Fri-Sunday, June 5-7

Historic Strawberry Lodge (from 1858) is located two hours east of Sacramento, on Route 50 at Kyburz village, portal to the Sierras. It’s located in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area and is part of the 85,000 acre Eldorado National Forest, just south of Lake Tahoe. This dramatic landscape of mountain lakes (Wright’s, Echo & Loon among many) and forests of gigantic pine and fir will be our HQ for this mid- summer mountain tour. Bird life and wildflowers will be at their peak, with sunny weather and warm temps. The area includes many resorts and campgrounds, with boating, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and canoeing as additional options for non-birding pals and partners. Mountain specialties include Western tanagers, Red-breasted sapsuckers, Townsend’s warblers, Nighthawks, Clark’s nutcrackers, Mt. bluebirds, Green-tailed towhees, Black-backed and Lewis’ woodpeckers, Evening grosbeaks and Mt. chickadees are among more than 50-60 species typically seen. We will also visit nearby South Lake Tahoe for water birds and vistas of the great lake at Emerald Bay, with shops and restaurants to sample. Birding will be primarily by car, with hikes leisurely and short. Re amenitites and prices at the lodge, go to www.strawberrylodge.com, or call (530) 659-7200. The tour is three days and two nights, meeting at 1pm Friday at the lodge.