All of our field trips are open to beginning birders.  Anyone with a sense of wonder is welcome to participate.

Given this month’s newsletter schedule, all the April trips will be past by publishing time. Hope you made it to at least one!

Sunday, May 1 – Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at the refuge at 8 AM. Bring lunch, beverage, and your binoculars. We will walk along some of the hiking trails, and then take the auto tour route around the refuge. There should be lots of birds, the nesting water birds and the summer visitors. Come join us. Rain cancels trip. Call Anne-Lise at 865-5254 for more information.

Sunday May 8 (Mother’s Day) – Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. We’ll meet at the Chico Park & Ride (the west lot nearest the freeway) at 8:30 AM and carpool up Highway 32 to the green gate trail in Upper Park. From there we’ll hike down to the bottom and proceed up canyon into the reserve to look for birds, flowers, and geological formations.  The hike will go until mid afternoon. Bring binoculars, hiking boots, water, and lunch. For more information contact trip leader Gaylord Grams at 872-0739.

Saturday, May 14 – Upper Bidwell Park. Take a casual walk along the creekside and adjacent woodlands in search of birds that breed in Upper Park.  No experience necessary, just bring your binoculars, a field guide if you have one, hiking shoes, water & snacks.  Meet at Parking Area E (the old shooting range parking lot at the gate) at 8 AM and walk until about 11:30 AM (2-3 miles).  For more information, contact Skip Augur at 893-9222 or wba@acm.org.  This trip is in cooperation with Friends of Bidwell Park.

Saturday, May 21 – Butte Meadows. Meet at the Chico Park & Ride (the west lot nearest the freeway) at 8 AM and caravan up to the Butte Meadows/Jonesville areas to look for warblers and other montaine species.  Light hiking and carpooling.  Bring a sack lunch.  We will bird until about 3 PM, and then return to Chico. For more information, contact Phil Johnson at pjohnsonhardwood@sunset.net or call 893-3222.

Other upcoming trips:

·                    June 11-12 – Willow Lake (near Lassen)

·                    July 9-10 – Yola Bolly Wilderness