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Field Trips Introduction
This year's Nature Fest features all day Wednesday
through Tuesday Kern River Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada birding
trips. Shorter bird banding, birding, butterfly, geology, owling, and
photography trips are featured as well. Destinations will include the
Sequoia National Forest and South Fork Valley GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIRD
AREAS and the Butterbredt Spring NATIONAL IMPORTANT BIRD AREA.
New in 2008!!!!! is a slate of
Saturday and/or Sunday all morning field trips to historically
productive, specific birding areas: Canebrake Ecological Reserve,
Chimney Peak National Backcountry Byway, Fay Ranch Road, Inyokern/Le
Conte’s Thrasher, Isabella Reservoir, Kelso Creek Sanctuary, Kern River
Preserve Headquarters, Migrant Corner
Trail/Prince’s Pond, and South Fork Wildlife Area. If your idea of a
great half day of birding is getting to know a
single area well, these trips may be for you.
New in 2008!!!!! is a slate all day
field trips: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains, Galileo Hill-Silver
Saddle Resort, Little Lake & Owens Lake, and San Joaquin Valley &
Greenhorn Mountains, and Target Species Tuesday.
New in 2008!!!!! is the
addition of two All Night Owling trips, one on Breckenridge Mountain and
the other in the Greenhorn Mountains.
Habitat Diversity
The habitat diversity found in such close proximity is unsurpassed
in the United States and Canada. The mixing of habitats representative
of the Great Basin, Mojave Desert, and Sierra Nevada results in the
presence of very high bird species diversity, peaking in late April and
early May. The totals recorded for the last five festivals were 2003 -
227 species, 2004 - 231 species, 2005 – 227 species, 2006 - 237
species, and 2007 - 244 species.
Specialty Birds
Among the early May “specialty birds” found in the Kern watershed
which occur regularly in eight or less states are: Sooty Grouse (may be
snowbound in early May), California Quail, Mountain Quail, White-tailed
Kite, Lesser Nighthawk, Vaux’s Swift, Anna's Hummingbird, Costa’s
Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall's
Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black
Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo,
Oak Titmouse, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Wrentit, Bendire’s Thrasher (very
rare), California Thrasher, Le Conte's Thrasher, Phainopepla, Hermit
Warbler, California Towhee, Black-chinned Sparrow, “Thick-billed” Fox
Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Tricolored Blackbird, Hooded Oriole,
and Lawrence's Goldfinch.
Spring Migration Phenomenon
Butterbredt Spring, Galileo Hill, Migrant Corner, South Fork Valley
… These are some of the Kern River Valley and Kern desert oases
locations which are known for the diversity of spring migrants present
in late April and early May … swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows,
thrushes, wood-warblers, tanagers, and grosbeaks. If conditions are
right, the magnitude will present a “Best in the West” migration
phenomenon.
Expert Leaders
The Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival is known for the
excellence of its field trips and field trip leaders. Let experts lead
you to experience the region's "among the best in the west" bird
migration and natural history phenomena. There is no better time to
capture this experience than the first week of May.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
***Perhaps the most important thing to realize is that this festival
takes place in a rural area. During trips, we may be several to
scores of miles/ minutes from coffee, gas stations, restrooms,
stores, etc., etc., etc. Please stock up the evening before your
trip or early in the morning. Bring that
thermos of yours to fill with hot coffee in
the morning if necessary.
***Make sure you vehicle is full of gas at the start of each day.
There are 24-hour self serve gas
stations in Kernville and South Lake. To avoid
exhaustion, you are encourage to fill-up late
afternoon after field trips are over or early in the morning if you
are an early bird (fits doesn't it!).
***ATM machines are associated with banks in Lake Isabella and
Kernville. There are ATM machines at some mini-marts.
***Field trips use carpools. Please carpool as parking is limited at
most desired stops. We request 3+ people per vehicle. People who
are uncomfortable with carpooling should let
those who do carpool go in front. Please offer
to help pay for gas at the end of the day. You
can figure out how much is equitable. (Your leader
should not be asked to chip in).
***Field trips using carpools are more enjoyable if two-way radios
are along. Although trips go to specific spots where people will
bird outside their vehicles, inevitably a few
"good" birds will be seen during the festival
that will be missed by individuals or vehicles
that do not have two-way radios. Two-way radios are quite inexpensive
compared to a few years ago. Be sure to bring extra batteries.
Set the radios to 11-22 ahead of time if
possible.
***Be sure to bring bottled water, lunches, your favorite snacks,
layered clothing, hats, sunscreen, insect
repellent.
***Public restrooms are few and far between. Although stops are
planned to use restrooms, sometimes there are none available for
several hours. Be prepared to possibly use nature's bathroom
during the festival.
***Be an active participant on your field trips. Feel free to alert
trip leaders to birds, etc., that you would like to have
identified or think the group would like to
experience. No secret sightings!
***Remember, there will be several out-of-state and novice
participants on field trips. The California Quail, California
Thrashers, California Towhees, etc., that some of us may take for
granted, may be of high interest to out-of-state and novice
observers. Feel free to help others "get on" a bird, insect,
plant, mammal, etc.
Weather: Weather in the Kern Valley in late
April is usually spectacular (sunny, 65-80° F daytime highs), but it can
be variable. On mountain trips prepare for very cool to freezing
weather. For your comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat,
sunscreen, insect repellent, jacket for cool weather, and sturdy shoes
(waterproof boots may be handy in riparian areas).
Fees/Registration: There is no general
entrance fee to attend the Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival. All
fee activities are limited to twenty or less participants... usually ten
to fifteen. All fees go to support the Festival and are not refundable.
Vendor fees are waved at Circle Park but are 10% of net or $100
whichever is lower for booths selling merchandise at the Kern River
Preserve.
Schedule of Events: Additional events may
be added between now and the Spring Nature Festival weekend.
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