Improve your birding skills — or get started in birdwatching with some friendly, expert help! Golden Gate Audubon offers classes for all levels of birding experience. Please register for our classes online (easy and fast). If you don’t have access to a computer, call our office at (510) 843-2222 and we will return your call as soon as possible.
CANCELLATION POLICY: As a small organization with limited office staff, it is challenging for us to handle last-minute cancellations. If you need to cancel, we will refund your registration fee if :
(1) You withdraw more than two weeks before the start of the class, AND (2) We can fill your spot with someone from the class waiting list.Please note that there will be a $5 cancellation fee to cover the credit card transaction costs for your sign-up and cancellation.
For information on GGAS classes at the Lake Merritt Rotary Nature Center go to https://goldengateaudubon.org/classes-rnc/
Spring 2019 Birding Classes
Field Photography Workshop with a Pro:
Wintering Raptors and more in Sierra Valley
February 23 and 24
Spend a weekend with professional wildlife photographer John Ehrenfeld in the Sierra Valley. Target species include Rough-legged and Ferruginous Hawks, falcons, and eagles.
There are 25 eBird hotspots for Sierra Valley, which straddles Sierra and Plumas Counties.
Plan to spend all day Saturday and Sunday in the field. John will provide technical and creative advice for photographers and will lead a friendly critique session to review the day’s photographs on Saturday evening.
Two-night stays are required at all the lodging options in the area. A list of lodging suggestions will be sent to participants soon after they register.
The group will meet at the intersection of highways 89 and 49 at the Globe Hotel parking lot at 11 am on Saturday. Participants will stay over Saturday night and return to the field on Sunday morning. Carpooling is recommended.
The instructors website is http://www.
Limited to 10 participants.
Fee is $250 for GGAS members and $300 for others. Accommodations and meals not included in the course fee.
Weather: Rain and fog can add ambiance to nature photography so we’ll address those challenges in the field like the pros do. Heavy snow forecast will cancel trip and it will be rescheduled.
No minimum standards for photo equipment, but a digital SLR with a minimum reach of a 300mm lens will be helpful.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list. Registration closes on Wednesday, February 20.
Birding by Ear – Early Spring
February 28 through April 6
Early Spring! It’s a great time to learn bird sounds of our resident birds, as well as those of
returning migrants. We will explore various techniques for learning how to identify the songs
and calls local birds, especially the vocalizations of the species we hope to encounter on our
the field trips. Field trip locations are listed on the instructor’s website denisewightbirds.com
- Six Thursday evening classes, February 28 to April 5; 7 to 8:30 p.m.
- Six three-hour field trips on the Saturday following each class, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
- Instructor: Denise Wight
- Limit to 20 participants
- $110 for GGAS members, $130 for non-members
- Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, directly across the street from Ashby
BART in Berkeley. Free parking in the lot behind the center.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list.
Birding by Ear – Late Spring FULL
April 18 through May 25
Oh my, song is in full force. From the morning chorus to the evening roosting, birds are singing,
reinforcing pair bonds, defending territories, and just keeping track of one another. It’s a
wonderful time to be in the field and improve your birdsong knowledge. Join Denise in class
and in the field. Field trip locations are listed on the instructor’s website denisewightbirds.com
- Six Thursday evening classes, April 18 to May 23; 7 to 8:30 p.m.
- Six three-hour field trips on the Saturday following each class, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
- Instructor: Denise Wight
- Limit to 20 participants
- $110 for GGAS members, $130 for non-members
- Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, directly across the street from Ashby
BART in Berkeley. Free parking in the lot behind the center.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list.
Beginning Birdwatching – Spring FULL
March 25 through April 27
This great introduction to bird-watching will teach you about the migrants and seasonal visitors, as well as year-round residents. Instructor Anne Hoff will familiarize you with the tools of the trade — binoculars, field guides, scopes, and the best local places to watch birds. In Monday evening classroom sessions, she’ll introduce you to different kinds of birds. Then on the following Saturday, she’ll help you spot them in the field! No prior birding experience required. Note: You will need to own or borrow binoculars for this class, but they are not necessary until the first field trip.
- Five Monday evening classes, March 25 to April 22 – 7 to 8:30 p.m.
- Five field trips to a different site every week, 8:30 to 11 a.m. on the Saturday after each
class. (March 30-April 27) - Instructor: Anne Hoff
- Limited to 16 participants
- $100 for GGAS members, $120 for non-members
- Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, directly across the street from Ashby
BART in Berkeley. Free parking in the lot behind the center.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list.
Advanced Beginning Birdwatching – Spring Only 3 spots left!
March 27 through April 28
The Advanced Beginning class is geared to people who have already taken our Beginning
Birding class, OR who have birded once a month (on average) for at least a year. Participants
must have and use binoculars confidently. Field trips will be to East Bay woodland, riparian, and
grassland locations to see breeding birds. This class will help you understand the various bird
families and master tricky IDs. It will also introduce you to citizen science (bird
counting/monitoring) activities and current bird conservation issues.
- Five Wednesday evening classes, March 27 to April 24; 7 to 8:30 PM
- Five three-hour field trips to a different site every week on the Sunday following each
class, 8:30 to 11:30 AM (March 31-April 28) - Instructor: Anne Hoff
- Limited to 16 participants
- $100 for GGAS members, $120 for non-members
Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, directly across the street from Ashby
BART in Berkeley. Free parking in the lot behind the center.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list.
Songbirds
April 2 through April 27
Woods, fields, riparian corridors and urban backyards are filled with song in the spring. The Bay
Area hosts a rich array of songbirds: year-round, winter residents, and summer residents.
What is a songbird? How do they produce their complex songs? What are the functions of
male and female song? How do the young learn their songs?
In addition to sharpening your ID skills, this class will increase your appreciation of these
remarkable birds.
- Four Tuesday evening classes, April 2 to April 23; 7 to 8:30 PM
- Four three-hour field trips on the Saturday following each class, 8:30 to 11:30 AM
- Instructors: Maureen Lahiff
- Limited to 20 participants
- $80 for GGAS members, $100 for non-members
- Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, directly across the street from Ashby
BART in Berkeley. Free parking in the lot behind the center.
Click HERE to register online. Once the class is full, you may register to be on a waiting list.
You might also enjoy Joe Morlan’s non-GGAS classes “Topics in Field Ornithology” at City College of San Francisco starting March 13
For more information call (415) 561-1860 or go to
https://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/spring19.htm