is a long-time MDAS member. She has a master’s degree in Environmental Management from USF and a bachelor’s degree in the biological sciences from UC Davis.
Main Program: Birds of the American West with Norman Kikuchi
This program features a glimpse into the lives of iconic birds of the Western United States drawn from a personal selection of photographs from birding hotspots in New Mexico, Oregon and California. Starting in world famous Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, we witness the unforgettable spectacle of immense flocks of snow geese and sandhill cranes.
Norman Kikuchi’s childhood interest in birds began while stalking Ring Necked Pheasants in the foothills of Mt Diablo, but his real bird epiphany occurred during his college days when he witnessed the impalement of a Western Fence Lizard by a Loggerhead Shrike on a Joshua tree spine. He was transfixed by the moment!
Norman graduated from the University of California Davis with a degree in Zoology and a minor in herpetology. He completed medical school and family practice residency at University of California, Irvine. He currently practices Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine in Redding, California and is a lifetime member of the Santa Cruz Bird Club and field trip leader for Santa Clara Valley Audubon.

Coyote Hills (Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Walk Series)
2020-03-07 08:00 - 14:00 | Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill, 692 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
Walk among the Ohlone Indian grounds and shell mounds looking for northern harriers, great horned owls, rare rough legged hawks and pygmy owls. Also seeing many marsh & shore birds, ducks, yellowthroats, meadowlarks, hermit thrushes, and rare black & white warblers. Leave at 8:00 am from the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot returning approximately 2 pm. Carpooling encouraged. Parking $5.00. Wear layers and bring lunch. Leader: Kevin Hintsa, 925-798-0303. Category 2. Donations to MDAS encouraged.

Mt. View Sanitary/McNabney Marsh - CANCELLED
2020-03-17 09:00 - 14:00 | Mountain View Sanitary District, 3800 Arthur Rd, Martinez, CA, 94553, United States
This event is cancelled due to the emerging concerns regarding COVID-19.

Valle Vista CANCELLED
2020-03-20 08:00 - 12:00 | Valle Vista, RVC6+WQ, Moraga, CA, 94556, United States
This event is cancelled due to shelter-in-place directives to contain the Coronavirus. Please go birding on your own!

YBC Visit to Martinez Regional Shoreline CANCELLED
2020-03-21 09:30 - 11:30 | Martinez Regional Shoreline, 2VF5+XF, Martinez, CA, 94553, United States

Lake Lagunitas CANCELLED
2020-03-25 07:30 - 17:00 | Lake Lagunitas, WCX2+JX, Fairfax, CA, 94930, United States

Tomales Bay State Park CANCELLED
2020-03-28 07:00 - 17:00 | Tomales Bay State Park, 43FX+8F, Inverness, CA, 94937, United States

Orinda Connector Trail CANCELLED
2020-04-01 08:00 - 12:00 | Orinda Connector trail, VQXQ+XR, Orinda, CA, 94563, United States

Garin Regional Park CANCELLED
2020-04-04 07:15 - 15:00 | Garin Regional Park, JXHC+67, Hayward, CA, 94544, United States

North Briones CANCELLED
2020-04-07 08:30 - 13:00 | Briones Regional Park (North), XV37+VX, Martinez, CA, 94553, United States

Irish Canyon -CANCELLED
2020-04-11 08:00 - 12:00 | Peacock Creek Drive Park and Ride, Clayton, 1000 Peacock Creek Dr, Clayton, CA, 94517, United States

Pine Canyon - CANCELLED
2020-04-14 08:00 - 15:00 | Pine Canyon-Castle Rock, 1700 Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States
This event is cancelled in line with Contra Costa County and California Shelter-In-Place Directives issued due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Please, go birding on your own and Stay Safe!

Black Diamond Mines - CANCELLED
2020-04-16 07:30 - 15:00 | Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, X45P+PP, Antioch, CA, 94565, United States

Mines Road - CANCELLED
2020-04-18 | CA

Mitchell Canyon (Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Walk Series) - CANCELLED
2020-04-20 08:00 - 12:00 | Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill, 692 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States

Mitchell Canyon - CANCELLED
2020-04-23 08:00 - 15:00 | Mitchell Canyon, 96 Mitchell Canyon Road, Clayton, CA, 94517, United States

Del Puerto Canyon - CANCELLED
2020-04-27 07:30 - 19:30 | Sycamore Valley Park & Ride, R265+W9, Danville, CA, 94506, United States
