BVAS offers a wide variety of field trips each month. If you would like more information on any of these trips, contact the listed trip leader or the Audubon Center at 760-439-2473, or just show up! If you have suggestions for future trips, or would like to volunteer as a trip leader, call the Field Trip Coordinator, Andy Brumbaugh, at 760-434-3334.

 

Pied-Billed Grebe

 

Snowy Egret

 

Black-Crowned Night Heron

June Field Trips

Sat.—June 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 on Hwy. 76, 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.

Sun.—June 14—8:30 a.m.— Palomar Mountain State Park. Join us amidst the tall cedars and pines of San Diego’s high country as we look for woodpeckers, flycatchers, purple martin, golden-crowned kinglets and other higher altitude birds. Meet at the Doane Pond parking lot inside the park at 8:30 a.m. Those interested in carpooling meet at the La Costa Ave./I-5 Park-and-Ride at 7 a.m. Directions: From I-5 take I-76 East 38 miles, take a slight left turn at South Grade Road and proceed up the mountain. Follow signs to Palomar Mountain State Park ($6 day fee/car; $20 overnight camping). Once in the park follow signs to Doane Pond. Bring a lunch to picnic afterwards. Easy walking on good trails. Leader: Steve Brad, 760-633-1639.

Sat.—June 27—8 a.m.—Buena Vista Lagoon Bird Count. Freshwater wetland.Directions: I-5 to I-78 East, take Jefferson St. exit, turn right and take another right turn on Lagoon View Dr. Leader: Joan Fountain, 760-729-1379.

Sat.—June 27—8:30-10:30 a.m.—Basic Birding Class at the Buena Vista Lagoon Landing. Directions: I-5 to I-78, 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.

 

July Field Trips

Sat.— Jul. 4—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 on Hwy. 76, 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.—Jul. 25—8 a.m.—Buena Vista Lagoon Bird Count. Freshwater wetland.Directions: I-5 to I-78 East, take Jefferson St. exit, turn right and take another right turn on Lagoon View Dr. Leader: Joan Fountain, 760-729-1379.

Sat.—Jul. 25—8:30-10:30 a.m.—Basic Birding Class at the Buena Vista Lagoon Landing. Directions: I-5 to I-78, 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.

 

August Field Trips

Sat.—Aug. 1—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 on Hwy. 76, 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.

Sun.—Aug. 16—8 a.m.—San Elijo Lagoon. August is the time we begin to welcome back our “wintering” sandpipers to Southern California. During early migration various species of juvenile sandpipers show up at San Elijo Lagoon, including an occasional Baird’s, semipalmated, or pectoral (if we are lucky). Other possibilities are terns in large post-breeding aggregations, raptors, waders, and maybe a few surprises. Meet at the Rios trailhead. Leader: Steve Brad, 760-633-1639.

Sat.—Aug. 29—8 a.m.—Buena Vista Lagoon Bird Count. Freshwater wetland.Directions: I-5 to I-78 East, take Jefferson St. exit, turn right and take another right turn on Lagoon View Dr. Leader: Joan Fountain, 760-729-1379.

Sat.—Aug. 29—8:30-10:30 a.m.—Basic Birding Class at the Buena Vista Lagoon Landing. Directions: I-5 to I-78, 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.

 

August Pelagic Birding

Mon.—Aug. 24—Wed. Aug. 26—Storm-Petrel & Tropicbird Extravaganza (48-hour pelagic trip). Join BVAS on a mid-week, multi-day pelagic trip. Our purpose on this end-of-summer trip is to spend two days on the ocean looking for summer birds at the north end of their ranges and checking for early southbound migrants. We'll go beyond the 9-Mile Bank out to underwater ridges and domes 100 miles offshore. We’ll depart Point Loma Sportfishing onboard the comfortable Grande on Monday afternoon Aug. 24 at 4 p.m. We'll bird our way to the 9-Mile Bank by sunset, where on past trips we've seen enormous flocks of black storm-petrels massing at dusk. We'll continue out to deep water overnight, going past San Clemente Island to the Cortez and Tanner banks, where we'll awaken approximately 100 miles offshore. At that point we may continue all the way to the edge of the Continental Shelf or elect to lay a giant chum slick and watch to see what comes in as we enjoy our breakfast burritos. The day will be ours to explore the deep water at the shelf edge, or perhaps the Cortez and Tanner banks. Where we will go depends on the weather, the seas, temperature breaks, bird reports and bird sightings. We'll spend the day in deep water studying shearwaters and stormpetrels and looking for tropicbirds. Tuesday night we will probably motor towards the storm-petrel-rich 60-Mile Bank where we may awaken to a chum slick and dozens or hundreds of storm-petrels. We'll allow time to stop at the Coronados Islands to see how many species of boobies are on Booby Rock and try to bag a Craveri's murrelet while on the way home, arriving back at Point Loma Sportfishing at 4 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Cost of the trip is $285 ($35 discount for registration prior to July 24). For reservations, call Point Loma Sportfishing at 619-223- 1627, and tell them you are interested in the Aug. 24-26 BVAS birding trip on board the Grande. Visit www.socalbirding.com for complete pelagic birding information.

Planning Ahead for September

Sept. 24-27--Eastern Sierra Birding Trip. Steve Brad will be hosting a long weekend bird trip in the Mammoth Lakes area September 24 to 27. This was an extremely popular trip last year, and over 100 species were recorded. The first 3 days we will explore in and around Mammoth Lakes in places like Crowley Lake, June Lake, and Mono Lake. On Sunday, we’ll meet up with expert birder Mike Prather, who will follow up his September talk at the BVAS General Meeting with a special guided tour at newly restored Owens Lake, a designated Important Birding Area. Owens Lake has restricted access, but we’ll be able to go behind the gates to witness the exciting fall bird migration along the eastern Sierra flyway. Recommended lodging: The Edelweiss Lodge (www.edelweiss-lodge.com; 760-934-244). It has reasonably-priced, rustic rooms, nice birds in the yard, and is only a block from Steve`s cabin. Camping is also an option. More details in the September newsletter. Leader: Steve Brad, 760- 633-1639.

 

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