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 FULL
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
Only 1 spot left!
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.
Birds of the Sierra, Sessions 1 and 2
Registration for both classes opens on Wed., March 6 at 9:00 a.m.
Two sessions of the popular class “Birds of the Sierra” will be offered again this year. Both will be held at and near Yuba Pass, on highway 49 between Sierra City and Sierraville, in Sierra and Plumas Counties. Classes include six half-day field trips to different habitats in Sierra Valley and its surroundings, as well as a lecture and dinner at SFSU’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus in Bassetts. An optional evening trip to hear booming Bitterns and winnowing Snipes may be arranged.
Birds we may see include many Sierra specialties: Swainson’s Hawk, Sandhill Crane, White-headed and Lewis’s Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Empidonax flycatchers, Cassin’s Finch, Mountain Chickadee, Mountain Bluebird, Sage Thrasher, MacGillivray’s and Hermit Warbler, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee and Brewer’s and Vesper Sparrow.
Birds of the Sierra I, taught by Rusty Scalf and Bob Lewis,
meets from 3 p.m. Thursday
June 6th to noon on Sunday June 9th.
Birds of the Sierra II, taught by Eddie Bartley and Bob Lewis,
meets from 3 p.m.
Thursday June 13th to noon on Sunday June 16th.
Each class is limited to 25 people. The fee of $175 (or $200 for non-GGAS members) includes one dinner at SFSU campus. Room and other meals are not included in the fee. Bob Lewis will send a more detailed itinerary and information about where to look for lodging after registration. Questions? Email Bob Lewis at bob@wingbeats.org.
Registration for both classes opens on Wed., March 6 at 9:00 a.m.
Click HERE to register online for Session 1.
Click HERE to register online for Session 2. Session 2 is FULL
Once a 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