MDBA Field Trip -- Bodega Bay
2026-08-22 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Tides Restaurant Bodega Bay, 835Bay Highway, Bodega Bay, CA, 94923, United States
Enjoying the fresh sea air, we’ll stop at several points around Bodega Bay to look for shorebirds, including Black Oystercatcher and Surfbird, as well as terns, gulls, cormorants, near-shore pelagics and more. Bring liquids, a picnic lunch, and sunscreen.
Trail rating: Category 1–moderate walking at several car stops.
Elevation change: N/A
Leader: Matt Tarlach, mdbafieldtrips@gmail.com
Meet: Meet at the back deck at The Tides Restaurant. Park at the restaurant and walk back to the water side.
GPS: 38.3284021500329, -123.04468508653804
If you’re interested in carpooling from the MDBA home area, contact the leader. There will also be an opportunity to share cars after we meet at The Tides.
Directions: From Concord/Walnut Creek, take I-680 across the Benicia Bridge, go west on I-780 toward Vallejo. In Vallejo take I-80 toward Sacramento, then exit to Route 37 west. Drive west on 37 about 15 miles 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 Restaurant to find the group on the deck in back. Bring lunch, plenty of liquids, and sunscreen.
This field trip is limited to 15 participants. Non-MDBA members are welcome, with pre-registration.
Register HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birding-bodega-bay-registration-1989743730059
(Image by Pam Lorenz)

MDBA Field Trip -- Jewel Lake
2026-09-03 07:30 - 11:00 | Jewel Lake, Tilden Nature Area, California, 600 Canon Dr, Berkeley, CA 94708, Berkeley, CA, 94708, United States
We’ll walk along Wildcat Creek and around Jewel Lake in Tilden Park, hoping to find fall warblers, Red-Breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch, and with luck a Pacific Wren.
This trip is suitable for beginning birders. Bring binoculars if you have them, or if you need to borrow a pair contact the leader beforehand so he knows to bring extra. People who are interested in the birds but are not members of MDBA are very welcome to join us. Please be sure to pre-register.
Trail rating: 2, Moderate. About 1.5 miles walking on easy, mostly flat paved and gravel trails.
Elevation change: N/A
Leader: Matt Tarlach, mdbafieldtrips@gmail.com
Meet: Parking lot at the end of Central Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park.
Directions: From Central Contra Costa take Highway 24 to exit at Fish Ranch Road. Turn right and go up the hill 0.7mi. Turn Right on Grizzly Peak Blvd and follow the curving road for 4.1mi. Turn Right on Muir Way, then Left on Park Hills Road. The road forks; be sure to stay on Park Hills Road. Watch for signs to “Little Farm” which is near the meeting point. Park Hills Road ends at Wildcat Canyon Road, at an odd intersection. Turn Right on Wildcat Canyon, then IMMEDIATELY Left onto Central Park Drive. Continue about 1 mile on Central Park to the parking lot at the end, which is the meeting point.
This birdwalk is limited to 15 participants. Register HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tilden-nature-area-berkeley-tickets-1989744347907
(Wilson’s Warbler photo by Jerry Britten)
