Birding with Ted

Baylands Nature Preserve
2013-11-02 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto, CA, United States
This section of Palo Alto shoreline and marshlands has some of the greatest variety and numbers of wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors, waders and songbirds of any in the Bay Area. Herons and egrets, stilts, dowitchers, ducks such as Ruddies, Canvasback, Cinnamon and Green-winged teal, terns and raptors, among many others, are common in the fall. Low to moderate level of walking.

Merced/San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
2013-11-16 | Merced National Wildlife Refuge, Merced, CA, United States
Merced NWR is one of several San Joaquin Valley preserves that comprise the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Together the refuges total more than 50,000 acres. This combination of marshes, ponds, riparian areas and farmlands host many thousands of birds, such as ducks, owls, geese, shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, raptors and songbirds. One of the most exciting wildlife concentrations in the valley. Bring lunch and drinks; tour is mostly by car, with minimal walking. 9am – 4pm.

Las Gallinas Wetlands
2013-12-07 09:00 - 12:00 | Las Gallinas Wetlands, San Rafael, CA, United States
At Las Gallinas, hundreds of acres of grasslands and wetlands (ponds, marshes) surround a small water treatment facility. The marshes recede in all directions for hundreds of yards, and are surrounded by the beautiful hills of Marin. Acre for acre, it has some of the greatest diversity of birdlife I’ve ever seen, a favorite resort of many kinds of ducks, herons, egrets, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds. Numbers are very impressive. Walking tour is about 1-2 miles around ponds. Total species observed usually range from 40 to 50.

Cosumnes Preserve, Galt (north of Lodi)
2013-12-14 09:00 - 16:00 | Cosumnes River Preserve, Galt, CA, 95632, United States
Located near the Sacramento Delta, this preserve of woodlands, marshes and farmland has enormous numbers of waterfowl, Tundra swans, raptors (Red-tails, harriers, kestrels), shorebirds and songbirds. Sandhill Cranes are generally in good numbers 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. Scaup, gadwall, teal, Hundreds of Shovelers, Wigeon and Pintail are placidly moving about in the many wetlands. Occasionally Peregrines, Great Horned Owls and bitterns can be spotted. In the afternoon we’ll visit Woodbridge Road for more cranes, waterfowl and raptors. Minimal walking. Bring lunch and drinks.

Birds of the Bay Area, Summer 2014
2014-05-14 09:00 - 12:00 | North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
May 14-July 16 (Weds. 9am-12pm)
Meets at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst (at ML King Way), Berkeley
Registration is $85 for the whole term, $45 for half term. Individual trips are $30. Use the website or register at the first class.
The BBA class is a relaxed introduction to the birds of the Bay Area. It meets for 10 weeks, with six fieldtrips and four class sessions (class sessions meet at the NBSC). Fieldtrips will explore parks throughout the Bay Area, such as Bolinas Lagoon, the Sonoma-Napa Shoreline, Sunol Regional Park and Rush Creek, among others. The class discusses binocular use and techniques of identification and observation, together with standard field-guides. Among the 75 plus species we frequently see on class outings are raptors such as Red-tail hawks, White-tail kites and Kestrels, Pintail, Green-wing Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall ducks; Acorn, Nuttall’s, Flickers and Downy woodpeckers, and shorebirds such as Killdeer, godwits, Long-billed Curlews and Willets. Car-pooling available for field trips.

Mines Road, Livermore
2014-05-17 | Concannon vineyards, 590 Tesla Rd, Livermore, CA, 94550, United States
Sat. May 17, 2014, 9am-4pm
Mines Road is a trip into the forgotten past of old Alameda County. The trip begins at the Concannon vineyards on the outskirts of Livermore, and proceeds for 30 miles, past horse ranches, sycamore-lined creeks, pine/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 raptors. Bring drinks or lunch, or buy one at the Junction Café. This is an all-day tour, primarily roadside birding, with very little walking. Fill your tank for the 60-mile roundtrip journey from and back to Livermore.

Monterey Bay Weekend Birding Tours
2014-05-23 08:00 - 2014-05-25 17:00 | Monterey Bay, Monterey, CA, United States
Fri.-Sun. May 23-25, 2014
Monterey and nearby Big Sur are two of the most spectacular coastlines of California. Monterey Bay, with its unique marine ecology, has a great concentration of wildlife: birds, monarch butterflies, sea mammals and migrating whales. The list of outstanding spots to see birds and mammals is long: Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing, the Salinas and Carmel River estuaries, Pt. Lobos and Julia Pfeiffer State Park, among many. During this exciting weekend we can expect to see Sea otters as well as pelicans, terns, plovers, herons and egrets, raptors and many kinds of shorebirds and songbirds. Totals bird species usually seen ranges from 80- 100. The weekend begins at noon Friday at Elkhorn Slough (near Moss Landing on Hwy 1) and ends at 1pm Sunday in Monterey. Tour fee does not include accommodations, meals or transportation. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration.

Sierra Nevada Weekend Birding Tour
2014-06-06 08:00 - 2014-06-08 17:00 | CA
Fri.-Sun. June 6-8, 2014
When you visit the Sierras you understand why John Muir devoted his life to them: these great forests, pure rivers, lakes and soaring peaks are a revelation. Our headquarters for this summer weekend getaway will be the Sierra Valley, 25 miles north of Lake Tahoe. It is a vast and wild landscape dotted with little villages like Portola, Blairsden and Sierraville. The valley’s wetlands and forests provide homes to a extraordinary variety of birds, butterflies, wildflowers, trees and mammals. We will visit Lake Davis, the valley marshes, the Feather River, Yuba Pass, Plumas-Eureka State Park and other locations. Likely birds will include sapsuckers, warblers, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Bald Eagles, Osprey, White Pelicans, Mt. Bluebirds, White-faced Ibis, Sandhill Cranes, Black–billed Magpies, Nighthawks, ducks and hummingbirds. Songbirds include flycatchers, finches, swallows, nuthatches and thrushes. We typically see 80-100 species. The trip begins at noon Friday in Sierraville on Hwy 89 and ends Sunday at noon. Tour cost does not include accommodations, meals or transportation. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration.

Sunol Regional Park, Sunol
2014-06-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Sunol Regional Park, Sunol, CA, CA, United States
Sat. June 14, 9am-12pm
This area is one of the most secluded, wild and beautiful of Alameda’s parklands, far from towns and highways. It is bisected by Alameda Creek and surrounded by high crags and hillsides covered with pines and oak woodlands. It’s a paradise for birds, with many raptors (including Golden Eagles, kites and Kestrels), Acorn woodpeckers, flycatchers, nuthatches, bluebirds, Yellow-billed Magpies, finches, warblers and wrens. In addition, we’ll keep an eye out for the elusive Lazuli Bunting. (Parking fee)

Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Preserve, Moss Landing
2014-06-21 09:00 - 16:00 | Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature, 8022 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, United States
Sat. June 21, 2014, 9am-4pm
Elkhorn Slough, situated south of Santa Cruz, 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, gulls and terns, plus numerous kinds of raptors, cormorants, grebes, shorebirds, songbirds and perhaps owls and loons. 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, bring a sandwich and drinks or buy some.

Pescadero Village and Coastal Birding
2014-07-02 08:00 - 16:00 | CA
Weds. July 2, 8am-4pm
The rugged San Mateo coastline, with the Pacific surf crashing on the beaches between the headlands, is one of the Bay Area’s most beautiful sights. Just south of Half Moon Bay it contains the tiny village of Pescadero, surrounded by woodlands and hills. In our morning walk along the beach we can observe birds such as Heerman’s and Western gulls, White-tailed Kites, harriers, Red-tails and grebes. Next stop will be the rocky headlands, with Brown pelicans, Willets, turnstones and oystercatchers flying among the rocks. Then we head over to the village for lunch and in the afternoon visit the Harley Goat Farm, a unique and charming institution made up of several hundred goats and several people. This trip is sponsored by the Albany Senior Center, and the cost includes van transportation, lunch and guiding fees. Call the center directly at (510) 524-9122 to register.

Las Gallinas Wetlands, San Rafael
2014-07-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Las Gallinas Wetlands, San Rafael, CA, United States
Sat. July 12, 9am-12pm
At Las Gallinas, hundreds of acres of grasslands and wetlands (ponds, marshes) surround a small waste-water treatment facility. The marshes recede in all directions for hundreds of yards, and are surrounded by the beautiful hills of Marin. Acre for acre, it has some of the greatest diversity of birdlife I’ve ever seen, a favorite resort of many kinds of ducks, herons, egrets, shorebirds, rails, White pelicans, raptors and songbirds. Numbers are very impressive. Walking tour is a little less than two miles around ponds.

Mono Lake/Eastern Sierras Weekend Tour
2014-07-17 08:00 - 2014-07-20 17:00 | Mono Lake, CA, 93541, United States
Thurs.-Sun. July 17-20, 2014
A vast and ancient lake on the eastern slope of Yosemite, Mono is famous for its unique tufa formations that rise from its shoreline. Snow-capped Sierra peaks, forests, high desert country and volcanic geology all combine to give a feeling of a vast wilderness shaped by great natural forces. The lake and Sierra woodlands are a magnet to several hundred bird species, including phalaropes, plovers, grebes, pelicans, swifts, raptors, ducks and woodpeckers. Local songbirds include warblers, nuthatches, thrushes, kinglets, corvids, shrikes and flycatchers. Osprey, Mt. Bluebird, Sage Grouse, Black-billed Magpie, Clark’s Nutcracker, Audubon’s warblers, Red-breasted Sapsucker and Townsend’s Solitaire are among a total of 75-80 species usually observed. Our tour begins at Thurs. afternoon at June Lake, south of Lee Vining (HQ at Boulder Lodge) and ends Sunday at noon. Over the weekend, among many locations we will explore are Mono Lake, the ghost town of Bodie, Bridgeport Reservoir and Lee Vining Canyon. Tour cost does not include accommodations, meals or transportation. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration.

Surf to Redwoods Tour, Santa Cruz
2014-07-26 09:00 - 16:00 | Santa Cruz, CA, United States
Sat. July 26, 9am-4pm
Santa Cruz, on the northern end of Monterey Bay, is famed as a friendly college town. But it is also studded with wonderful parks and bordered by rocky shorelines, all with great numbers of birds. Natural areas include ponds, ocean headlands and inlets, wetlands, beaches and redwood forests. We will try to sample as many areas as possible. Ducks, raptors, shorebirds, grebes, pelicans, woodpeckers and songbirds are numerous in different locations. Minimal walking, broken up by short drives to different areas.

Crab Cove, Alameda
2014-08-02 09:00 - 12:00 | Crab Cove, Alameda, CA, United States
Sat. Aug. 2, 9am-12pm
Crab Cove and the Alameda shoreline, with miles of unspoiled beaches, is a magnet for shorebirds, gulls, herons and egrets, terns, grebes and ducks of all kinds. This is a convenient local spot to see legions of godwits, peeps, curlews, Black turnstones, occasional phalaropes and oystercatchers, Black-bellied Plover and Forster’s, Caspian and Elegant terns, among others. Forty species in a morning is not unusual; early migratory birds will be starting to arrive from the Arctic to enliven the shoreline with even greater numbers and variety

Bolinas Lagoon Birding Tour, Bolinas
2014-08-16 09:00 - 16:00 | Bolinas Lagoon, CA, United States
Sat. Aug. 16, 9am-4pm
Bolinas Lagoon and the Marin coast are two natural treasures of the Bay Area, luckily preserved for wildlife and people alike. Along this spectacular coast we can expect to see many ducks, shorebirds, raptors, songbirds, terns, cormorants and egrets. After a picnic lunch in Bolinas, we’ll explore the village, visit wildlife artist Keith Hansen’s studio and hike the beach. Low to moderate amounts of walking, level terrain.

Monterey Bay Weekend Birding Tours
2014-08-22 08:00 - 2014-08-24 17:00 | Monterey Bay, Monterey, CA, United States
Fri.-Sun. Aug. 22-24, 2014
Monterey and nearby Big Sur are two of the most spectacular coastlines of California. Monterey Bay, with its unique marine ecology, has a great concentration of wildlife: birds, monarch butterflies, sea mammals and migrating whales. The list of outstanding spots to see birds and mammals is long: Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing, the Salinas and Carmel River estuaries, Pt. Lobos and Julia Pfeiffer State Park, among many. During this exciting weekend we can expect to see Sea otters as well as pelicans, terns, plovers, herons and egrets, raptors and many kinds of shorebirds and songbirds. Totals bird species usually seen ranges from 80- 100. The weekend begins at noon Friday at Elkhorn Slough (near Moss Landing on Hwy 1) and ends at 1pm Sunday in Monterey. Tour fee does not include accommodations, meals or transportation. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration.

Arrowhead Marsh/ML King Shoreline, Oakland
2014-09-06 09:00 - 12:00 | San Leandro Bay, San Leandro, CA, United States
Sat. Sept. 6, 9am-12pm
This large marsh on San Leandro Bay (near the Oakland Airport) has extensive tidal flats, marshes and grasslands, all of which attract large numbers of waders, terns, shorebirds, avocets, ducks, stilts, Burrowing Owls, songbirds, ducks and raptors. Clapper Rails are also possible. Walk is a level, easy one-mile loop. If we have time, we’ll hop on over to Crown Beach in Alameda for more shorebirds (Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary).

Bodega Bay Bird Tour, Sonoma
2014-09-20 09:00 - 16:00 | Bodega Bay, CA, United States
Sat. Sept. 20, 9am-4pm
Bodega Bay, nestled on the Sonoma coast west of Sebastopol, is one of the best birding locations of the North Bay, designated an IBA (Important Bird Area) by the American Bird Conservancy. The marshes, headlands, coves and willow thickets that surround the bay host great numbers and varieties of birds. Peregrine falcons, Snowy plovers, loons, shorebirds, turnstones, perhaps a late osprey, songbirds, ducks and wildfowl swim and dive in the calm waters. Rarities occasionally turn up, such as the Steller’s Eider, Emperor goose and Red-throated Grebe. We will spend the day circling the bay, visiting Bodega Head, Doran Beach, Owl Canyon, Spud Pt. Marina and Hole-in-the-Head. Minimal walking; bring lunch (or purchase one) and drinks.

Merced National Wildlife Refuge, Merced, Central Valley
2014-10-04 09:00 - 16:00 | Merced National Wildlife Refuge, 7376 Wolfsen Rd, Merced, CA, 95341, United States
Sat. Oct. 4, 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. This is primarily a car tour, with minimal walking.

Baylands Preserve, Palo Alto
2014-10-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto, CA, United States
Sat. Oct. 11, 9am-12pm
This section of Palo Alto shoreline and marshlands has some of the greatest variety and numbers of wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors, waders and songbirds of any in the Bay Area. Herons and egrets, stilts, Avocets, many shorebirds, ducks such as Ruddies, Canvasback, Cinnamon and Green-winged teal, terns and raptors, among many others, are common in the fall. Easy and moderate level of walking.

Klamath Refuge Weekend Tour
2014-10-23 08:00 - 2014-10-26 17:00 | Klamath Refuge, tule lake, CA, United States
Thurs.-Sun. Oct. 23-26, 2014
Every year hundreds of thousands of migrating wildfowl, shorebirds and raptors pass through the great Klamath Basin refuge on the California-Oregon border. This is very wild, open and rugged country. The refuge covers many thousands of acres of marshes, forests and lakes. Fall at Klamath is the greatest spectacle of migrating birds on the West Coast, with the snow-capped peak of Mt. Shasta to the south. A great variety of birds, such as Sandhill cranes, Snow, White-fronted and Ross’ geese, shorebirds, Tundra swans, Gray Jays, ducks of every description, Bald Eagles, owls and many kinds of songbirds. Each day will provide new refuges and opportunitiesto view wildlife and birds. Typical bird species observed are between 70-80. Walking is minimal, on level terrain.Thursday through Saturday accommodations will be in nearby Klamath Falls, Oregon. Tour begins Thurs. afternoon, after check-in, and continues to noon Sunday morning. From the Bay Area drive time is about 6-7 hours, car-pooling recommended. Amtrak service to Klamath Falls and van transportation on site is available. Lodging and travel information provided at time of registration. Cost does not include transportation, lodging or meals.

Gray Lodge/Sacramento Refuge Wildfowl Weekend
2014-11-14 08:00 - 2014-11-16 17:00 | CA
Fri.-Sun. Nov. 14-16, 2014
This weekend tour of several of the Central Valley’s legendary birding areas should produce great numbers of raptors, ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, Sandhill cranes and songbirds. More than 300 species of birds and mammals, both resident and migratory, use the refuges of the Sacramento Valley, including almost half of the Pacific flyway’s waterfowl population. Several million ducks and geese migrate through the area during the fall. The tour will begin at 2pm Friday at the Sacramento NWR and continue Saturday at Gray Lodge. Sunday morning we will visit nearby Colusa refuge and depart by early afternoon. Local accommodations will be in Yuba City. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration. Cost does not include transportation, lodging or meals .

Davis Raptor Center and Lake Solano
2014-11-29 09:00 - 16:00 | UC Davis, Davis, CA, United States
Sat. Nov. 29, 9am-4pm
This fall tour begins at the Raptor Center at UC Davis, where we’ll view Great Horned Owls, Golden Eagles, accipiters and several species of hawks. At nearby Putah Creek we’ll search for Red-tails, Western bluebirds, warblers, kinglets, finches and blackbirds. Heading west to Winters, we’ll lunch at a local diner. Then it’s off to Lake Solano where birds include many kinds of ducks (including mergansers and Wood ducks), woodpeckers and songbirds. Along the lake shore we’ll search for elusive Phainopeplas and Pygmy owls. Finally we head up to dramatic Lake Berryessa for White-throated swifts, raptors and wrens, among others. This is an exciting tour with a constantly changing landscape, wonderful scenery and many birds. Walking is minimal.

Las Gallinas Wetlands, San Rafael
2014-12-06 09:00 - 12:00 | Las Gallinas Wetlands, San Rafael, CA, United States
Sat. Dec. 6, 9am-12am
At Las Gallinas, hundreds of acres of grasslands and wetlands (ponds, marsh) surround a small waste-water treatment facility. The marshes recede in all directions for hundreds of yards, and are surrounded by the beautiful unspoiled hills of Marin. Acre for acre, it has some of the greatest diversity of birdlife I’ve ever seen, a favorite resort of many kinds of ducks, herons, egrets, shorebirds, raptors, rails and songbirds. Numbers are very impressive, 30-50 species of birds common in winter. Walking tour is a little less than two miles around pond.

Sandhill Crane Tour, Cosumnes Preserve
2014-12-13 09:00 - 16:00 | Cosumnes Preserve, 13501 Franklin Blvd, Galt, CA, 95632, United States
Sat. Dec. 13, 9am-4pm
Located in the Sacramento Delta (at Galt, north of Lodi), this wetland preserve has enormous numbers of migratory waterfowl, Tundra swans, raptors (Red-tails, harriers, kestrels), shorebirds and songbirds. Sandhill Cranes are everywhere this time of year, their gargling yodels carrying over the marshes for great distances as they fly over. Walking along the Cosumnes River we can see warblers, kinglets, thrushes, finches and wrens flitting through the trees. Wildfowl such as scaup, Gadwall, teal, Shovelers, Wigeon and Pintail hide among the reeds dotting the wetlands. Occasionally Peregrine falcons, Great Horned Owls and bitterns can be spotted. In the afternoon we’ll visit Woodbridge Road for even more waterfowl and raptors. Minimal walking. Bring lunch and drinks for a picnic lunch at the Cosumnes Visitor’s Center.

San Joaquin Valley Birding Tour
2014-12-26 08:00 - 2014-12-28 17:00 | CA
Fri.-Sun. Dec. 26-28, 2014
The great complex of San Joaquin wildlife refuges near Los Banos, including Merced, West Bear Creek, Kesterson and San Luis, comprise over 50,000 acres of wetlands, teeming with migratory birds. They are the winter quarters for tens of thousands of raptors, ducks, egrets and shorebirds. Sandhill Cranes, Snow and Ross’ geese, Ferruginous hawks, Cinnamon and Green-wing Teal, Great Horned Owls, Boat-tail Grackles, Water Pipits and Bald eagles are only a few of the many species. Mammals also make their homes here, such as Coyotes, cottontails, river otter and Tule Elk. Typically we see 80-90 bird species at these refuges, some in the thousands. The tour begins at noon Friday at the Merced Refuge, continues Saturday at Los Banos and Sunday morning we’ll search for the Tule Elk at San Luis. En route we’ll stop at refuge HQ near Los Banos, not far from our hotel. This classic valley wildlife tour will provide wonderful photographic and birding opportunities. Lodging, directions and birding information provided at registration. Cost does not include transportation, lodging or meals.

San Luis/Merced National Wildlife Refuge Tour
2015-01-17 09:00 - 16:00 | CA
Sat. Jan. 17, 9am-4pm
This large wildlife preserve in the San Joaquin Valley totals more than 50,000 acres of marshes and riparian woodlands, and provides one of the greatest wildlife spectacles still found in California. In the winter, the marshes hold countless thousands of geese, raptors, ibis, ducks and great flocks of shorebirds, all in constant motion. Sandhill cranes give their long trumpeting calls as they fly overhead, and thousands of Snow geese suddenly fly up from the ponds. Great Horned owls sit silently in the willows. Over the course of the day, we usually observe fifty or more species of birds, and occasionally mammals such as otters, elk or deer. Bring lunch and drinks; tour is mostly by car, with minimal walking. Outstanding opportunities for bird photography.

Birds of the Alameda Shoreline and Crab Cove
2015-01-31 09:00 - 12:00 | CA
Sat. Jan. 31, 2015, 9am-12pm
The Alameda shoreline, with miles of sandy white beaches and stunning views of the bay, is one of our local environmental treasures. During the fall and winter it is also a magnet for hundreds of shorebirds — dunlin, godwits, peeps, curlews, plover, avocets and stilts, with lesser numbers of turnstones and oystercatchers — totaling thousands of birds. During a morning walk we usually see over 40 different species of shorebirds, egrets, grebes and ducks, sometimes in great numbers. Best of all, it’s part of a relaxing morning of beautiful beaches, salt air and panoramic views of the bay. Too good to be true? Come see for yourself. Good opportunities for bird and marine photography.

Raptors of Panoche Valley & Mercey Hot Springs
2015-02-21 09:00 - 16:00 | CA
Sat. Feb. 21, 9am-4pm (NEW)
Deep in the inner coastal range 20 miles south-west of Los Banos, lies Panoche Valley. This very wild and scenic country is home to many varieties of exciting birds, including Golden Eagles, Prairie falcons, bluebirds, Rock and Canyon wrens, Lawrence’s goldfinches, Chukars (large colorful partridges) and Mountain plover. Our destination on this tour is Mercey Hot Springs, a resort known for its Long-eared and Barn owls. The $30 resort day-use fee (additional) includes optional hot-tub or heated pool break. Bring lunch, drinks and a full tank of gas. Overnight accommodations at the resort are usually available to extend your stay. Nearby are Mission San Juan Bautista and Pinnacles National Park (home to California condors), both also wonderful places to visit. Good opportunities for nature and bird photography.
