Upcoming Field Trips

The quickest way to find out about upcoming trips and registration details is via our member's eblast (these will likely come out in the last week of month prior to the trip). If you have not already signed up for our eblasts sign up here.

May 11: Antelope Valley: Summer Specialties and Migrants

Saturday May 11, 2024, 7:00 AM -- end of day
Trip leader: Darren Dowell

This trip will meet in the high desert of the Antelope Valley, which is the only reliable place in Los Angeles County to find Scott’s Oriole, Verdin, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and a few other species on their breeding grounds. Given the timing of the trip, we’ll also be on the lookout for migrants. The Antelope Valley is a >1 hour drive from Pasadena, so we might as well make a full day of it; participants are welcome to continue into the afternoon, searching the A.V. migrant hotspots. Expect short walks on mostly flat terrain, and maybe breezy conditions, at multiple stops through the area.

Participant number: 20, determined by lottery. Sign up before Wednesday, May 8, at 6 PM.

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants before the trip.

PHOTO: Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum). Photo by Chris Spurgeon.

Sign up here

May 12: Placerita Canyon

May 12, 2024, 7:00 AM -- mid-day
Trip leader: Kaija Gahm

Just east of Santa Clarita, Placerita Canyon State Park is a patch of diverse habitats that is likely to have some interesting migrants at this time of year. There is a mix of oak woodland, chaparral, and riparian habitat, with a small stream running through the canyon. Migrants that are possible at this time of year include Black-chinned and Costa's Hummingbirds, White-throated Swift, several flycatchers, Lawrence's Goldfinch, Lazuli Bunting, and assorted warblers (Townsend's, Macgillivray's, Yellow, Wilson's, etc.) We will wander the trails, hiking up to 2 miles over terrain that is sometimes rugged, with the possibility for stream crossings and uphill stretches.

Participant number: 20 people and 10 cars maximum, determined by lottery. Sign up before Thursday, May 9, at 6 PM.

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants before the trip.

PHOTO: MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei). Photo by Susan T. Cook/Channel City Camera Club. (License)

Sign up here

May 12: Los Angeles Arboretum Monthly Bird Walk

Sunday, May 12, 2024
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Trip Leader: Katy Mann

We are excited to partner with the Los Angeles County Arboretum to offer free monthly bird walks to PAS members. Please note that due to new rules implemented by LA Arboretum these trips will only be open to current PAS members (and not friends of members as in past years). In other words all persons attending must be current Pasadena Audubon members -- either on their own, or as part of a PAS family membership.

Not a PAS member? Join here!

This field trip is offered by reservation only. To reserve a spot go to https://www.arboretum.org/events/bird-walk-with-pasadena-audubon-8/. Registration is scheduled to open at 9 AM on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

PHOTO: Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) by Luke Tiller.

May 22: Birds and Beers

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Ok, technically this isn't a birding field trip, but it is a great chance to hang out with lots of other birders! Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Wild Parrot Brewing Company in Pasadena. Have a drink, and a bite to eat, maybe join in a game of Wingspan or Bird Bingo, and just generally have a great time!
Wingspan gameBird Bingo game

No need to be a Pasadena Audubon member, and no need to pre-register, just show up!

Wild Parrot Brewing Company is located at 2302 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA. Here's a map.

May 24: Midweek Nice and Easy Birding Group - Hansen Dam

Friday, May 24, 2024, 8:00 AM (rescheduled from May 15)
Trip leader: Ed Stonick

This is a great area for migrants and some species which are difficult to find elsewhere, such as Bell’s Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, and Yellow-breasted Chat. We will meet in the parking lot near the south end of the dam. From Pasadena take the 210 freeway west to the Osborne St. exit. Go past the aquatic center on Foothill Blvd., then turn right on Osborne Ave. Enter the recreation area, turning left on Dronefield Rd. and drive to the last parking lot near the dam and flood control area.

Participant number: No Limit

Photo: Bells Vireo (Vireo bellii). Photo by Mick Thompson. License: CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

To get the full Nice and Easy trip list for the year, sign up here.

May 25: Huntington Library

Saturday, May 25, 2024
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Trip Leader: Mark Hunter

This is a great walk for beginning birders and families, with easy walking and a nice variety of species present year round.

Please note that due to rules implemented by The Huntington these trips will only be open to current PAS members. You must be a Pasadena Audubon member to attend this trip! After you sign up for the field trip, you will receive an email acknowledging your signup. The acknowledgment email is not a guarantee of a spot! PAS will process signups in the order that they are received, verifying your membership status. The trip leader will contact you after signups are closed, informing you whether you have confirmed spots or are on the wait list. Not yet a member? You can sign up for PAS membership here.

If you have a Huntington membership that allows you to enter the gardens at 8:00 on weekends, please consider making a reservation using your Huntington membership, thereby freeing up spots for PAS members who are not Huntington members.

Photo: California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) by Chris Spurgeon

Field Trip General Notes

This field trip is offered by reservation only. If you miss out on the initial places you will be added to a waitlist and will be emailed by the trip leaders if a place opens up. If you are unable to attend a booked trip please email the trip leader and allow them to make your space available to someone on the wait list.

Sign up!

June 1: Eaton Canyon

Saturday, June 1, 2024, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Trip leaders: Pasadena Audubon and Eaton Canyon Nature Center bird and nature guides

*This field trip is led in English and Spanish. ¡Ven a observar aves con nosotros!

Pasadena Audubon and Eaton Canyon Nature Center are pleased to offer free monthly bird walks at Eaton Canyon. These walks will visit the varied native habitat in the Eaton Canyon Natural Area – riparian, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland – to search for resident and migrant species. We’ll go at an easy pace, taking time to observe and enjoy the full array of nature on hand. Recommended: sturdy shoes for walking on dirt and rock trails with gentle inclines, hat, water, sunscreen, and binoculars. A few pairs of binoculars will be available for loan. Please contact fieldtrips@pasadenaaudubon.org for questions or accommodations. Anyone can sign up; no membership is required. Beginning birders are welcome.

Participant limit: none

To join this bird walk, please sign up here.

 

June 1 & 2: Kern County Birding Weekend

Saturday, June 1st & Sunday, June 2nd. All day.
Trip leader: Dan Cooper

Join biologist and experienced nature guide Dan Cooper for an exciting late-spring birding adventure in Kern County. The trip meets in the Jawbone Canyon area the morning of Saturday, June 1 and continues into the afternoon of June 2, with an overnight in Kernville. Expect a wide variety of birds, and also a relaxed pace which aims for enjoyment instead of exhaustion. Target birds include late spring migrants and summer-resident species in desert, riparian, oak woodland, and montane habitats such as Summer Tanager, Golden Eagle, Tricolored Blackbird, and Pacific Wren. This is a limited-participation trip, and we will strongly encourage carpooling to keep the number of vehicles down. A high-clearance vehicle such as an SUV or crossover will be needed for part of the route.

The suggested donation for this trip is $75 per person. This does not include lodging or meals. Participants will need to make their own lodging arrangements in Kernville (and we will provide advice for that).

TRIP LIMIT: 10 people and 5 cars.

PHOTO: Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra). Photo by Ralph Kränzlein. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED.

This trip is filled!
Sign up to be added to the waiting list.

September 22: Dana Point Pelagic

Sunday, September 22, 2024
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Departure location: Dana Point (24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA 92629)
Price: $120.00 per person

After an incredibly successful trip last year we’re excited to announce our dates for 2024’s dedicated pelagic! Departing from Dana Point in Orange County aboard the Ocean Institute Explorer, we'll spend time exploring the waters of both Orange and Los Angeles Counties. This nine-hour trip will help us connect with species that are harder to see from just your average whale watch and chartering the boat will allow us to focus specifically on the birds. (Trip report from last year here.)

We will be providing expert pelagic tour leaders for this trip to help pick out interesting species. Birds that might be encountered include a variety of shearwaters, jaegers, phalaropes, alcids, gulls, and terns. One of our main targets will be the rafts of storm-petrels that gather offshore in September which may include both Black, Ashy, and Least. Uncommon and rare species discovered on similarly timed trips have included: Manx and Flesh-footed Shearwater, Arctic Tern, Red-footed and Blue-footed Booby, and Craveri’s Murrelet among others.

The tickets will be available to current PAS members only starting Tuesday, May 21 at 9:00 AM and will be open to the public from Tuesday, May 28 at 9:00 AM (subject to availability). Not a member yet? You can join us now!

Please note that all ticket sales are final, except in the event of trip cancellation. We will, however, allow transfers and do our best to assist those who need help with that.

By traveling on their boat, this trip also helps support the non-profit Ocean Institute, whose work focuses on marine science, environmental education, and maritime history.

Photo: Pink-footed Shearwater (Ardenna creatopus) by Luke Tiller

Registration opens May 21 for PAS members, May 28th for non-members.