Sat. April 25, 10am-4pm

Journeying along Mines Road is a trip through wild and rugged country into the vanished past of old Alameda County. We meet and begin in Livermore at the Concannon Winery at 10am and drive through 30 miles of cattle ranches, meandering creeks with huge sycamores, oak woodlands and chaparral-covered hillsides. This wild country hosts a great assortment of birds, including Golden Eagles, Yellow-billed Magpies, Phainopeplas, Red-shouldered hawks, orioles and Great Horned owls. Even hard-to-find Lawrence’s goldfinches, Roadrunners and Lewis’ woodpeckers are possible! Bring drinks or lunch, or buy one at the Junction Café around noon. We expect to see up to 50 species for the day. This tour is primarily roadside birding with very little walking. From the East Bay take 580 south-east to the North Livermore exit, and proceed a mile or so through town, when the road becomes South Livermore (but still the same road). Continue a short way to Tesla Road; Concannon Vinyard entrance is immediately on the left; park in the large lot next to the main building. (Google maps are useful for additional info on directions.) Make sure you have a full tank of gas for the 60-mile roundtrip journey from Livermore and back!