This trip is led by the GGBA-beloved podcaster and guide Ivan Phillipsen of Wild Latitudes. Ivan was born and raised in southern California and is excited to take us to his old haunts.

The tour begins and ends in Palm Springs, in the Coachella Valley. This is the western edge of the Sonoran Desert—a landscape of sand dunes, cacti, dry flood channels, and boulder-strewn slopes. Surrounding the valley are the snow-dusted peaks of several mountain ranges. A fascinating mixture of birds, other vertebrates, insects, and desert plants awaits you in this unique environment.

Our exciting and educational journey will take us to nature hotspots across the Coachella Valley, through Joshua Tree National Park, to the shores of the Salton Sea, and into Anza Borrego Desert State Park. You’ll not only see wonderful birds on this trip, but you’ll also learn about desert ecosystems and the region’s fascinating geology.  Several of the most magnificent sites we’ll visit are lush desert oases, shaded by native California Fan Palms.

Some special birds we hope to find include Greater Roadrunner, Phainopepla, Verdin, Gambel’s Quail, Common Ground Dove, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Neotropic Cormorant, Burrowing Owl, Cactus Wren, Canyon Wren, Abert’s Towhee, and Black-throated Sparrow.

And Ivan has added something new for this year’s trip—a trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway into the wilderness of the San Jacinto Mountains. At 8,516 feet you’ll be high above the desert, surrounded by coniferous forest where we’ll look for some high-elevation species, including White-headed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, and Clark’s Nutcracker. After an afternoon of birding, we’ll enjoy dinner at the tram’s Mountain Station before heading back to our hotel.

Wild Latitudes is offering us a very attractive price:
$2,375 per person
$585 single supplement

Questions?  Contact Dawn at travelprogram@goldengatebirds.org.

Ready to register?  Contact Dawn first.  She will register you and put you in contact with Wild Latitudes.