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

February 11 - Butte Basin Field Trip - "Butte Basin" refers to the flat, open lands roughly between Dayton, the Sutter Buttes, the Sacramento River, and Highway 99.  Historically, this area was all tule marshes and grasslands.  It is the wintertime "Serengeti" of migratory waterfowl.  We will start at the Llano Seco viewing platform and continue along Rd. Z in search of waterfowl, raptors, rails and Black-crowned Night-Herons. From there we will hit various spots along the rice fields looking for concentrations of Sandhill Cranes and other of wintering birds.  Meet at the Park ‘n Ride (the lot closest to the freeway) at 7:45 a.m. to carpool.  Contact trip leader Phil Johnson at pjohnsonhardwood@sunset.net  or 893-3222.

February 18 – Black Butte Lake - We will bird-watch in the vicinity of the lake, along the lakeshore, and at the dam overlook. Bring a picnic lunch and your binoculars. Dress warm, in layers, and wear sturdy shoes as there will be some hiking. Mountain Bluebirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Bald Eagles and Lawrence’s Goldfinches are some of birds we hope to find. The trip will end about 2 p.m. Rain cancels.  Meet at Burger King in Orland (I 5 and Hwy. 32) at 8:30 a.m.  Call Anne-Lise at 865-5254 for more information.

February 25 & 26 - Honey Lake/Sage Grouse Lek Trip -  This trip explores the wetlands of the Honey Lake Wildlife refuge for waterfowl, the surrounding uplands of the basin for raptors, and a known lekking ground of the Sage Grouse.  We’ll meet at the Chico Park & Ride (in the lot nearest the freeway) at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, head up highway 32, stop at Almanor to bird, and continue on to the Honey Lake area for the remainder of the day.  Sunday morning we will get up early to arrive at the Sage Grouse lekking grounds by 6 a.m.  After that we will slowly make our way back to another unit of the refuge, and then will head toward the foothills behind the prison to look for some Native American petroglyphs etched into the walls of the canyon.  This trip can be extremely cold depending on weather conditions, so plan accordingly. You will have the option of camping at the refuge or staying at a hotel in Susanville on Saturday night. Due to the logistics of this trip, you must, before going, contact trip leader Phil Johnson at 893-3222 or pjohnsonhardwood@sunset.net.

March 11 - Gray Lodge Wildlife Area - Enjoy an early springtime birding trip to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. This is the time of year at Gray Lodge that breeding and nesting activities get under way and the marshes are "drawn down" to expose mud flats that become attractive to a variety of shorebirds. We'll visit the seldom explored eastside of Gray Lodge where there is a heron rookery, take the three-mile auto tour loop, hike out to the viewing platform and get to view several of the Wood Duck nest boxes up close.  Meet at the Chico Park and Ride parking lot (closest to the highway) at 8:00 a.m.  Bring lunch, water and an entrance fee of $2.50 (free if you have a fishing or hunting license).  Field trip leaders: Jennifer Patten and Mike Fisher.  If you have any questions call Jennifer at 345-9356, e-mail jpchco@sbcglobal.net or Mike Fisher at 345-9264, e-mail fisherml@pacbell.net .