The complex of wildlife refuges near Los Banos and Merced in the Central Valley (two hours south of the East Bay) comprise over 50,000 acres of preserved wetlands and grasslands. They are one of the few remaining places to see … Continue reading
Tucked away among the sloughs and grasslands of Grizzly Island Wildlife Area near Fairfield is the 2,000 acre Rush Ranch Open Space preserve. It is a mosaic of 19th century barns, farm equipment and horse corrals, part of the frontier … Continue reading
This great wildlife preserve in the San Joaquin Valley, two hours south of the East Bay, totals more than 50,000 acres of marshes and riparian woodlands. It also provides one of the greatest wildlife spectacles still found in California. In … Continue reading
Well-known to nature lovers, the Marin coast is one of the Bay Area’s natural and cultural treasures. This day trip to the secluded village of Bolinas will demonstrate why: the soaring Bolinas Ridge and the pristine Pacific coastline, thick coastal … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
This day tour will highlight several beautiful locations, a charming valley town and a great variety of birds. We’ll start at the UC Davis Raptor Center south of Sacramento in the morning for ducks, raptors and woodpeckers along Putah Creek. … Continue reading
At 3,800 feet, Mt. Diablo sits in solitary splendor at the center of Contra Costa county, monarch of all it surveys. It is equally visible for miles in all directions, throughout the delta, Marin, Alameda and Solano Counties. Parts of … Continue reading
Casting large shadows over the rugged landscape of the Pinnacles are the legendary California Condors! These immense but shy scavengers, among the largest of North America, soar through the mountain air with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet! The Pinnacles, … Continue reading
We return to early frontier California at Rush Ranch, part of the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area near Fairfield. This is a Gold Rush-era farm complete with horse corrals, set within 2,000 acres of grasslands and marshes. The land has been … Continue reading
A tour of Mines Road (south of Livermore) is a trip into the nearly forgotten 19th-century world of the Bay Area. Mines Road begins near Murrieta’s Well winery, where we hope to find Great Horned owls, White-tailed kites, Yellow-billed magpies … Continue reading