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Birding and natural history classes, field reports, essays and tours around the Bay Area, California and the West with Ted Pierce.

California has some of the greatest diversity and spectacular scenery for wildlife viewing in the country, including birds, sea mammals, butterflies and wildflowers. Day trips allow us to search further afield for greater concentrations of birds and other wildlife around the Bay Area. Trips begin at 9am and end at 4pm, with typically one-two hours of driving each way. We stop at mid-day to relax and have lunch. (Lunches and drinks should be brought with you, unless specified otherwise.) The fee is $50 per person. Directions to the site and the meeting place will be sent after payment has been received. Species totals for these trips are typically 40-60. They usually involve 1-2 miles of easy walking, broken up by car travel to the next site. Trips are $50 per person.

2011 Trips

Pescadero Marsh/San Mateo Coast, Pescadero

Sat. Jan. 29, 2011, 9am-4pm
The magnificent San Mateo coastline harbors many inlets, beaches, rocky headlands and marshes. Perhaps the finest combination of these habitats may be found near Pescadero, a small village about 15 miles south of Half Moon Bay that “time forgot and the ages cannot improve.” Birds are extremely diverse, from raptors such as Great Horned Owls, White-tailed Kites and harriers to many kinds of wildfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. Turnstones, heron and egrets, oystercatchers, terns and plovers, among others, are common. Bring drinks and lunch or buy one in the picturesque village of Pescadero.

Merced/San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, Merced

Sat. March 26, 2011, 9am-4pm
Merced NWR is one of several San Joaquin Valley wildlife refuges that comprise the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Together they total more than 50,000 acres. This combination of marshes, ponds, riparian areas and farmlands host many thousands of birds each fall and winter. Ducks, owls, geese, swans, shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, raptors of all kinds, songbirds and waders are in such numbers and variety it takes your breath away. In the afternoon we'll visit another refuge in the area. Bring lunch and drinks, there is no local place to buy them. Minimal walking.

Pinnacles National Monument/Condor Quest

Sat. April 16, 2011, 9am-4pm
This 23,000 acre preserve south of Hollister is composed of eroded and rugged volcanic peaks, with chaparral-dotted hillsides, oak woodlands and riparian corridors teeming with birds. The scenery is spectacular, with many raptors, songbirds and woodpeckers. One of the principal birds we will look for are the condors introduced to this site. Wildflowers will add sparkle to the countryside. We will meet at the Eastern entrance Visitor’s Center. Relaxed hiking on level or low-grade trails. Bring lunch and drinks.

Mines Road, Livermore

Sat. May 7, 2011, 9am-4pm
Mines Road is a trip into the nearly forgotten past and landscape of Alameda County. The road begins near the Wente vineyards on the outskirts of Livermore, and proceeds past cattle ranches, sycamore-lined creeks, pine and oak woodlands and chaparral-covered hillsides. It is wild and beautiful country, with a legendary assortment of birds, such as Golden Eagles, Yellow- billed Magpies, phainopeplas, Roadrunners, orioles, owls, woodpeckers, songbirds of all kinds and many kinds of raptors. Bring drinks or lunch, or buy one at the Junction Café. This is an all- day tour, primarily roadside birding, with little walking. Make sure you have a full tank of gas for the 60-mile roundtrip journey.

Pt. Reyes/Bolinas Birding Tour, Bear Valley

Sun. May 29, 2011, 9am-4pm
Pt. Reyes National Seashore is our local treasure of magnificent seacoast forests, marshes, cliffs plunging down to the sea, rocky headlands, beaches, birds, sea mammals and other wildlife. This tour includes some of the wildest trails, such as Limantour Beach, Five Brooks, Bolinas Lagoon and several others. We can expect to see numerous kinds of ducks, shorebirds, raptors, woodpeckers, songbirds, herons, egrets and many other forms of wildlife. An exciting day full of natural wonders! Bring lunch or buy one in nearby Olema. Low to moderate amounts of walking, level terrain.

2010 Trips

Pescadero Marsh/San Mateo Coast, Pescadero

Sat. July 10, 9am-4pm
The magnificent San Mateo coastline harbors many inlets, beaches, rocky headlands and marshes. Perhaps the finest combination of these habitats may be found around Pescadero, a small village about 15 miles south of Half Moon Bay that “time forgot and the ages cannot improve.” Birds are extremely diverse, from raptors such as Great Horned Owls, White-tailed Kites and harriers to many kinds of wildfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. Turnstones, heron and egrets, oystercatchers, terns and plovers, among others, are common. Lunch is in picturesque Pescadero village.

Pt. Reyes/Bolinas Birding Tour, Bear Valley

Sat. Aug. 21, 9am-4pm
Pt. Reyes National Seashore is our local treasure of magnificent seacoast forests, marshes, cliffs plunging down to the sea, rocky headlands, beaches, birds, sea mammals and other wildlife. This tour includes some of the best spots, such as Limantour Beach, Five Brooks, Bolinas Lagoon and several others. We can expect to see numerous kinds of ducks, shorebirds, raptors, woodpeckers, songbirds, herons, egrets and many other forms of wildlife. An exciting day full of natural wonders! Bring lunch or buy one in Olema. Low to moderate amounts of walking, level terrain.

Surf to Redwoods Tour, Santa Cruz

Sat. Sept. 18, 9am-4pm
Santa Cruz, a relaxed college enclave, is also a great birding spot. The town and surrounding area has a great variety of parks and natural areas, including ponds, inlets, ocean headlands, wetlands, beaches and redwood forests. They are all home or wintering sites for many kinds of birds. We will try to sample as many as possible. Ducks, raptors, shorebirds, grebes, pelicans, woodpeckers and songbirds are numerous in many different locations. We will also look for the swarms of over-wintering monarch butterflies found in the area. Minimal walking, broken up by short drives to different areas.

Elkhorn Slough Tour, Moss Landing

Sat. Oct. 9, 9am-4pm

Elkhorn Slough, situated in the middle of Monterey Bay, has a fabled reputation as one of the greatest concentrations of marine mammals and birdlife found anywhere on the California coast. This estuarine preserve and the surrounding area has a great variety of wetlands, seacoast, ponds, beaches and woodlands, all of which harbor an enormous gathering of birds and mammals. We can expect to see pelicans, loons, gulls and terns, plus numerous kinds of raptors, cormorants, grebes, shorebirds, songbirds and perhaps owls. Great numbers of birds and sea mammals such as Harbor seals and Sea otters give a continuous rush of excitement to our wildlife observations. Lunch at Moss Landing.

Cosumnes Preserve, Galt

Sat. Dec. 11, 9am-4pm
Located in the Sacramento Delta (near Galt, north of Lodi), this preserve of riverside woodlands, grasslands, marshes and farmland has enormous numbers of waterfowl, Tundra swans, raptors (Red-tails, harriers, kestrels), shorebirds and songbirds. Sandhill Cranes are generally everywhere this time of year. Walking along the Cosumnes River we can see all manner of songbirds (warblers, kinglets, thrushes, finches, etc.) flitting through the trees. Wildfowl such as scaup, gadwall, teal, shovelers, wigeon and pintail are constantly in flight or placidly moving about the many wetlands. Occasionally Peregrines, Great Horned Owls and bitterns can be spotted. In the afternoon we'll visit Woodbridge Road for waterfowl and raptors. Minimal walking. Bring lunch and drinks.

Merced/San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, Merced

Wed. Dec. 29, 9am-4pm
Merced NWR is one of several San Joaquin Valley wildlife refuges that comprise the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Together they total more than 50,000 acres. This combination of marshes, ponds, riparian areas and farmlands host many thousands of birds each fall and winter. Ducks, owls, geese, swans, shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, raptors of all kinds, songbirds and waders are in such numbers and variety it takes your breath away. Here we can see the wildlife abundance of California prior to the Gold Rush. In the afternoon we'll head for another refuge in the area. Bring lunch and drinks, there is no local place to buy them. Minimal walking.