Detailed Field Trip Descriptions

NOTE
Field trips will depart from several locations. Please read each of the following field trip descriptions very carefully to determine from where each of your field trips depart. Departure points are Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon, Lake Isabella Park-and-Ride, Riverside Park in Kernville, and the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road. (CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR THE LOCATION DESCRIPTION IN DEPTH AND A MAP)

2009 Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival Inyo/Mono Pre-Festival Trip

TRIP PRF: Inyo and Mono Counties (Eastern Sierra, Mono Lake, Owens Valley, White Mountains)
Monday-Wednesday, April 27-29, 2009
Leaders: California Target Birding's Wes Fritz and an assistant
Cost: $225.00 per person ($75 per day), plus travel costs (food, gasoline, & lodging)
Carpool from Bishop first two days: Participants share gas costs
Start: Bishop
End: Kern River Valley

Wes Fritz will lead this pre-festival trip to Inyo and Mono Counties to search for bird species not always found or not present during festival field trips. Numerous high desert and mountain habitats will be birded on visits to the Owens Valley, eastern Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake, and the ancient bristlecone pine forest in the White Mountains. Target birds for which special effort will be made to find and see include Chukar, Greater Sage-Grouse, Sooty Grouse, Northern Goshawk, Calliope Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Williamson's Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Plumbeous Vireo, Pinyon Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Bank Swallow, Juniper Titmouse, Mountain Bluebird, Sage Thrasher, Sage Sparrow, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, and Red Crossbill. Of course, numerous other species will be encountered from among high desert, mountain, spring migrant, and water birds (e.g.: waterfowl, grebes, raptors, waders, shorebirds, gulls & terns, and songbirds - including spring migrants).

Interested? Email bbarnes@lightspeed.net (Bob Barnes) for an itinerary and more trip particulars.

BIRD BANDING

TRIP A: 7am-Noon (Saturday & Sunday only), Bird Banding Demonstration at Kern River Preserve. Licensed bird banders from Weldon’s Southern Sierra Research Station will conduct a morning bird banding session at the banding station located along the Nature Trail east from Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. Learn how banding is used to conserve birds, listen to the heartbeat of a bird, and otherwise observe birds up close & personal. Visit anytime 7am-Noon. An extended stay is recommended, especially late in the morning when bird activity may be the slowest. FREE.

BIRDING

TRIP B: 5:45am (4:45am Sunday only)-4pm/5pm, Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases.
“The early birder catches the worm.” Get off to an especially early start to visit to the desert oasis of Butterbredt Spring, a National Important Bird Area, found in the hills of the Western Mojave Desert about one hour south of Audubon California’s Kern River Preserve. Several noted birders consider Butterbredt Spring during spring migration as one of their ten favorite birding locations in the United States. If conditions are right, the birding at Butterbredt is phenomenal, with 100s to 1000s of migrants passing through, with the greatest concentration during the first hour of daylight starting about 6am … swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, thrushes, wood warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, buntings, and orioles making up the majority. If conditions are just so-so, species diversity, if not numbers, is still likely to be high. In addition to migrants passing through, birders visit Butterbredt to see nesting species such as Mountain Quail, Costa’s Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Rock Wren, California Thrasher, Le Conte’s Thrasher, California Towhee, Black-throated Sparrow, and Scott’s Oriole. After thorough birding of Butterbredt Spring, this trip will continue to California City’s Central Park and Silver Saddle Resort at Galileo Hill on the Mojave Desert floor. Central Park hosts migrants and waterbirds. During the 2007 festival, Galileo Hill was one of the highlight destinations with an estimated 1000-1500 migrant landbirds on the lawns at Silver Saddle Resort. If time permits, a return to the Kern River Valley via Ridgecrest’s Cerro Coso College and the City of Ridgecrest’s Watchable Wildlife Area will be made. Leave at 4:45am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

New in 2009!!!!! TRIP BD: 4am-Conclusion, Birders' Big Day. Saturday, May 2, 2009 only
California Target Birding's Wes Fritz will lead this "Big Day" style trip. Numerous habitats will be explored during this trip with the goal of each participant observing as many bird species as possible by the end of the day. A "Century Day" of one hundred or more species is the goal, with well over 100 if birding conditions are very good to outstanding. This trip was conceived with the realization that those of you who can only attend the weekend days of this year's Spring Nature Festival may want to experience as many bird species as possible within the limited time available to you. Leave at 4am via carpool from the the Family Life Center, Wofford Heights. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $45.
NOTE: The all-time record U.S. inland county Big Day was set May 4, 2002 - 202 species in Kern County (T. Easterla, S. Rovell, J.C. Sterling, S.B. Terrill). Kern is still the only U.S. inland county (and one of five overall including coastal counties) to have an official 200+ species Big Day using American Birding Association rules.

TRIP C:  5:45am-3pm/5pm, Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains. After thorough birding of Butterbredt Spring (see TRIP B description), this trip will explore the Piute Mountains region first reached just four road miles to the west. Among the birding options will be grassland, oak woodland, and chaparral habitats alongside Jawbone Canyon Road; irrigated pasture, Joshua tree woodland, and ranch pond habitats alongside Kelso Valley Road; and desert scrub, pinyon pine woodland, Jeffrey pine woodland, and mountain meadow habitats alongside Piute Mountain Road. The impressive mix of habitats in very close proximity to each other during this trip may yield a very impressive species list. Besides those mentioned for Butterbredt Spring (see TRIP B description), among the species known to be in this area in early May are: Chukar, California Quail, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Greater Roadrunner, Say’s Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Pinyon Jay, Horned Lark, Violet-green Swallow, Oak Titmouse, Pygmy Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, Western Bluebird, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Sage Sparrow, “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Cassin’s Finch, and Red Crossbill. Leave at 5:45am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

TRIP D:  6am-11/30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Canebrake Ecological Reserve. This 6900-acre California Department of Fish & Game Ecological Reserve is part of the land protecting most of the cottonwood and willow riparian forest found along the lower fourteen miles of the South Fork Kern River. The Public Access Trail is wheelchair friendly and winds for over a mile, one way, through Joshua tree woodland, riparian forest, irrigated pasture, marsh & pond, grazing land, and rocky hillsides. The scenery is stunning. Spring migration can be first rate in terms of species diversity and numbers, especially in the vicinity of the footbridge over Canebrake Creek. The footbridge area is where Summer Tanager is most often found on the reserve. Tricolored Blackbirds fly back and forth over the Public Access Trail from their nesting colony, often foraging in pasture close at hand. An impressive mix of birds found throughout the rest of the South Fork Valley is present here as well … swallows, warblers, sparrows, grosbeaks, finches. If there is time, stops will be made below the cliffs east of Cottage Grove Cemetery Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last through lunch at Scodie Park in Onyx. FEE: $30.

TRIP E:  6am-2pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Chimney Peak National Backcountry Byway. The eleven miles of this road from Highway 178 to Chimney Peak Campground goes through desert scrub & Joshua tree woodland, a fairyland of rock formations, pinyon-juniper woodland, Chimney Creek riparian woodland, and mountain meadows characteristic of the Great Basin. Key target species include breeding Gray Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Scott’s Oriole. Additional local breeding season species which are possible include Chukar, Mountain Quail, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Calliope Hummingbird, Ladder-backed, Nuttall’s, & White-headed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Cactus. Rock, and Canyon Wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Bluebird, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Western Tanager, Green-tailed, Spotted, & California Towhees, Chipping, Brewer’s, Lark, Black-throated, & Sage Sparrows, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Cassin’s Finch, Red Crossbill, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last through picnic lunch at Chimney Creek Campground. FEE: $30.

TRIP F:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Fay Ranch Road. The birding along this four mile long road in the heart of the South Fork Valley has produced remarkable birding during past Spring Nature Festivals. Offered for the first time is a trip concentrating on birding along Fay Ranch Road for a full morning. A highlight will be the opportunity to access hundreds of acres of Kern River Preserve land that is off-limits except for special events such as the Spring Nature Festival. Cottonwood & willow riparian forest, desert scrub, freshwater marsh, gray pine woodland, irrigated pasture, and live oak woodland habitats are present. The South Fork Valley’s population of breeding pairs of Vermilion Flycatcher is here. The mix of species is unique. Lots of spring migrants may be present on any particular morning. Among those species which have been encountered during prior Spring Nature Festivals are: Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, White-tailed Kite Prairie Falcon, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Band-tailed Pigeon, Greater Roadrunner, Vaux’s & White-throated Swifts, Acorn & Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, eleven flycatcher species including Hammond’s, Dusky, Gray, & Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Black & Say’s Phoebe, six swallow species, Oak Titmouse, five wren species, Western Bluebird, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Phainopepla, Summer Tanager, California Towhee, Brewer’s, Lark, Black-throated, Sage, Savannah, & Grasshopper Sparrows, Black-headed & Blue Grosbeaks, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged & Tricolored Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark, Bullock’s Oriole, and Lesser & Lawrence’s Goldfinches. Start at 6am from Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP G: 4:45am-3pm/5pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Galileo Hill-Silver Saddle Resort. This resort in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County is known throughout California as an excellent place to search for migrant diversity and numbers during both spring and fall migration. The overall list of birds for Galileo Hill stands at 324 species through 2007. As a likely result of the 2006/2007 drought year, 1000-1500 migrants were found at Silver Saddle Resort during the run of the 2007 Spring Nature Festival, most of those foraging on the ground in plain sight – flycatchers, warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, bunting, sparrows. As much time will be taken as necessary to cover Galileo Hill. If time permits, additional east Kern desert oases will be visited from among California City’s Central Park, the campus of Cerro Coso College in Ridgecrest, and the City of Ridgecrest’s Watchable Wildlife Park. Leave at 4:45am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last through lunch. FEE: $40.

TRIP H: 5:45am-4pm/6pm, Greenhorn Mountains Transect. Visit prime birding spots from the west shore of Isabella Reservoir to 6102' Greenhorn Summit. If there is time, a visit to Cedar Creek Campground will be made. Leave from Riverside Park across from Riverside One Stop (Shell gas station) in Kernville. The habitat diversity is impressive: reservoir, oak woodland, chaparral, and mixed conifer. Possible bird species present include: California & Mountain Quail, Western & Clark’s Grebe, American White Pelican, Osprey, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black-chinned, Anna’s, & Calliope Hummingbird, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Acorn, Nuttall’s, White-headed, & Pileated Woodpeckers, Western Wood-Pewee, Dusky & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Black Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Cassin’s & Hutton’s Vireos, Steller’s & Western Scrub-Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Bewick’s & Winter Wrens, Western Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Phainopepla, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Black-throated Gray, Hermit, MacGillivray’s, and Wilson’s Warblers, Western Tanager, Green-tailed, Spotted, and California Towhee, Rufous-crowned, Chipping, Lark, and “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Bullock’s Oriole, Purple Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Meet at 5:45am at Riverside Park across from Riverside One Stop (Shell gas station) in Kernville. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

TRIP I:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Inyokern – Le Conte’s Thrasher & Much More. This is THE trip to try for Verdin and Le Conte's Thrasher. Explore a desert “oasis” on private property north of Inyokern in the Mojave Desert. If there is time, short stops will be made in the vicinity of Walker Pass and/or South Fork Valley. Among many species which may be observed are: California Quail, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Costa's Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gray Flycatcher, Pinyon Jay, Verdin, Le Conte's Thrasher, California Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Hooded Oriole, Scott's Oriole, and Lesser Goldfinch. During all days of the 2007 festival spring migrant birding was excellent at the desert “oasis” with numerous flycatcher, warbler, and sparrow species being seen at close distance. If there is time, stops will be made at locations from among Walker Pass, Milepost 74, and the cliffs east of Cottage Grove Cemetery. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last through picnic lunch at Scodie Park in Onyx. FEE: $30.

TRIP J:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Isabella Reservoir. This trip will visit numerous locations around Isabella Reservoir. This is the trip to try for American Dipper. Both landbirds and waterbirds will be sought. Among species which might be encountered are four grebe species (including Western & Clark’s), American White Pelican, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Ring-billed, California, Herring, & Bonaparte’s Gull, Caspian & Forster’s Tern, Greater Roadrunner, Acorn & Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Black & Say’s Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Western Scrub-Jay, Horned Lark, six swallow species, Oak Titmouse, Rock, Canyon, & Bewick’s Wren, American Dipper, California Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, “Kern” Red-winged, Tricolored, Yellow-headed, & Brewer’s Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, and Lesser Goldfinch. A Pacific Loon, rare inland in California, was observed on Isabella Reservoir during the 2007 Nature Fest. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP K: 6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Kelso Creek Sanctuary. The Kern River watershed’s desert oases often attract migrants like magnets attract iron particles. This field trip will visit several desert oases along Kelso Valley Road south seven to seventeen miles from the Kern River Preserve. Oases include Audubon-California’s 156-acre Kelso Creek Sanctuary, Frog Springs, Sageland, and the USDI-Bureau of Land Management’s riparian preserve below Rocky Point. Habitats along the route include cottonwood & willow riparian, desert wash, Joshua tree woodland, pasture & rangeland, rocky cliffs & hillsides, and wetlands. Kelso Creek Sanctuary is the most reliable Kern River Valley location for Brown-crested Flycatcher. On addition to numerous spring migrants and Brown-crested Flycatcher, among other species which have been encountered during past short, festival visits are: Chukar, Mountain Quail, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Greater Roadrunner, Long-eared Owl, Costa’s Hummingbird, Ladder-backed & Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Pinyon Jay, Cactus, Rock, & Canyon Wrens, Le Conte’s Thrasher (rare), Brewer’s, Lark, Black-throated, Sage, & Savannah Sparrows, and Scott’s Oriole. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP L:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Kern River Preserve Headquarters. The early May dawn chorus of birds at KRP Headquarters can be very impressive. At dawn, the hummingbird feeders start being swarmed by Black-chinned and Anna’s Hummingbirds (and one or two possible Costa’s, Calliope, and Rufous). The dawn chorus is made up variously of vocalizing California Quail, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mourning Dove, Nuttall’s, Downy, & Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Black Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, American Robin, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Summer Tanager, Lark & Song Sparrows, Bullock’s Oriole, House Finch, and Lesser & Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Nesting season Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, and Lazuli Bunting may be seen along the trails radiating out from Preserve Headquarters. Add in spring migrants passing through plus a visit to the bird banding demonstration, and a memorable morning is possible, even likely. Start at 6 am at Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP M: 5:45am-4pm/5pm, Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. This trip will spend the morning visiting several birding areas in the South Fork Valley (Fay Ranch Road, Migrant Corner, Kelso Valley Road, Kern River Preserve Headquarters, Scodie Park, and South Fork Wildlife Area). A picnic lunch will be held at KRP Headquarters or Scodie Park in Onyx. Depending on the remaining time, the rest of this trip will be spent birding Isabella Reservoir, the Piute Mountains, or Sierra Way above Kernville to the Giant Sequoia National Monument. South Fork Valley possible bird species include: Wood Duck, White-tailed Kite, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Wilson’s Snipe, Vaux’s & White-throated Swift, Black-chinned & Anna’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, fourteen flycatcher species (including Olive-sided, 4-5 Empidonax, Vermilion, Ash-throated & Brown-crested Flycatcher, Black & Say’s Phoebe), vireos, swallows, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Swainson’s Thrush, eleven warbler species, Western & Summer Tanager, three towhee species, fourteen small sparrow species, Black-headed & Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, “Kern” Red-winged & Tricolored Blackbird. Hooded & Bullock’s Oriole, Lesser & Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and, perhaps lingering American Goldfinch from winter. Leave at 5:45am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

TRIP N: 9am-11am (Saturday & Sunday only), Kern River Preserve Bird Walk. A Kerncrest Audubon Society volunteer will lead this walk through a portion of California’s largest Fremont cottonwood and red willow riparian forest; a Globally Important Bird Area. Kern River Preserve Headquarters is the best place to study hummingbirds as they visit feeders in the yard. This trip will include a visit to the bird banding station. Meet at the Festival Information table at Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. Beginners welcome! DONATION.

TRIP O:  6:30am-4pm/5pm, (Thursday-Friday only), Little Lake & Owens Lake w. Mike Prather.
Little Lake: Mike has arranged for trip participants to experience early morning, spring migration on a wildlife-rich private property alongside U.S. Hwy. 395 at Little Lake at a “best time of year.” In addition to residents and winter season lingerers, the desert, lake, marsh, and riparian habitats found in very close proximity to each other on this private wildlife preserve will likely yield an impressive diversity of spring migrant bird species including from among waterbirds, swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, thrushes, warblers, sparrows, grosbeaks, blackbirds, and orioles. If conditions are right, numbers of individual migrants may be impressive as well. After thoroughly birding Little Lake, this trip will continue north on U.S. Hwy. 395 to Owens Lake.

Owens Lake: Less than thirty minutes north from Little Lake and ninety minutes from the Kern River Preserve is Owens Lake, at the base of the 14,000 feet tall High Sierra. Owens Lake is returning to wildlife. Today, after being dried up when Los Angeles completed its 1913 aqueduct, the lake is once again an important stopover for thousands of migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. An enormous dust control project that is spreading shallow water has recreated many square miles of rich habitat for migrating and resident birds. This trip will visit wetlands around the shore of Audubon’s Owens Lake Important Bird Area and also explore out onto the lakebed’s dust control project.

Owens Lake supports more nesting pairs of Snowy Plover than anywhere else in California, c. 400 pairs! Among additional shorebird species which may be present are Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Red-necked Phalaropes; some of which may be present in very impressive numbers in late April/early May. Many waterfowl species are also possible along with hundreds, if not thousands, of California Gulls. Perhaps White-faced Ibis and Peregrine Falcon will also be found. Depending on remaining time, birding visits may be made to the Sage Flat in the foothills to the southwest of Owens Lake and/or along Hwy. 178 on the return to the Kern River Valley.

Much of the history and geology of the Owens Valley will be shared during the day’s outing. Look forward to observing many birds and experiencing the awesome vertical relief of the Eastern Sierra. All participants will receive an Eastern Sierra Birding Trail map.

Leader: Lone Pine’s Mike Prather. A thirty-five year resident of Inyo County, Mike has been actively studying and promoting wildlife at Owens Lake since 1985 and has been active in a myriad of conservation causes in the Eastern Sierra over the decades. He is a retired school teacher and dedicated to life-long learning as well as contemplative recreation and natural quiet. Leave at 6:30am via carpool from the Shell Station, Hwy 14, Pearsonville, Inyo County (border of Kern County). Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

TRIP P:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), Migrant Corner Trail & Prince’s Pond. This area of Audubon-California’s Kern River Preserve is the place to witness spring migration in the Kern River Valley. Species which dominate migration with their numbers are Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak, which can number in the high hundreds counted in a single morning. The list of possible species to be seen is long and includes from among Wood Duck, California Quail, Least Bittern, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Virginia Rail, Sora, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Greater Roadrunner, Vaux’s & White-throated Swift, Black-chinned & Anna’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, nine flycatcher species, Cassin’s & Warbling Vireo, six swallow species, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, five wren species, Western Bluebird, Swainson’s & Hermit Thrush, Phainopepla, ten warbler species, Summer & Western Tanager, sixteen large (towhees) and small sparrow species, Black-headed & Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged & Tricolored Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Bullock’s Oriole, House Finch, and Lesser & Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP Q: 6am-4pm/5pm, Mojave Desert & Great Basin. This is THE trip to try for Verdin and Le Conte's Thrasher. Explore a desert “oasis” on private property north of Inyokern in the Mojave Desert and Great Basin habitat along Chimney Peak National Backcountry Byway and Kennedy Meadows Road. If there is time, short stops will be made in the vicinity of Walker Pass and/or South Fork Valley. Among many species which may be observed are: Chukar, California Quail, Mountain Quail, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Costa's Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Gray Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Pinyon Jay, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Wrentit, California Thrasher, LeConte's Thrasher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, California Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Sage Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Cassin’s Finch, and Lawrence's Goldfinch. During all days of the 2007 festival, the first time this field trip was offered, spring migrant birding was excellent at the desert “oasis,” adding greatly to this trip. Leave at 6am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

TRIP R1:  6pm-Conclusion (Saturday night only), All Night Owling on Breckenridge Mountain. Try for Flammulated, Western Screech, Northern Pygmy, Spotted, and Northern Saw-whet Owls. Look to hear or see as many of the nesting owl species found in the Kern River watershed in early May as time and energy permits. Unless the weather is disastrous this trip gives a “best chance” of seeing and/or hearing many species. Meet at Family Life Center, Wofford Heights at 5:30 pm. Arrive for orientation meeting at dinner table even if you grab a bite to eat elsewhere instead of taking advantage of the festival dinner offerings, dinner onsite may be reserved $20 each (RSVP). Return will be as late as Sunday morning. FEE: $60.

TRIP R2:  6pm-Conclusion (Friday and/or Saturday nights only), All Night Owling in the Greenhorn Mountains. Try for Flammulated, Western Screech, Northern Pygmy, Spotted, and Northern Saw-whet Owls. Look to hear or see as many of the nesting owl species found in the Kern River watershed in early May as time and energy permits. Unless the weather is disastrous this trip gives a “best chance” of seeing and/or hearing many species. Meet at Family Life Center, Wofford Heights at 5:30 pm. Arrive for orientation meeting at dinner table even if you grab a bite to eat elsewhere instead of taking advantage of the festival dinner offerings, dinner onsite may be reserved $20 each (RSVP). Return will be as late as Sunday morning. FEE: $60.

TRIP S: 6pm-10pm/11pm (Friday and/or Saturday nights only), High Country Owling. Look to hear or see as many of the nesting owl species found in the Kern River watershed in early May as time and energy permits. Unless the weather is disastrous there is a good chance of seeing and/or hearing two or more species. Meet at Family Life Center, Wofford Heights at 5:30 pm. Arrive for orientation meeting at dinner table even if you grab a bite to eat elsewhere instead of taking advantage of the festival dinner offerings, dinner onsite may be reserved $20 each (RSVP). FEE: $40.

TRIP T: 6pm-9:30pm/10pm (Friday night only), Low Country Owling. Try for Barn, Western Screech, and Great Horned Owls. Unless the weather is disastrous there is a very good chance of seeing and hearing Great Horned Owl and Barn Owl on this trip. Western Screech Owl is a good possibility for hearing. Long-eared Owl will be a target species, although unlikely to be seen or heard. If a Burrowing owl location has been pinned down, it will be visited. Otherwise, enjoy evening birding before the owls come out. Meet at Family Life Center, Wofford Heights at 5:30 pm. Arrive for orientation meeting at dinner table even if you grab a bite to eat elsewhere instead of taking advantage of the festival dinner offerings, dinner onsite may be reserved $20 each (RSVP). FEE: $30.

TRIP U:  6:30am-4pm/5pm, San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains
This trip will proceed down Hwy. 178 through the Lower Kern River Canyon with stops to look for American Dipper and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. In Bakersfield, stops will be made to search for Rose-ringed Parakeet in Hart Park and Spotted Dove & Rose-ringed Parakeet in Beale Park. Then it is on to the 11,000 acre Kern National Wildlife Refuge located northern Kern County nineteen miles west of Delano. Ducks, grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, herons, egrets, and up to 6,000 pairs of nesting White-faced Ibis may be present Kern NWR. White-tailed Kite and Peregrine Falcon are often seen in this area. The Kern NWR is the best area in Kern County for marsh birds including American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Virginia Rail, Sora, and Common Moorhen. Up to six species of swallows may be present. Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, and Song Sparrow are abundant species. Loggerhead Shrike may be common. Blackbirds (Red-winged, Tricolored, Yellow-headed, and Brewer’s) may be present, sometimes in the thousands. The strips of riparian habitat on the Kern NWR may have a diversity of spring migrant flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, wood-warblers, tanagers, and grosbeaks.

From the Kern National Wildlife Refuge, this trip will continue east on Garces Highway and Hwy. 155 through agricultural areas in the southern San Joaquin Valley, up into the foothills of the Greenhorn Mountains, over 6102’ Greenhorn Summit to the Kern River Valley at Wofford Heights, from where it is a ten minute drive to the Lake Isabella Park-and-Ride. The west side foothills area offers a chance for Golden Eagle. Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo, Oak Titmouse, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch may be found at Cedar Creek Campground. Bird species which may be found in the area around Greenhorn Summit include Mountain Quail, Northern Goshawk, Red-breasted Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Dusky Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Townsend’s Solitaire, Nashville Warbler, Hermit Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, and “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow. Leave at 6:30am from the Lake Isabella Park-and-Ride located just northwest of the junction of CA State Hwy. 155 and CA State Hwy. 178 in Lake Isabella. Bring food & drink to last all day.

NOTE: If hot coffee or a quick snack is desired to start the day, there is a restaurant and a mini-mart located on opposite corners of the nearby traffic light in Lake Isabella. Both businesses open at 6am. FEE: $40.

TRIP V: 6:30am-3pm/5pm (Monday only), San Joaquin Valley/Tulare Lake Basin via the Kern River Canyon. This trip will proceed down Hwy. 178 through the Lower Kern River Canyon to Hart Park and Beale Park in Bakersfield. Then it is on to the 11,000 acre Kern National Wildlife Refuge (See TRIP U description). From the Kern NWR this trip will stop at Kings County wetland areas in the search for late migrant shorebirds and waterbirds. Leave at 6:30am from the Lake Isabella Park-and-Ride located just northwest of the junction of CA State Hwy. 155 and CA State Hwy. 178 in Lake Isabella. Bring food & drink to last all day, or as long as you plan to stay with the trip. This is an excellent trip for those of you who want to “bird your way” out of the Kern River Valley after NatureFest weekend.

NOTE: If hot coffee or a quick snack is desired to start the day, there is a restaurant and a mini-mart located on opposite corners of the nearby traffic light in Lake Isabella. Both businesses open at 6am. FEE: $40.

TRIP W:  6am-11:30am/1pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), South Fork Wildlife Area. The South Fork Wildlife Area (SFWA) is a 1200 acre unit of the Sequoia National Forest bordering both sides of the South Fork Kern River between the western boundary of the Kern River Preserve and the eastern shore of Isabella Reservoir. Birds of grassland, open water, riparian, and shoreline habitats will be sought. The SFWA is the best place in the South Fork Wildlife Area to find Brown-crested Flycatcher. Learn how to access this area and enjoy many of the bird species present. Species which have been present, even common to abundant during past festivals include Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, American White Pelican, Osprey, Tree Swallow, Western Bluebird, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Tricolored Blackbird, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch, along with spring migrants. Leave at 6 am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Binoculars are helpful. Bring food & drink to last until lunch. FEE: $30.

TRIP X:  5:45am-3pm/6pm (Sunday through Tuesday), Target Species / Target Trips Sunday through Tuesday. Even after several days of birding, some species and trip destinations will have been missed. After a short group discussion, participants will be split into field trip groups depending on which target species they wish to try to observe for first time and/or for follow-up observations. Options for birding new locations will be offered, too. Multiple leaders to realize trip route flexibility. Leave at 5:45am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last all day. FEE: $40.

BUTTERFLIES

TRIP Y: 9am-3pm (Saturday and/or Sunday only), An Introduction to Kern River Valley Spring Butterflies. Join butterfly expert Bill Bouton on visits to South Fork Valley and Erskine Creek hotspots to look for some of the Kern River Valley's most beautiful and rare butterflies. Butterfly species which have been known to fly in late April include the Western Tiger Swallowtail, Western Pygmy-Blue (the world's smallest butterfly), and California Sister (Erskine Creek). The San Emigdio Blue and Alkali Skipper may be flying, butterflies which are rare enough that people from around the world come to the Kern River Valley to see them. Although this field trip is especially designed to introduce participants to butterflies, anyone is welcome, from beginner through expert. Leave at 9am via carpool from the Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Binoculars are helpful. Bring food & drink to last until 3pm. FEE: $20.

GEOLOGY

New in 2009!!! TRIP Z: 8am-1:30pm (Saturday only), Southern Sierra Geology. Join Geologists Jason & Zorka Saleeby with Joe Fontaine on this immensely popular geology field trip. This geological transect will interpret millions of years of the Sierra Nevada and recent tectonic activity. See metasedimentary rocks, granite batholith, and limestone dikes along several stops along Sierra Way from the Kern Canyon north of Kernville to the South Fork Valley near Weldon. This amazing group will reveal the story told by the exposed faults, soils and rocks at each stop. Leave from Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & drink to last until 1:30pm. Trip Limit. FEE: $40 (includes detailed booklet - this is the same booklet provided by Joe Fontaine in prior trips - please let us know if you do not need an additional copy).

New in 2009!!! TRIP ZZ: 8am-11am (Sunday only), Chimney Peak-Long Valley-Kennedy Meadows. The eastern Sierra mining and geology is the focus of this field trip. From Weldon we investigate our way to a zoned pegmatite in the Chimney Peak Recreation Area and other abandoned Barite mining sites in the Long Valley area. We then take County Road J41 to Kennedy Meadows examining plutons and enclaves and other igneous geology topics. FEE: $30. Leave from Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road, 1.6 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Bring food & snacks. Trip Limit. FEE: $30

HABITAT RESTORATION

TRIP AA: 9am-11am (Saturday only), Kern River Preserve Habitat Enhancements and Stewardship. Join Preserve Manager Reed Tollefson on a walk around the restoration sites on the Kern River Preserve. Learn about ongoing habitat improvements including exotic plant removal that has contributed to greater numbers of nesting species of birds. Meet at Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. DONATION to the Kern River Preserve.

PHOTOGRAPHY

TRIP BB: 7am-10am+ (Saturday only). Basic Bird Photography Workshop with Bob Steele. Learn how to set-up natural habitat shots to photograph birds in a semi-controlled setting. Get tips and techniques for using your camera more effectively. Minimum equipment requirements: Digital or Film SLR camera, 300mm lens, teleconverter. Meet at Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. See Bob Steele's website. FEE: $30.

TRIP CC: 3pm-5pm+ (Saturday only), Advanced Bird Photography Workshop with Bob Steele. Learn how to photograph birds in flight. This workshop will take place along the shore of Isabella reservoir. Gulls will be the target species. Minimum equipment requirements: Digital or Film SLR camera, 300mm lens, teleconverters, flash (not required, but suggested). Meet at Kissack Cove in Mountain Mesa just inside the westernmost entrance (where the speed limit changes). See Bob Steele's website. FEE: $30.

NATURAL HISTORY

TRIP DD: 7 am - 5 pm. (Monday only) TRIP DD: Naturalist Bonanza with Nature Ali. This trip covers the whole enchilada of geology, botany, birding, other wildlife, Indigenous cultures, and recent history of the Kern River Watershed. Bring water, food, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, field guides, notebook, and dress in layers anticipating any type of weather from hot to freezing. Meet at 6:50am at Audubon’s Sprague Ranch parking lot alongside Fay Ranch Road for carpooling. FEE $40.

2009 Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival Central Coast Post-Festival Trip

NEW IN 2009!!! TRIP POF: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties (including Santa Cruz Island)
Tuesday-Friday, May 5-8, 2009
Leaders: California Target Birding's Wes Fritz and an assistant
Cost: $292.00 per person ($73 per day), plus travel costs (food, gasoline, & lodging)
Start: Kern River Valley
End: Ventura

Wes Fritz will lead this post-festival trip to California's Central Coast and Channel Islands National Park's Santa Cruz Island to search for Heerman's Gull, Xantus's Murrelet, Allen's Hummingbird, Island Scrub Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, and numerous other bird species not always found, or not present at all, during festival field trips. Canyon, San Joaquin Valley grassland, freshwater wetland, foothill, plus coastal, pelagic, and ocean island habitats will be explored on visits to Lower Kern River Canyon, Bakersfield green spaces, Kern National Wildlife Refuge, the Coast Range, the Central Coast from Morro Bay to Ventura, and Santa Cruz Island. In addition to the prior-mentioned,... target birds to be searched for include Surf Scoter, Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Sooty Shearwater, Brown Pelican, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, White-tailed Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Snowy Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Pigeon Guillemot, Cassin's Auklet, Spotted Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Cassin's Kingbird, Hutton's Vireo, Purple Martin, Canyon Wren, American Dipper, Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Santa Cruz Island subspecies), and Grasshopper Sparrow. Of course, numerous other species will be encountered from among waterfowl, loons, grebes, raptors, waders, shorebirds, gulls & terns, and songbirds - including spring migrants. Opportunities for "best looks" at species will be plentiful. Perhaps a few surprises will be in store, too.

Interested? Contact Bob Barnes for an itinerary and more trip particulars via email using bbarnes@lightspeed.net or by telephone using 760-382-1260.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Weather: Weather in the Kern Valley in early May 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 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.

A big thank you to all of the 2009 Festival Sponsors: (Kern River Preserve), Bob Barnes & Associates, Friends of the Kern River Preserve, Kerncrest Audubon Society, Kern River Valley Revitalization, Inc., Southern Sierra Research Center, USDA- Forest Service – Sequoia National Forest, and

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