Sunol: Alameda’s Hidden Wilderness
2020-04-18 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Sunol Regional Park, Sunol, CA, CA, United States
Sat. April 18, 9am-12am
Tucked away east of Fremont, in south-east Alameda County, is Sunol Regional Park, perhaps the most beautiful and wild of Alameda’s nature preserves. Covered in oak woodlands, surrounded by high crags and bisected by Alameda Creek, it is home to a great variety of birds, small mammals, butterflies and other wildlife. As we walk through the woodlands that line the creek, we hear the cackling of Acorn woodpeckers and see flycatchers, nuthatches, vireos, warblers and wrens flitting through the trees. On the hillsides several kinds of swallows cut their graceful patterns in the sky, accompanied by Western bluebirds and noisy Ravens. And occasionally we can see, soaring in the big open sky along the cliffs, Golden eagles, Red-tails and White-tailed Kites. Only one word sums up this secluded natural treasure: extraordinary! Great landscape photography opportunities. (Parking fee) For lunch try Sunol, a tiny nearby village, or the little town of Niles with their museum of silent film. (Charlie Chaplin once walked these streets!)

Magpies, Orioles and Roadrunners: The Livermore-Mines Road Tour
2020-04-25 10:00 - 16:00 | CA
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!

Mt. Diablo State Park: Monarch of the East Bay
2020-05-09 09:00 - 12:00 | Mt. Diablo, Mount Diablo State Park, Clayton, 94507, United States
Sat. May 9, 10am-1pm
At nearly 4,000 feet, Mt. Diablo sits in solitary splendor high above Contra Costa county, monarch of all it surveys. So high much of northern California can be seen from its summit, as well as, on a clear day, the Sierra Nevada! In addition to the extraordinary views, the great mountain has many bird and wildlife species and a great variety of wildflowers. On this morning tour we’ll explore the mountain’s birdlife, woodlands and wildflowers on the way to the summit. Once there we’ll roam the Visitors’ Center, which has many exhibits that explain the mountain’s history and geology. Birds of all kinds, such as Acorn woodpeckers, Peregrine falcons, bluebirds, warblers, nuthatches, Cliff and Barn swallows, Red-tailed hawks and Golden eagles can be seen on its slopes and woodlands. Great nature and landscape photography opportunities! Meet at the North Gate entrance where the tour begins. From Oakland/Berkeley take 24 to Walnut Creek, exit on Ygnacio Valley Road, stay on til Walnut Avenue, continue for short distance and make right to North Gate Road, continue to park entrance. Allow one hour driving time. State Park entrance fee.

Mendocino Seacoast Weekend Tour
2020-05-15 - 2020-05-17 | CA
Fri-Sunday, May 15-17
Mendocino County, three hours north of the Bay Area, is renowned for its rugged seacoast, rural charm and deep wild forests. Great headlands are pounded by enormous Pacific breakers, and unspoiled rivers like the Navarro and Albion meet the sea to create expansive beaches. The town of Mendocino itself appears to be a small, transplanted New England village. State parks embrace the coastline, including McKerricher, Van Damme and Russian Gulch. These parks are home to many forms of wildlife, birds and marine mammals. Loons, Black oystercatchers and turnstones, together with many species of ducks and songbirds, gulls and cormorants, patrol the oceans and forests. Among the headlands and crashing surf we’ll look for Surfbirds and other shorebirds, Pelagic cormorants, guillemots, mergansers and the elusive Harlequin, a spectacular sea duck. Off the coast we may spot whales on their epic migration north. Inland, we’ll search the deep conifer woodlands for warblers, thrushes and kinglets, and note colorful mushrooms on the forest floor. The whole Mendocino area has a unique 19th century feeling with wonderful restaurants, bookstores and craft shops. Nature photography opportunities are everywhere. We’ll be staying at the Beach House Inn in nearby Ft. Bragg, but there are many B&Bs available in the area. Lodging and meals are not included in the tour cost. Spectacular marine, coastline and woodland photography.

Rush Ranch & Grizzly Island Owl Prowl
2020-05-23 10:00 - 16:00 | Rush Ranch, 3521 Grizzly Island Rd, Suisun City, CA, 94585, United States
Sat. May 23 10am-4pm
This enormous state wildlife preserve (over 10,000 acres) near Fairfield is renowned for a great variety of birds and wildlife, with grasslands, marshes and wetlands that stretch for miles to the distant hills. To the south, far beyond the marshes, majestic Mt. Diablo rises above the horizon. Raptors and hawks of all kinds and songbirds such as Loggerhead shrikes, meadowlarks, Red-wing and Brewer’s blackbirds, are fairly common. Our first stop will be Rush Ranch (see www.solanolandtrust.org for more info), a complex of old-fashioned farm buildings with horses, corrals, steers and a massive old red barn. It is also home to several kinds of owls (Barn, Horned and Burrowing), which can usually be found with a little searching. White-tailed kites, Kestrels, herons, egrets and songbirds are present in the fields, marshes and groves of trees. We will then explore Grizzly Island after lunch to see some of these exciting birds, and we’ll search for the giant Tule Elk herd. Bring lunch and drinks. Allow an hour plus from the East Bay; take 80 to 12 (east), and enter the preserve in four miles (a right turn) at Grizzly Island Road. Meet at Rush Ranch, which is the first right (1-2 miles) after the turn from 12, enter on the right down the driveway, meet at the parking lot by the big old Red Barn, maybe 200 yards ahead. Great opportunities for landscape and wildlife photography.

Mountain Birds of the Tahoe Sierras at Strawberry Lodge
2020-06-05 - 2020-06-07 | CA
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.

Sierra Valley Tour: Woodlands, Birds & Wildflowers of the Sierras
2020-06-25 - 2020-06-28 | CA
Thurs-Sunday, June 25-28
The Sierra Valley, a secluded mountain area with miles of sagebrush, forests and marshes, is only a half hour drive north of I80 and Tahoe. For the last several years we have provided this tour (four days and three nights) to explore the valley’s wilderness and observe many different birds and wildflowers. Among 60-70 species of birds often seen are Sandhill cranes, White-faced Ibis, Bald eagles, Snipe, Osprey, Horned larks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and many ducks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and songbirds. We will visit the Iron Bridge marsh, Lake Davis, the village of Sierraville, the Feather River, Yuba Pass and the SFSU Field station near Bassett’s. We frequently stay in the little town of Portola at the north end of the valley, with many shops, museums, restaurants and even golf courses at nearby Blairsden. The tour package includes one class (optional) in Berkeley prior to the trip, on Weds. June 24th, 9-12am. Local campgrounds include Plumas-Eureka State Park, one of the best. Our favorite spot to stay in Portola, convenient to everything: the Sleepy Pines Motel; see www.sleepypinesmotel.com for more info. There are also many other motels and resorts in the area to choose from. Tour starts at Sierraville village at 1pm Thursday, and right after lunch we begin our tour of the valley. We say good-bye Sunday at noon to head home. Allow four hours travel from the Bay Area to Sierraville, right at the south entrance of the valley.

Monterey Birds, Beaches & Heritage Tour
2020-07-14 - 2020-07-17 | CA
Tues-Friday, July 14-17
The stunning natural beauty, museums, beaches, Aquarium and historic adobes of old Monterey are only two and a half hours away from San Francisco and the Bay Area. Over three days and two nights, we will sample the best of these cultural and wildlife treasures, including Elkhorn Slough for shorebirds and Sea Otters, the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, the Steinbeck Center in nearby Salinas, Pt. Lobos coastal preserve and stroll the spectacular Monterey beaches. Among many local birds, we’ll search for terns, shorebirds, Oystercatchers, Avocets, ducks, cormorants and many songbirds. A half-day cruise for whale-watching is another possibility. Other potential late-afternoon sites to investigate include old Spanish churches, the Robert Louis Stevenson House, restaurants and galleries! Nature, historic and marine life photography opportunities galore! Accommodations: world-class and beach-front resorts, hotels and Airbnb rentals blanket the area. One favorite of ours, one block from the ocean, is the Monterey Bay Lodge (go to www.montereybaylodge.com) for more information on amenities such as their pool and restaurant. All in all, this is a weekend pretty close to paradise!

Yosemite, Mono Lake & Eastern Sierras Tour
2020-07-28 - 2020-07-31 | CA
Tues- Friday, July 28-31
This Eastern Sierra tour has become one of our most popular four-day trips! It includes visits to Tuolumne Meadows at Yosemite, ancient Mono Lake, the Eastern Sierra forests and the legendary ghost-town of Bodie. The nearby 10,000-foot mountains and forests make for spectacular scenery, together with high desert sagebrush and volcanic landscapes that roll on for miles. We’ll explore Mono Lake and its tufa towers, Lee Vining village, Bodie ghost-town (now a state park), have lunch at the old pioneer village of Bridgeport, see Mammoth Lakes and hunt for warblers at Lee Vining Canyon. Mono is a magnet for several hundred bird species, including phalaropes, shorebirds, grebes, pelicans, ducks, woodpeckers and raptors. These include Osprey, Mt. Bluebird, Pygmy nuthatches, Clark’s Nutcracker, Wood ducks, Audubon’s warblers, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Red-breasted Sapsuckers and hundreds of others. Walking the sagebrush-covered hills at Bodie we’ll search for the enormous Sage Grouse, one of the great birds of the Western high desert. We meet Tuesday afternoon at Boulder Lodge on June Lake, 10 miles south of Lee Vining village, right off H395. The Lodge has a pool, barbeque area and lakeside boating; rooms are large, accommodate several people and have kitchenettes. Visit www.boulderlodgejunelake.com for more info. The spectacular mountain peaks, Mono Lake and pioneer-era villages are great for photography of all kinds. Easiest route from San Francisco and the Bay Area: take 120 across the valley to Yosemite, go over Tioga Pass and then south 10 miles on 395 to June Lake and Boulder Lodge. Tour begins after check-in Tuesday afternoon. Allow at least six hours from the Bay Area to June L
