Let's Go Birding is excited to get folks outside to see all of nature at its finest. Destinations are planned according to the seasons and maximum viewing opportunities for bird species. Trips are organized in various ways including partnering with other organizations and through area festivals and outdoor events. Trips are listed below for your reference. I invite you to join in the adventure and I look forward to meeting you.
Lisa
Trips are designed for the beginning to intermediate adult birders. This non-intimidating group environment provides educational benefits to the birder that is trying to learn habitat variations, migration patterns, species identification and species locations.
Safety - Some people do not feel comfortable birding the open spaces alone. Birding trips provide the opportunity to bird places you have never been to before and with other people that share your interest. Besides, its a lot of fun!
Carpooling - In order to do our part
to lessen environmental impact, Let's Go Birding provides carpooling. Arrangements are made so that drivers are available if you wish to carpool. This means you can bird locations you may not wish to drive to yourself!
Optics - When birding in groups you have a chance to learn about the binocular models and spotting scopes currently available on the market. You can play with other people's optics before you have to make the big decision to upgrade your own birding equipment.
You get out of the house - Everyone has the best of intentions, but often left to our own devices we don't get around to doing some of the things we should. When you sign up for a Let's Go Birding adventure it motivates you to get out the door and enjoy some wildlife!
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Fox Sparrow
image by Garrett Lau
Red Shouldered Hawk
image by Tom Grey
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Sat. July 17, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Birding California's coastal Redwoods of Nisene Marks Park in Aptos
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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$25
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With over 10,000 acres of dramatic coastal habitats coming up from the ocean to 2,600 feet in elevation we'll look for the species typical of redwood, mixed evergreen, and knobcone pine forests . We'll be on the hunt for accipiters, Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers, Golden-crowned Kinglet , Hutton's and Warbling Vireos, Swainson's Thrush , Winter Wren , Purple Finch and several species of warblers just to name a few. We'll take our cars to various trail heads throughout the park and walk in amongst the tall evergreens to look for our birds. It will be a beautiful place to see some forest species and get us out of the valley heat. All the trees were milled out of this area up to 1923 when the lumber copanies pulled out. What habitat found there today provides a study of what has successfully re-established itself since that time.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Final trip report ! |
Sat. August 21, 2010
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Monterey Bay's Elkhorn Slough - where fresh water meets the ocean!
This trip will be conducted through the "Los Gatos Birdwatcher"
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$25 +
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Elkhorn Slough islocated south of Santa Cruz and is the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay. Located in the midst of the Monterey Bay coastline, its provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. We'll head to the coast to escape the inland heat while seeing some great birds. We'll plan to walk the trails at Elkhorn Slough and stop at the visitor's center. We'll also stop to check out the birds found off shore.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
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Sat. Sept. 18, 2010
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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Team "Gallinago Go Go" fundraises for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
7th Annual adventure for the California Fall Challenge. Trip fills at 15.
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$100
Donation
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This will be the 7th year team "Gallinago Go Go's" will participate in the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory's annual fundraiser the California Fall Challenge. Teams must limit their birding to one county and this year the Go Go's will head off to Marin County to get our minimum 100 species! Marin County starts just as soon as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to incredible fall hot spots like Point Reyes and Hawk Hill. Point Reyes is a magnet for migrating birds so birders far and wide come to the Point Reyes area every fall hoping to find eastern species that have flown a little off course on their journey south. This open expanse of land provides ideal habitats for birds to refuel and continue onward. We'll stop and bird the Pacific Ocean allowing for pelagic species, and we'll stop at many different locations around Point Reyes and try for some hawk watching at Hawk Hill.
This is a guided trip for
the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) and all are welcome to sign-up on the team. The team fills at 15 so don't hesitate. The guided trip leaders are volunteers and the $100 paid to go on this adventure is 100% tax deductable as it will all go directly to SFBBO. To learn about all the great work being done at the Bird Observatory please visit - http://www.sfbbo.org/
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Sat. Sept. 25, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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FULL
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It was in the 1860's when the plans were put in motion to design San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in the. Encompassing more than a 1,000 acres, Golden Gate Park is home to many bird species living amongst the big city. During the fall migration the activity in the park increases as birds use the park as an oasis to rest and refuel on their journey south. We'll visit the many historic areas of the park as we search for new birds and migrants.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Tell Me More ! |
Sunday, Oct. 10
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
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The Carmel River - A Fall migration hot spot
A slow walk through the river bed in search of out of area vagrants!
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$25
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Walking the Carmel River is a fall birding adventure. Although very close to suburbia, the vegetation around the river is off limits to developers and thus the birds use this open space to travel. During the fall, birders know it's in this habitat we have the opportunity to find rare vagrants migrating through. After birding the river bed we'll visit other hot spots in the area before heading home. Waterproof shoes are recommended as we may hit pockets of water while meandering the dry river.
This is a Let's Go Birding trip. To sign up please email Lisa directly! Would love to have you join the fun. Lisa@letsgobirding.com
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Sat. Oct. 23
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
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Santa Cruz's Antonelli Pond and Natural Bridges
Great habitat to find many different species including vagrants!
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$25
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This Santa Cruz birding hot spot is known for its vagrant birds as they make their fall migration south. We'll spend the day walking the trails throughout both Natural Bridges and the ponds allowing for species that enjoy the thickets and those that prefer water. Time permitting we'll check out the species off shore as we scope the Pacific Ocean.
This is a Let's Go Birding trip. To sign up please email Lisa directly! Lisa@letsgobirding.com
Tell Me More ! |
Sat. Nov. 6 - from 8 AM - noon
Morning field trip
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Birding Alviso - This field trip is part of a class being conducted through the
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.
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This field trip is part of a three week class being conducted through the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society - "Winter Birding California's Central Valley". To join the trip you need to be part of the class! Details can be found at www.scvas.org. We'll use this morning's trip to prepare for the following weekend's adventure to the Merced National WIldlife Refuge in California's Central Valley where we'll experience wintering species by the thousands!
Class Details - Classes are held Monday Nights - November 1, 8 & 15
Location: McClellan Ranch Park in Cupertino - Cost: $70/members; $80/non-members. This class will focus on the many beautiful species that flock to California's Central Valley each winter - from swans, geese and ducks to the wintering cranes, raptors and passerines. Beginning birders are most welcome as well as any who wish to bone up on their wintering species.
To sign-up for the class please contact Santa Clara Valley Audubon - (408) 252-3747
If you have any questions please let me know - Lisa@letsgobirding.com
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Sat. Nov. 13
7:30 AM - 5:00
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Merced National WIldlife Refuge - This field trip is part of a class being conducted through the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.
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This field trip is part of a three week class being conducted through the Santa Clara County Audubon Society - "Winter Birding California's Central Valley". To join the trip you need to be part of the class! Details can be found here at www.scvas.org. We'll take what we've learned in class and spend the day birding the Central Valley.
Class Details - Classes are held Monday Nights - November 1, 8 & 15
Location: McClellan Ranch Park in Cupertino - Cost: $70/members; $80/non-members. This class will focus on the many beautiful species that flock to California's Central Valley each winter - from swans, geese and ducks to the wintering cranes, raptors and passerines. Beginning birders are most welcome as well as any who wish to bone up on their wintering species.
To sign-up for the class please contact Santa Clara Valley Audubon - (408) 252-3747
If you have any questions please let me know - Lisa@letsgobirding.com
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Sat. Nov. 20
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Point Reyes
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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$25
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The Point Reyes, located just north of San Francisco is a beautiful, open expanse of land which provides ideal habitat for many different species of birds. We'll be looking for species that winter here and those that use the area to refuel during their fall migration south. Birding this area is a real adventure with our first stop at the Bear Valley Visitor's Center. From there we'll bird lagoons and bays and scan the ocean for pelagic species from the Point Reyes Lighthouse .
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Tell Me More ! |
Dec. 4 & 5 Annual Event
Central Valley birding weekend
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Two days of birding the open spaces of Merced County!
Trip includes Merced & San Luis National Wildlife areas plus many hot spots
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Fees listed below
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The first weekend of December is a Let's Go Birding Central Valley birding tradition. California's Central Valley explodes with wildlife every winter and its always a thrill to bird the area at this time of year. This year we will spend two days birding the open spaces of Merced County. It is here we'll find thousands of wintering waterfowl in addition to many other wintering species. During our two days we'll bird San Luis and Merced National wildlife Refuges in addition to other known area hot spots. We'll spend the evening at the Stevinson Ranch Golf Course where they always take great care of our group. Stevinson Ranch provides individual cottages for our stay. Other than the Great Horned Owls that come our at dusk the area is very quiet. They also have a 4 acre wildlife area with a pond where we always find surprises. This trip fills fast so do not hesitate if you want to join in on the adventure.
Price includes snacks, great fun, fantastic birding, your cottage Saturday night, two dinner drinks and a continental breakfast on Sunday morning. Couples sharing a room = $235 per couple. Singles sharing a room will send in $120 each. For a single wishing to have their own room = $175. Rain does not cancel this trip. Carpooling will be arranged.
(Folks will have to plan their lunches. Saturday night's dinner will be at the Stevinson Ranch Golf Course restaurant which is not included)
This is a Let's Go Birding trip. To sign up please email Lisa@letsgobirding.com
Target Birds Include Snow and Ross's Geese, Greater White Fronted Geese, Tundra Swans, waterfowl, Bald Eagles, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, inland shorebirds.........
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