Field Trips

Field Trip to White Pines Lake in Arnold. We will meet at the Logging Museum to park at 9:30 (https://sierraloggingmuseum.org/) and then will follow the gently rolling shoreline for a mile or so. During the midweek the lake should be quite quiet.

Here is the October ebird list for this area: Hope to see you there! Please email https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2113670/bird-list?m=10. Hope to see you there! Please email apmlodz@gmail.com or text me at 209-890-6169 if you plan to come.  Sturdy hiking shoes/boots will be helpful, as of course will be binoculars, scopes, walking sticks, and drinking water. Rain (should we be so lucky) will cancel. Please text to join or ask any questions.

Where: Meet at the Logging Museum Parking Lot
When: October 22nd, 9:30am

Our trip to Lyons Lake last year was quite chilly, so we will have a go at it a month earlier in 2026. Possible sightings may include bald eagles, from juveniles to mature adults, and peregrine falcons. Also in the area we might see northern flickers, mergansers and other ducks, juncos, jays, woodpeckers (white headed, downey), osprey, and owls, such as the Great Horned. Ebird lists from July include a pileated woodpecker and a kingfisher as well.

The majority of the walk is relatively flat and easy, with a couple of optional short cuts that can entail some brief steeper soft slopes or step-over obstacles (rocks, logs), with a total distance of approximately 3 – 3.5 miles round trip, taking about 3-4 hours.

Sturdy hiking shoes/boots will be helpful, as of course will be binoculars, scopes, walking sticks, and drinking water.

Meet at the parking area near the restroom at Lyons Lake at 8:30. Look for the signed left turn off of Hwy108 to Lyons Lake, just a mile or two beyond (east of) Sierra Village. Follow the reasonable gravel road through the open gate for about 2 miles down to the lake, and park in sight of the restroom.

Trip Leader Darcy Zimmerman 209-890-6169

Rain (should we be so lucky) will cancel. Please text to join or ask any questions

Meet at the Mi-Wok Ranger Station at 8:00 A.M.

This is an interesting habitat outside of Long Barn that I have enjoyed exploring for several years. On the
way, there is a bend in the road with a water seep that tends to attract a few birds and I usually make a brief
stop. One year we ended up seeing 40 species! We were all thrilled and spent an hour there. We of course
will stop this year, too, but I cannot guarantee such variety. While we may not see a high number of
species at the Meadow, I believe we will see some more unusual ones. Highlights from past visits have
included Calliope Hummingbird, Green-tailed Towhee, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow and some
Warblers and Flycatchers, as well. Please bring snacks/lunch, water and sunscreen.

We will meet at the Mi-Wok Ranger Station (along Hwy 108 less than 10 minutes above Twain Harte) at
8:00 am to car pool. It will be about a 40 minute drive from the ranger station. We will make a brief pit stop at the North Fork Day Use Area on our way out. There are no facilities at the Meadow.

We will return to this site for our lunch where there are picnic tables overlooking the river. We got to see an American Dipper here a couple of times! The trip will involve walking on mostly level terrain of about a mile. We should be back to the ranger station by 1:30 or 2:00 pm.

For this trip, please RSVP (in case there are any
changes) to Kit DeGear. Call or text my cell at #925-
822-5215 or email me at kdegear@gmail.com

If the Giant Sequoias, aren’t enough to entice you to visit Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the birding is well worth the drive. With the combination of mixed conifer forest, wet meadows, and some dense shrubs, there is a little bit for everyone.
The walk is geared towards beginning birders who want to learn more about birds and how best to use the Merlin App. Additionally, we always have the good fortune of having several experienced birders on every walk, so we get to see a lot of birds. It’s a great way to spend a Thursday morning, maybe pick up some lifers, get your questions answered and to hear some great stories.

Thursday, April 9th, Meet at Big Lots Parking Lot (Next To Walmart) @ 7:30

Larger than the Merced NWR, the water at San Luis is spread out over a much wider area, consisting of numerous smaller channels and connected ponds, and much open grassland/prairie habitat. While I don’t expect to see large numbers of geese or Sandhill Cranes in April, there still may be smaller migrating numbers gathered. And ducks of many species may still be scattered around the various waters. The closer, more intimate nature of San Luis waters is
what I find most charming here. There is also a large population of enclosed Tule Elk here.

Primarily a slow driving route, there are still numerous opportunities to stop to observe birds from outside the
car. Birds can include an impressive variety:

Waterfowl – Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pintail, Teal, Ring-neck, Widgeon, Pied-bill Grebe, Cormorant Waders – Sandpipers, Stilts, Avocet, Egrets, Bittern, Herons

Raptors – Harrier (many), Red-tailed Hawks, Swainsons Hawk, Kestrel;

Owls – Great Horned, Burrowing;

Songbirds and others, Kingbird, Shrikes Sparrows, Flycatchers, Dove, Pipit, Red-wing Blackbirds, Ring-neck Pheasant, etc

Let’s meet for car pooling in the large parking lot in front of the old Big Lots store (Walmart-Safeway area), at 7:30 AM. The drive to San Luis is about 83 miles, about an hour and three quarters. Probably a full day trip. Home by 5 PM? Bring binoculars, scopes, water, snacks/lunch, appropriate clothing for the day’s weather. Restrooms are available at the refuge. Heavy rain will likely cancel.

Trip leader: Andrew Maurer
amaurer@troutstreamdesigns.com
Cell: (209) 918-6004

While Indigeny has long been a repeat-worthy and popular birding site for our club members, I’d like to propose a slight, very nearby variation, to include, or focus on, the pond. I can’t confirm an actual name for the pond, but it lies at the eastern end of Burlupi Road where it nears its junction with Apple Hill Drive.

I’ve found it to be a consistently reliable site for its attraction to numerous waterfowl (ducks, herons, etc), raptors, songbirds and more. Frequent species have included Gadwall, Mallard, Merganser, Bufflehead and Wood Ducks, Finches, Warblers, Kinglets, Towhees, Sparrows, Ravens, Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, Red-tail and Red-shouldered Hawks.

There should be plenty of birds to see, especially with spring breeding season coming on. The pond is quite a beautiful setting. Sturdy walking shoes, binoculars, scopes, drinking water and snacks may all be useful. Trip length may run between 2-3+ hours, depending on the birds we find.

Trip leader Andrew Maurer – 209 918-6004.