PLEASE NOTE: Because of Covid-19, we require advance registration and are limiting the size of trips. Some trips require masks; but you are always welcome to wear a mask, even if it’s not required.
Field Trips
Golden Gate Audubon offers more than 150 field trips annually for birders of all levels. Our trips explore local areas from Golden Gate Park to the East Bay shoreline and hills, as well as such wildlife-rich destinations as California’s Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada.
Local trips are generally free except for any park entrance fees. Advance registration is required. For most trips, registration will open two weeks before the trip date and close a few days before the trip. We are currently limiting the size of most trips to allow for social distancing; no drop-ins, please.
See the calendar below (which you can also view as a list) for information on upcoming trips. Once registration opens for a trip, you will find a sign-up link on its information page.
We also sponsor trips to other parts of the U.S. and to international destinations, including Latin America, Africa, and Australia. See our Travel with GGAS page for upcoming travel opportunities.at
Calendar of Events
S Sun
M Mon
T Tue
W Wed
T Thu
F Fri
S Sat
1 event,
Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
The Albany Waterfront is one of the most exciting and diverse areas for birds in the East Bay, situated directly across the Bay from the Golden Gate, giving great views and also making it an important stopover and wintering spot for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The waterfront boasts several different habitats, including open Bay waters, ... Read more
0 events,
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0 events,
2 events,
SF Botanical Garden
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
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
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Salesforce Park
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 walk, which will focus on observing resident and migrant birds. This walk recurs on the first Wednesday of each month. Observant kids of all ages are welcome with adults. ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
VALLE VISTA EBMUD WATERSHED
VALLE VISTA EBMUD WATERSHED
Birding 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
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Join us along the Oakland shoreline focusing on wintering shorebirds. We will begin an hour after low tide. We will mostly be on paved paths with a short section of sand. Scopes are very beneficial at this location and appreciated. Leader: Megan Jankowski, , MINDFULDOCUMENTATION@GMAIL.COM, cell (415) 515-0732 This trip is free but advance registration ... Read more
2 events,
Point Reyes National Seashore (Marin County)
Point Reyes National Seashore (Marin County)
We’ll meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center and walk the Earthquake Trail , which is level and paved. Other stops will depend on what is happening in migration and on the weather. On this less than a mile long loop you can typically see California land birds like the Anna's Hummingbird, the Acorn Woodpecker ... Read more
Berkeley Aquatic Park
Berkeley Aquatic Park
All are welcome but LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks are especially invited to a participatory field trip. Everyone can help the group spot birds, and thus will contribute to our knowledge. There should be large birds that can be seen without binoculars, including migratory and winter water birds. We will likely discover land birds by sight ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
Emeryville Marina High Tide
Emeryville Marina High Tide
We will stroll along the bay to the high tide shorebird roost along Powell St. We'll be scoping the bay for diving ducks, grebes, loons and cormorants. The shorebird high tide roost itself can be fantastic if not disturbed by dogs. After observing the high tide roost those who feel like hiking will continue to ... Read more
Elsie Roemer & Crab Cove (Alameda)
Elsie Roemer & Crab Cove (Alameda)
This trip to Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary and Crab Cove is timed with the tides, so that feeding shorebirds are close in. The millions of shorebirds that winter on San Francisco Bay make it a state and global Important Bird Area. It is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and is also designated ... Read more
2 events,
Fort Mason (San Francisco)
Fort Mason (San Francisco)
Meet in front of the Fort Mason Community Garden to explore several different habitats in this compact part of GGNRA. Although fall migration will be almost done, there could still be flycatchers, vireos, warblers and sparrows coming through. The garden should have a variety of land birds, and there may still be flycatchers, vireos and ... Read more
Berkeley Bird Festival Field Trips
Berkeley Bird Festival Field Trips
On Sunday October 17, the Golden Gate Audubon in collaboration with the California Institute for Culture, Art and Nature will host the inaugural Berkeley Bird Festival. In addition to family friendly activities, bird-chalk art, bird-themed performances and conservation educational opportunities, we will also be offering eight guided field trips throughout the day in the greater ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (Oakland)
Explore the Oakland shoreline with a focus on wintering shorebirds, ducks, grebes and gulls. The trip will mostly take place on flat surfaced paths. Children are welcome. Please, no dogs. Results from our observations will be reported on eBird (an online database for bird observations). Include your email when you sign in on-site if you ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Alameda Creek-Coyote Hills Bike Ride
Alameda Creek-Coyote Hills Bike Ride
Ride with us along Alameda Creek to Coyote Hills looking for waterbirds, raptors and passerines. Due to drought the creek and main marsh may be drier and waterbird numbers lower than usual, but we also usually see a good assortment of passerines and raptors on this trip. We'll cycle a maximum of 20 mostly flat ... Read more
2 events,
Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
Explore one of the most exciting and diverse areas for birds in the East Bay on a 2 to 4.5 hour tour (depending on time of year and how many birds are present!) of the Albany Bulb. Situated directly across the Bay from the Golden Gate, the waterfront gives great views of an important stopover ... Read more
Berkeley Aquatic Park
Berkeley Aquatic Park
All are welcome but LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks are especially invited to a participatory field trip. Everyone can help the group spot birds, and thus will contribute to our knowledge. There should be large birds that can be seen without binoculars, including migratory and winter water birds. We will likely discover land birds by sight ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park (Oakland)
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park (Oakland)
This is the real start of the winter season at Lake Merritt and we have a good chance of seeing most of the arctic and subarctic migrant ducks and grebes, plus assorted warblers and sparrows. There'll be enough repetition for newcomers to develop solid understanding of the regular avian residents, along with enough to see ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve (San Francisco)
Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve (San Francisco)
We’ll cover about two miles with significant climbing on mostly well-graded trails with some rocky spots and exposed roots (sutrostewards.org/trail-map) in the UCSF Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve. The preserve is a 61-acre remnant of more than 2000 acres of eucalyptus trees planted by Adolf Sutro. We will be looking and listening for birds and ... Read more
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Join us for a walk along the Oakland shoreline focusing on wintering shorebirds, ducks, grebes and gulls. We will begin a bit after high tide. Walking is mostly on paved paths with a short section of sand. Scopes are very beneficial at this location and appreciated. Leader: Megan Jankowski, , MINDFULDOCUMENTATION@GMAIL.COM, cell (415) 515-0732 This ... Read more
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About our Field Trips
Our trips welcome birders of all skill levels, especially beginning birders. We encourage experienced birders to help the newcomers in the group. And beginners: Don’t be shy! We warmly invite you to identify yourself at the start of the walk so the leaders and more experienced birders can help you.
Cancellations: Heavy rain almost always cancels trips. Other cancellations may be posted on the GGAS-Chat discussion group, described below. If you’re uncertain about whether a trip has been cancelled, please contact the trip leader.
We invite your feedback on any aspect of our trips (leadership, venues, schedules). Send an email to Field Trip Coordinators Steve Lombardi at hotrock175@gmail.com or Christina Tarr at christina.tarr@gmail.com. For questions about individual trips, contact the leaders. If you cannot reach a leader, contact our office at 510.843.2222 or email hotrock175@gmail.com.
Summaries of field trips from 2004-2020 are available online in our Trip Report Archives. For more recent trip sightings, see eBird.
GGAS chat group
Join our online chat group to get updates about field trips and share general birding/conservation discussions. Membership is free: visit groups.io/g/GGAS-Chat and click on the “subscribe” link
Pelagic trips, including the Farallones
We are not affiliated with these birding-by-boat trips but list them for your convenience. Please contact them directly for details, cost, and reservations.
Alvaro’s Adventures
Web: alvarosadventures.com
Email: alvaro@alvarosadventures.com
Alvaro Jaramillo leads outstanding trips and brings experienced sea-birders along as spotters. His trips leave from a variety of harbors, including Monterey (with the submarine canyon in Monterey Bay). The Farallon Islands trips leave from Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.
Oceanic Society
Web: oceanicsociety.org
They offer whale watching trips that include the Farallones. For these, look at the biographical sketches of the guides and ask which trips have guides who are enthusiastic about birds as well as marine mammals. These trips leave from Sausalito and San Francisco. Follow the links for whale watching and then Farallones. Web site has phone numbers.
Grebe Courtship
Web: eyesofthewild.com
Email: faithrig@gmail.com
Watch the courtship rituals of the Western and Clarke’s Grebe from a comfortable 10-seat boat on Clear Lake. The best time to witness the grebe courtship displays is in late spring and early summer.
Seeking New Field Trip Leaders
If you’re a birder with favorite spots you’d like to share, consider joining our cadre of volunteer field trip leaders. It might sound a little scary (“Who, me? I can’t lead a field trip!”) but it’s really fun and quite easy.
We can provide training walks and mentors, help you write trip descriptions, and find background resources on the birding spots you love. You don’t need to be able to identify every bird: You’ll be successful by organizing an enjoyable walk at an interesting location.
If you’re interested (even if you’re maybe a little interested, but also a little nervous) contact Maureen Lahiff, Adult Education Committee chair, at 510.484.6529, MLahiff@aol.com or Field Trip Coordinator, Steve Lombardi at hotrock175@gmail.com.
Upcoming Field Trips
Calendar of Events
S Sun
M Mon
T Tue
W Wed
T Thu
F Fri
S Sat
1 event,
Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
The Albany Waterfront is one of the most exciting and diverse areas for birds in the East Bay, situated directly across the Bay from the Golden Gate, giving great views and also making it an important stopover and wintering spot for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The waterfront boasts several different habitats, including open Bay waters, ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
SF Botanical Garden
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
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
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Salesforce Park
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 walk, which will focus on observing resident and migrant birds. This walk recurs on the first Wednesday of each month. Observant kids of all ages are welcome with adults. ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
VALLE VISTA EBMUD WATERSHED
VALLE VISTA EBMUD WATERSHED
Birding 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
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Join us along the Oakland shoreline focusing on wintering shorebirds. We will begin an hour after low tide. We will mostly be on paved paths with a short section of sand. Scopes are very beneficial at this location and appreciated. Leader: Megan Jankowski, , MINDFULDOCUMENTATION@GMAIL.COM, cell (415) 515-0732 This trip is free but advance registration ... Read more
2 events,
Point Reyes National Seashore (Marin County)
Point Reyes National Seashore (Marin County)
We’ll meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center and walk the Earthquake Trail , which is level and paved. Other stops will depend on what is happening in migration and on the weather. On this less than a mile long loop you can typically see California land birds like the Anna's Hummingbird, the Acorn Woodpecker ... Read more
Berkeley Aquatic Park
Berkeley Aquatic Park
All are welcome but LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks are especially invited to a participatory field trip. Everyone can help the group spot birds, and thus will contribute to our knowledge. There should be large birds that can be seen without binoculars, including migratory and winter water birds. We will likely discover land birds by sight ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
Emeryville Marina High Tide
Emeryville Marina High Tide
We will stroll along the bay to the high tide shorebird roost along Powell St. We'll be scoping the bay for diving ducks, grebes, loons and cormorants. The shorebird high tide roost itself can be fantastic if not disturbed by dogs. After observing the high tide roost those who feel like hiking will continue to ... Read more
Elsie Roemer & Crab Cove (Alameda)
Elsie Roemer & Crab Cove (Alameda)
This trip to Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary and Crab Cove is timed with the tides, so that feeding shorebirds are close in. The millions of shorebirds that winter on San Francisco Bay make it a state and global Important Bird Area. It is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and is also designated ... Read more
2 events,
Fort Mason (San Francisco)
Fort Mason (San Francisco)
Meet in front of the Fort Mason Community Garden to explore several different habitats in this compact part of GGNRA. Although fall migration will be almost done, there could still be flycatchers, vireos, warblers and sparrows coming through. The garden should have a variety of land birds, and there may still be flycatchers, vireos and ... Read more
Berkeley Bird Festival Field Trips
Berkeley Bird Festival Field Trips
On Sunday October 17, the Golden Gate Audubon in collaboration with the California Institute for Culture, Art and Nature will host the inaugural Berkeley Bird Festival. In addition to family friendly activities, bird-chalk art, bird-themed performances and conservation educational opportunities, we will also be offering eight guided field trips throughout the day in the greater ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (Oakland)
Explore the Oakland shoreline with a focus on wintering shorebirds, ducks, grebes and gulls. The trip will mostly take place on flat surfaced paths. Children are welcome. Please, no dogs. Results from our observations will be reported on eBird (an online database for bird observations). Include your email when you sign in on-site if you ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Alameda Creek-Coyote Hills Bike Ride
Alameda Creek-Coyote Hills Bike Ride
Ride with us along Alameda Creek to Coyote Hills looking for waterbirds, raptors and passerines. Due to drought the creek and main marsh may be drier and waterbird numbers lower than usual, but we also usually see a good assortment of passerines and raptors on this trip. We'll cycle a maximum of 20 mostly flat ... Read more
2 events,
Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
Explore one of the most exciting and diverse areas for birds in the East Bay on a 2 to 4.5 hour tour (depending on time of year and how many birds are present!) of the Albany Bulb. Situated directly across the Bay from the Golden Gate, the waterfront gives great views of an important stopover ... Read more
Berkeley Aquatic Park
Berkeley Aquatic Park
All are welcome but LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks are especially invited to a participatory field trip. Everyone can help the group spot birds, and thus will contribute to our knowledge. There should be large birds that can be seen without binoculars, including migratory and winter water birds. We will likely discover land birds by sight ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park (Oakland)
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park (Oakland)
This is the real start of the winter season at Lake Merritt and we have a good chance of seeing most of the arctic and subarctic migrant ducks and grebes, plus assorted warblers and sparrows. There'll be enough repetition for newcomers to develop solid understanding of the regular avian residents, along with enough to see ... Read more
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve (San Francisco)
Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve (San Francisco)
We’ll cover about two miles with significant climbing on mostly well-graded trails with some rocky spots and exposed roots (sutrostewards.org/trail-map) in the UCSF Mount Sutro Open Space Preserve. The preserve is a 61-acre remnant of more than 2000 acres of eucalyptus trees planted by Adolf Sutro. We will be looking and listening for birds and ... Read more
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Middle Harbor Shoreline (Oakland)
Join us for a walk along the Oakland shoreline focusing on wintering shorebirds, ducks, grebes and gulls. We will begin a bit after high tide. Walking is mostly on paved paths with a short section of sand. Scopes are very beneficial at this location and appreciated. Leader: Megan Jankowski, , MINDFULDOCUMENTATION@GMAIL.COM, cell (415) 515-0732 This ... Read more
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Birding Ethics Statement
Golden Gate Audubon Society adheres to the Code of Birding Ethics of the American Birding Association and to the National Audubon Society’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography.
Please follow these codes whether you are birding by yourself or attending a GGAS or other birding event.
The golden rule of birding: When in doubt, first consider the welfare of the bird.
Thanks for being a responsible birder!