Saturday, November 15,7am Caswell Memorial State Park Leader: Gary Fregien, 708-0636email: calaveri@sbcglobal.net Caswell Memorial State Park is located in the Central Valley near the town of Ripon, about an hour south of Sacramento. The habitat is primarily mature riparian valley oak woodland.Its multi-level canopy provides lush cover, nesting and feeding grounds, and is a magnet for a variety of resident and migrant species. Passerines, including several species of swallows, sparrows, woodpeckers and warblers are park specialties in spring and summer, with hold-overs and migrants in autumn.There is a day-use fee per vehicle to enter the park.Plan to spend several hours in the park along some of the numerous nature trails, so bring food and water.The trails are primarily level, but these paths and the vegetation along them may be damp.Dress appropriately.Meet at the Park & Ride on the east side of Hwy 99 at the Sheldon Rd. exit. Saturday, November 15, 7am Tall Forest Bird Count, Cosumnes River Preserve Recorded Information, 684-2816 Meet at the farm center gate at the intersection of Desmond and Bruceville Roads, ON TIME to join this monthly bird count.Usually led by John Trochet, this area is normally closed, so this is your opportunity to bird there.John has an appreciation of nature on many levels, and a trip with him is always exciting.It’s wise to check the recorded information a couple of days before to get the exact meeting time and any other updated details, as they sometimes change.Arrive a little early, as this trip always leaves promptly. Sunday, November 16, 7 am Sacramento County Delta Leader: Chris Conard, 362-5942 email: conardc@gmail.com This seldom visited portion of Sacramento County, including Sherman Island and Brannan Island, has a lot of potential.There can be thousands of waterfowl, shorebirds, sparrows, and blackbirds.Recent surprise finds have included Brant, Ruff, Cassin's Kingbird, and Common Grackle.The area is remote, so bring a lunch, dress for potentially cold and windy conditions, and plan to return to Sacramento by mid-afternoon.There are two sites with a $5 per car entrance fee.We will meet at the northeast end of the Nugget parking area on Florin Rd, just east of Shari's.Take the Florin Rd West exit from I-5 (5 miles south of downtown Sacramento).Head west on Florin Rd, then make a U-turn at Greenhaven Dr. Sunday, November 16, 8am-Noon Effie Yeaw Nature Center - Habitat Improvement Leader: Jack Hiehle, 967-0777 Join Jack and other nature lovers to assist with habitat restoration at this lovely nature area. Possible tasks include weed removal, pond clean-up, erecting fencing around oak trees for protection, and checking bird nest boxes. Call Jack for details. Tuesday, November 18, 8am-Noon Effie Yeaw Nature Center Leader: Jack Hiehle, 967-0777 Meet Jack in the Nature Center parking lot in Ancil Hoffman Park for a 4 hour walk on the trails which wind through the oak woodland and down to the American River. This is an excellent birding area, and Jack will share his knowledge of the native and non-native plants and trees of this parkway area as well. A great trip for beginners and more experienced birders alike. Wednesday, November 19, 8am Lake Solano Leader: Dan Tankersley, 359-2829email: dtankers@winfirst.com Target birds for this trip are Phainopepla and Barrow’s Goldeneye, with the possibility of Pileated Woodpecker.It could be muddy if we’ve had recent rains; wear appropriate footwear for our 2 to 3 mile walk. There is a $5 parking fee at the Lake Solano area.Meet Dan at the Park & Ride off Mace Blvd and I-80 in Davis, behind Ikeda’s Market at 8:00 a.m. Rain and/or high wind cancels. Bring lunch and liquids for this trip which will last into early-afternoon. Thursday, November 20, 7pm General Meeting CHRISTMAS COUNT WORKSHOP Join Tim Fitzer and other experienced Sacramento Audubon birders for a Christmas Bird Count Workshop.Learn about the history of the counts and get answers to some common questions, i.e., isn't that flock of crows being counted by three different teams?Get tips on counting large flocks of birds in the sky, mixed flocks of birds on the water, and learn to distinguish some common birds that can look confusingly alike in winter plumage on a gray winter's day.A slide presentation will provide good visual aids for some of the tricky identification problems.Remember, you do not have to be an experienced birder to go on a count; participation gives you experience and gives something back to the birds as well.So join us at 7 p.m. for coffee and snacks, and an informal evening of Christmas Count fun; then pick your favorite count area and sign up! Thursday-Monday, November 20-23 Central Valley Birding Symposium 2007 Contact: Frances Oliver, 209/369-2010e-mail: hummer52@sbcglobal.net Join birders from near and far and enjoy the company of great birders and naturalists such as Ed Harper (“Birders’ Welcoming Party,” Thursday eve), John Laws (“Exploring the Sierra Nevada as Naturalist & Artist”, Saturday eve), Hans Peeters (“Owls of California & the West,” Friday eve), Jon Dunn, Joe Morlan and Keith Hansen. Field trips take birders to surrounding hot spots to celebrate the diversity of birds that winter in the Central Valley, and workshops provide excellent information on a variety of topics such as digiscoping, difficult-to-identify species, birding by ear and bird sketching.Check the schedule of field trips and programs at www.cvbs.org and register by email: hummer52@sbcglobal.net or call 209/369-2010. Registration fee of $90 includes full event or $45 for single day attendance. Consider attending the Post-symposiumField trip (Youth scholarship Fund Raiser) on Digiscoping with Clay Taylor of Swarovski Optik on Monday from 8 am- Noon. Saturday, November 29, 8am Road 113, Robinson Road & Birds Landing Area Leader: Tim Fitzer, 870-5207e-mail: spskua2@comcast.net This is a great area for wintering Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Prairie Falcons, Merlins, curlews, possible Mountain Plovers, shrikes, and other interesting birds.Bring liquids, lunch, warm clothes, spotting scopes, and FRS radios if possible.Meet at the West Capitol Ave. exit Park & Ride. This trip will last into the afternoon. Sunday, November 30, 2 p.m.--dark Sandhill Cranes and Other Wintering Birds of the Sacramento Valley A “Save Our Sandhill Cranes” sponsored trip Co-coordinator:Mike Savino, 446-1392 Birding Guides from Sacramento Audubon Sandhill Cranes are the focus of this trip, but experienced birding leaders will help with identification of waterfowl and shorebirds that winter here.Ducks, swans and geese, as well as shorebirds, feed in the flooded fields and marshy areas of the delta, and hawks patrol overhead.Meet at the Cosumnes River Preserve Visitor Center parking lot, at 2 p.m., and stroll the boardwalk in the Lost Slough Wetlands, then drive out along Desmond Road and possibly further, searching for more cranes and other birds.Optional dinner at Wimpy’s afterwards with SOS Cranes board members for further discussions.Dress for changeable weather; bring binoculars, scopes and FRS radios if you have them.From Sacramento, take I-5 south to Twin Cities Road; go left (east) to the stop sign at Franklin Blvd.: turn right (south) on Franklin and, driving through the preserve, watch for the visitor center parking lot on your left.Further directions and maps are available at www.cosumnes.org.This is a great trip for beginners.
Monday, December 1, 8am-Noon Nimbus Fish Hatchery Leader: Jack Hiehle, 967-0777 This is another opportunity to explore the Nimbus/American River area. Walk with Jack and look for diving ducks, kingfishers, wintering gulls and other wildlife along the river. He will also be sharing his knowledge of interesting archeological points relating to early Chinese gold mining. Meet in the parking lot of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery off Hazel Avenue. Thursday, December 4, 8am in Davis Mix & Gates Canyons on Vaca Mt. Ridge Leader:Sami LaRocca, (530) 908-0288email:Sami182@charter.net In Solano County off Pleasants Valley Road we’ll go up the ridge exploring the oak riparian and chaparral habitats of the Vaca Mountains.Along the ridge there is a stand of Black Oak; we may be treated to a display of golden fall color.Often seen here during winter are a variety of hawks and resident birds such as Bewick’s Wren, Oak Titmouse and Pygmy Owl.Seasonal visitors include Fox Sparrow, Stellar’s Jay, Varied Thrush, Band-tailed Pigeon and Golden-crowned Kinglet.Meet at the Marketplace Shopping Center (near Big 5 Sporting Goods, 1301 W. Covell in Davis, just east of Hwy 113) at 8 am.We’ll plan on getting back to Davis about 2 pm.All levels of birders are welcome.Bring water, snacks/lunch and binoculars. Saturday, December 6, Daybreak Great American River Bird Count Compiler: Jack Hiehle, 967-0777 Join Jack and other volunteers to assist with this annual count of birds and other creatures along the American River Parkway sponsored by the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA). Results of this count are important to future planning for the Parkway, and the goal is to have 11 teams of two or more persons each. The count differs from other Christmas Counts in that teams count species rather than total numbers of each species. Contact Jack for details, team assignments, and meeting and compilation locations. Sunday, December 7, 2 p.m. till dark Sandhill Cranes and Other Wintering Birds of the Sacramento Valley A “Save Our Sandhill Cranes” sponsored trip Coordinator:Mike Savino, 446-1392 Birding Guides from Sacramento Audubon Sandhill Cranes are the focus of this trip, but experienced birding leaders will help with identification of waterfowl and shorebirds that winter here.Ducks, swans and geese, as well as shorebirds, feed in the flooded fields and marshy areas of the delta, and hawks patrol overhead.Meet at the Cosumnes River Preserve Visitor Center parking lot at 2 p.m., and stroll the boardwalk in the Lost Slough Wetlands, then drive out along Desmond Road and possibly further, searching for more cranes and other birds.Optional dinner at Wimpy’s afterwards with SOS Cranes board members for further discussions.Dress for changeable weather; bring binoculars, scopes and FRS radios if you have them.From Sacramento, take I-5 south to Twin Cities Road; go left (east) to the stop sign at Franklin Blvd.: turn right (south) on Franklin and, driving through the preserve, watch for the visitor center parking lot on your left.Further directions and maps are available at www.cosumnes.org.This is a great trip for beginners. Wednesday, December 10, 9am-Noon Nimbus Fish Hatchery/American River Leader: Ed Harper, 971-3311email: calidris@surewest.net Join Ed for an informative walk along the American River. Ed is a great birder who will be looking for any interesting birds, with emphasis on tricky identification of the many gulls that winter on the river near Nimbus Dam. This trip will last until late morning. A scope is useful in addition to binoculars. Meet at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery parking lot near Highway 50 and Hazel Avenue (about 15 miles east of Sacramento). Saturday, December 13, 8am-Noon Wetlands and Waterfowl Tour II Leader: Roger Jones, 875-9174Email: jonesro@sacsewer.com Tour one of the seasonal or permanent wetland areas within the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District Bufferlands in Elk Grove. The wetlands and waterfowl tour offers a chance to see many bird and mammal species including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, beavers and coyotes. Tour participants will enjoy a 2 mile walk guided by a Bufferlands staff wildlife biologist who will explain current management and restoration techniques. Space is limited and the meeting location is weather-dependant, so please contact Roger Jones during the week preceding the event for exact meeting location and directions. Saturday, December 13, Very Early River Walk Bird Count Cosumnes River Preserve - Recorded Information, 684-2816 Meet at the Visitor Center on Franklin Blvd, south of Twin Cities Road, for this monthly birding census trip. It is a great birding area, always full of surprises, and joining the group is a good way to find out what’s happening and to hone your birding skills. This walk covers about four miles at a leisurely pace and takes approximately five hours, so bring lunch and liquids. Be sure to check the recorded information a day or two before for exact meeting time and updates. Sunday, December 14, 8am Discovery Park Leader: Maureen Geiger, 444-0804mkgeiger@sbcglobal.net This is a great, often overlooked and under-birded park near downtown Sacramento. Join Maureen in finding a variety of wintering species such as sparrows, hawks, woodpeckers and bluebirds. On I-5 from downtown, take the Garden Highway exit and turn left onto Garden Highway. Take the first left onto Natomas Park Drive, and the first right onto Capital Park Drive. Parking is permitted on either side of the Drive. There are no restrooms after the first half mile of the walk. This trip will end before noon. Sunday, December 14, 8am-Noon Habitat Improvement Day Leader: Jack Hiehle, 967-0777 Join Jack and help restore and improve an area near the American River. Your efforts will help keep this area a beautiful place to be. Call Jack for details as projects vary. Sunday, December 14, Sunrise! Tall Forest Bird Count Cosumnes River Preserve Recorded Information: 684-2816 Meet at the Farm Center Gate at the intersection of Desmond and Bruceville Roads, ON TIME, to join this monthly bird count. Usually led by John Trochet, this area is normally closed to the public, so this is your opportunity to bird there. John has an appreciation of nature on many levels, and a trip with him is always informative. You must check the recorded information a day or two ahead to get the exact meeting time and any other updates. Arrive a little early, as this trip leaves promptly. Sunday, December 21, 8:30am Riverbend Park Leader:Cathie LaZier, 457-6882email: empid@earthlink.net Meet Cathie at the 1stsmall parking lot on your left, about 2/10ths of a mile past the entrance kiosk.We’ll walk a loop from this parking lot up to the bike bridge and back, along the river, looking for mergansers, goldeneye, gulls, ducks, herons, sparrows and pipits.This walk is frequently on loose, uneven, and possibly wet cobbles, so wear sturdy shoes.Walk will last from two to three hours, depending on how many birds we find.Riverbend (formerly Goethe) Park is at the end of Rod Beaudry Drive, off Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova.Entrance fee is a $5/car.
