Birdathon Trips Archive - Page 7 of 13 - Golden Gate Bird Alliance

Bird Banding at Coyote Creek

For 40 years, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) scientists have conducted bird banding research on passerines at the Coyote Creek Field Station (CCFS) in Milpitas, CA. Bird banding provides valuable information that helps scientists and conservationists study bird dispersal, migration, behavior, social structure, life span, survival rate, reproductive success, and population growth. It also allows scientists to understand seasonal and long-term population patterns of migratory, wintering, and year-round resident birds; and track individual birds, which is important in factoring survival, migratory turnover rates, and longevity. Additionally, it allows SFBBO scientists to examine bird responses to the riparian restoration at CCFS.

This is a unique opportunity to join Golden Gate Bird Alliance Executive Director, Glenn Phillips, for a behind-the-scenes look at conservation science in action. Because the field station is not easily accessible, we will meet nearby in Milpitas and carpool to the field station. During our visit, you’ll tour a riparian restoration area, watch mist nets being used to catch birds, and with a little luck, get an up-close and personal look at a wild bird after it is banded.

See https://www.sfbbo.org/ccfs.html for more about the Field Station and the exciting conservation research conducted there.

Expect to walk about 3/4 mile, including some level gravel and some moderately uneven ground with vegetation. There are porta-potties at the research station, but no running water. Participants will be expected to provide proof of vaccination, and we may require masks to be worn.…

Napa River with Dolphin Charters

This trip is now full. You may register to be on a waiting list in case of cancellations

Even before leaving the dock, we’ll spot diving ducks and grebes feeding!

Peregrine Falcon

At Mare Island, we’ll pass Ospreys and Egrets tending their nests or roosting in nearby trees. Frequently a pair of Peregrine Falcons can be seen as the boat passes under Highway 37. Upriver, we’ll cruise alongside the Napa/Sonoma marshes with a variety of land and water birds. The river is being restored to a “Living River,” leading to a huge increase in the number and kinds of birds that can be seen close at hand. Raptors are common, and we may see both Bald and Golden Eagles on this trip.

Departs from the Vallejo Marina. Please arrive 30 minutes before departure time. Participants will be emailed directions and other logistics one week before the trip.

Dolphin Cruises requires that participants have completed a full course of vaccination and booster shots. Please bring a mask.

Registration will close at 11pm on April 20, 2022.

Registrants: If you have any questions email rnakano@goldengatebirdalliance.org or call Ryan at (510) 227-6190. …

The Sage Trifecta

The sagebrush basin and range country east of the Sierras offers a starkly beautiful landscape filled with fascinating birds and wildlife. Join us from the comfort of your armchair as we take a whirlwind virtual tour of the region around Susanville and Honey Lake. The centerpiece of our virtual Zoom trip will be watching male Greater Sage-Grouse dance at dawn for females’ attention. Nearby, we’ll look for Sagebrush Sparrow and Sage Thrasher, to complete the ‘sage trifecta.’ Elsewhere we’ll seek out wintering Ferruginous and Rough-legged hawks and try for mountain specialties such as White-headed Woodpeckers, Pinyon Jays, and Townsend’s Solitaires. Along the way, we’ll explore the human and natural history of the land and consider the conservation threats that imperil it.

Sage-Grouse by Bob Lewis

Bruce Mast honed his birding and citizen science skills as a volunteer at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in Central Texas, where he mapped nesting territories of endangered Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers. He has led a Sage Trifecta field trip to Lassen County as part of Birdathon for several years—a peak lifetime experience for attendees who rose at 4 a.m. in freezing cold to watch the mating rituals of the Sage-Grouse. Bruce is Treasurer of the Golden Gate Bird Alliance Board of Directors.

Registration will close at 7 p.m. on March 23.

This event will take place online via Zoom and last approximately 60-75 minutes. Registrants will be sent a link and password to access the Zoom. The session will be recorded, and registrants will have access to the recording on the web for two weeks after the event, regardless of whether they attend the live presentation.…

Mines Road

Enjoy a full day exploring Lake Del Valle and Mines and San Antonio Valley Roads in this still-empty corner of the Bay Area. Our route will take us along isolated roads that run through varied habitat from Livermore through the mountains of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. We might see Phainopepla, Greater Roadrunner, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and migrant warblers, along with the usual oak woodland and scrub species.

Greater Roadrunner by Jessie Eastland

The road is narrow and turnouts are short so we are limiting the trip to 20 participants. Carpooling will be mandatory. It will be dangerous if we caravan with more than five cars.

This trip will require carpooling. Participants will need to have a complete course of vaccination and booster shots and should bring a mask.

Pack a lunch, water, and snacks. There are no services (including restrooms) on Mines Road unless the Junction Cafe is open, which is not dependable. Plan on being self-sufficient.We will send trip details to confirmed participants. Contact the leaders if you have questions.

Registration will close at 11pm on April 12, 2022.

Registrants: If you have any questions email rnakano@goldengatebirdalliance.org or call Ryan at (510) 227-6190. …

Behind the scenes at Pacheco Marsh

The Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project restores and enhances nearly 200 acres of habitat, including four miles of creeks and channels. The project serves as a model for similar tidal baylands restoration efforts elsewhere around the Bay. Like most wetlands in California, this area has been heavily damaged over the years. It also is extremely valuable for wildlife and managing water.

This is a unique opportunity to visit a major restoration site immediately after completion of earthwork. New native plantings will be taking root and we will view the freshly cut channels where the creek was reconnected to Suisun Bay tidal influence after being disconnected since the ’60s. The marsh to upland habitat gradient will increase ecological resiliency in the face of sea level rise. Future public trail access is planned as part of the restoration, so we can look forward to adding this as a birding destination.

The site is at Pacheco Marsh, where Walnut Creek flows into Suisun Bay. We’ll likely see White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, marsh songbirds such as Common Yellowthroat, and we’ll look and listen for rails. Special status subspecies, including Suisun Song Sparrow, also inhabit the site. Note that as this is a new restoration, the bird population will be smaller than it will be when the plantings have grown up, but this is an opportunity to see an exciting restoration site at its very beginning.

See: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5784/Lower–Walnut-Creek-Restoration-Project and

https://jmlt.org/2021/10/29/last-levee-breaks-at-pacheco-marsh-restoration/

We may walk up to a mile on a flat gravel road. The Flood Control District’s carpool van will travel down the road with us so you can ride or walk as preferred. The restoration contractors have porta-potties on site which may be available to participants. Otherwise, the only nearby restroom is the vault toilet at Waterbird Preserve, about 1.5 miles away. Please bring water.

This trip will require carpooling. Participants will need to have a complete course of vaccination and booster shots and should bring a mask.

Registration will close at 11pm on April 10, 2022.

Registrants: If you have any questions email rnakano@goldengatebirdalliance.org or call Ryan at (510) 227-6190. …