Miller-Knox Shoreline Park (Richmond)
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline is truly one of the gems of the East Bay. Along the shoreline, beautiful views of the Bay complement the opportunity to see a variety of waterbirds. As you head inland, you pass through open fields, dense scrub, and then up into the rolling hills, some of which are blanketed in forest. ... Read more
Fort Mason (San Francisco)
Meet in front of the Community Garden to explore several different habitats in this compact part of GGNRA. This will be the beginning of winter, which means all our wintering species should be present, and the species count can be as high as 50. We'll explore Aquatic Park for Red-Breasted Mergansers and other ducks, grebes ... Read more
Elsie Roemer to Arrowhead Marsh Bike ride
Winter high tides are a good time to see rails, and if there has been enough rain, lots of ducks and shorebirds in the seasonal wetlands on this ~12 mile roundtrip bike ride visiting Elsie Roemer and Arrowhead marsh from the Frutivale Bart station. Leader: Kathy Jarrett, (510) 547-1233, kathy_jarrett@yahoo.com This trip is free but ... Read more
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park (Oakland)
December is the absolute peak month for birds at Lake Merritt: everybody likely to come is probably here, and nobody has left yet. Goldeneyes . . . maybe Barrow's Goldeneyes . . . and who knows, maybe that Tufted Duck reported in October and seen at least once since then.... MASKS REQUIRED FOR THIS FIELD ... Read more
Wren Day/St. Stephen’s Day at Tilden (Berkeley)
Our almost-annual Hunt (to see) the Wren Day Birdwalk, with folklore, culture, song, legend and biology of The Wren and relatives. Why is it “The King of All Birds”? A gentle walk to Jewel Lake and back on a wide dirt trail past the refurbished ponds in the meadow. A few benches along the way. ... Read more
Arrowhead Marsh (Oakland)
Prepare for the new year by immersing yourself into the wonder of our birdy neighbors. We will have a guests Dr. Concha Saucedo do a land blessing and Susana Renaud lead a short nature mindfulness practice. All are welcome but LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks are especially invited to a participatory, accessible field trip. We all ... Read more
SF Botanical Garden
Slowly stroll around the S.F. Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, exploring the many birds that thrive amidst several micro-habitats with more than 8,000 kinds of plants. This trip is oriented towards helping beginning birders develop their skills, and recurs on the first Sunday of each month. Entry to the Garden is free before 9 ... Read more
Lafayette Community Center
This trail features a variety of mature trees and grassy hillsides alongside a stretch of riparian habitat. Raptors, nuthatches, and woodpeckers are sighted regularly, along with a variety of sparrows. This is a dirt trail, wide in most areas, mostly level although there are some elevation changes. There are no areas to sit along this ... Read more
Salesforce Park
Sitting above the new Transbay Terminal in downtown San Francisco, Salesforce Park is an oasis for humans and urban birds alike. Join this meditative and educational stroll, which will focus on observing resident and migrant birds. This trip recurs on the first Wednesday of each month. Observant kids of all ages are welcome with adults. ... Read more
Tilden Nature Area (Berkeley)
A gentle stroll to Jewel Lake and back on a wide dirt trail past the ponds in the meadow. A few benches along the way. Come along for a short while or the whole time. Leader: Alan Kaplan: LNKPLN67@gmail.com, landline (510) 526-7609 for messages This trip is free but advance registration is required. Registration will ... Read more
VALLE VISTA EBMUD WATERSHED
Valle Vista EBMUD Watershed Moraga, CABirding in the Moraga area on level trails and fire roads owned by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). This area features a variety of habitats: chaparral and scrub, grassland, pine-oak woodland, marsh, and the top of the reservoir. Likely birds include raptors, sparrows, California Thrasher, nuthatches, wrens, and the shy Wood Ducks. We will ... Read more
Staten Island and Consumnes River Preserve (Isleton)
The Nature Conservancy manages the farmlands on Staten Island for the wintering Sandhill Cranes. The flooded fields have a variety of shorebirds, waterbirds and raptors. Tundra Swans are also likely. Cosumnes has a great variety of wintering ducks and is a fairly reliable place for Wilson’s Snipe. The Staten Island part of the trip is ... Read more