March Field Trips
Sat.—Mar. 6—8 a.m.—Whelan Lake Monthly Bird Count. Whelan Lake is a reserve
with a freshwater lake and riparian edge habitat. Directions: I-5 to Hwy. 76 East, left at
Douglas and continue to light at North River Rd., left on North River Rd. Meet at the cul-de-sac at the end of the road by the entrance gate. Leader: John Haddock, 760-941-7824.
Sat.—Mar. 13—8 a.m.—Wilderness Garden Preserve. Fee: $3/car. This quiet San
Diego County open space park features 4 miles of easy trails and a rich diversity of birdlife.
The plant communities represented in the park include coastal sagescrub, chaparral, riparian,
oak woodland, and fresh water pond. Many species will be setting up territories for the
spring breeding season, and we should have ample opportunity to practice our birding by
ear skills. For more info - www.sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/openspace/wildernessgardens.html.
Directions: From Interstate 15 take Highway 76 east for 9.5 miles. Wilderness Gardens Preserve will be on the right
hand side of the highway. Carpoolers meet at I-5/La Costa Ave. Park and Ride at 7:10 a.m. Leader Steve Brad ,
760-633-1639. (stevebrad1@earthlink.net)
Sat.—Mar. 27—8 a.m.—Buena Vista Lagoon Bird Count. Join the regular monthly bird survey team and get to
know the Buena Vista Lagoon. Get the satisfaction of contributing to the on-going bird database by performing a little
citizen science. We always record a nice assortment of freshwater wetland and marsh species on this easy-paced
monthly excursion. Directions: I-5 to I-78 East, take Jefferson St. exit, turn right and make another right turn onto
Lagoon View Dr. Leader: Joan Fountain, 760-729-1379.
Sat.—Mar. 27—8:30-10:30 a.m.—Basic Birding Class at the Buena Vista Lagoon Landing. Novice birders are
invited to join our monthly class for some informal, no-pressure birding. Your leader will share some friendly tips and
help you practice your bird identification skills. Directions: I-5 to I-78 East, take Jefferson St. exit, turn right and go to
stoplight, turn right and park in Landing parking lot on the right-hand side of road. Leader: Tom Troy, 760-967-6915.
Visit www.socalbirding.com for complete pelagic birding information
Birding Agua Hedionda Lagoon
For the variety of habitat it provides and the impressive list
of birds it supports, Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad
probably hasn’t gotten its fair
share of birding attention over
the years. Perhaps the biggest
obstacle has been the lack of
obvious birding trails or regularly
scheduled guided walks.
That’s now about to change.
Vince Kalaher will be leading a
new monthly bird walk at the
lagoon, sponsored by the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation.
Participants
will meet at the Discovery Center, 1580 Canon
Road, Carlsbad, at 8:30 a.m. From the Discovery Center,
the walk will proceed counterclockwise around the lagoon
(with some carpooling). Those interested in a slower pace
will be able to linger at several sites along the north shore
that offer especially productive shorebird viewing.
Walks will normally be held on the third Saturday of the
month, unless that conflicts with other Discovery Center
events. That will be the case in March, when the walk will
be held on Sunday, March 21. The April walk will be on
Saturday, April 18.
BVAS Field Trip Info Line
Check out the new
BVAS phone-in service
for last-minute information
about scheduled field trips.
Call the hotline number to
hear a recorded message
giving the latest information
about dates, locations,
directions, and times for
upcoming field trips.
760-688-0660
Heavy rain cancels field trips
Birders of all skill levels are always welcome to join us!
