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 .

Midweek Nice and Easy Birding Club with Ed Stonick

3rd Wednesday of most months, 8AM (the Midweek Club takes a break during July and August)

Pasadena Audubon is relaunching what used to be our midweek “Magpie Study Group” events. Given that these tongue-in-cheek midweek trips involve little studying and even fewer magpies last year we thought we’d change the name to something that is just a little more descriptive. What these walks will offer is some easy paced birding, with generous later morning start times (8:00-9:00am) typically at just one local location at sites that are picked for both their quality of birding and accessibility for birders.
Upcoming trips will include the Los Angeles River, San Gabriel Spreading Grounds and more. Trips will mainly be run by PAS guide Ed Stonick, with some guest appearances from some other PAS trip leaders.

Then, sign up below. Once you complete the sign up you will be able to access and download the meeting time and locations for the Nice and Easy trips in the coming year. These trips do not have a limit on number of participants.

Questions? Email Ed Stonick at edstonick@gmail.com or the PAS field trip coordinator at fieldtrips@pasadenaaudubon.org.

Sign up here

December 1: Hahamongna Watershed Park

FRIDAY, December 1, 2023
7:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Trip leader: Darren Dowell

This trip will take advantage of the several habitat types in this Pasadena park and natural area, concentrating on oak woodland and adjacent riparian willow forest. We’ll be looking for resident bird species and the winter arrivals now in place. Some uncommon, vagrant songbird species have shown up here in the last few weeks, so we’ll take a look for some of those. The walk will cover about 1.5 miles roundtrip with some occasional gentle slopes.

Participant limit: none

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip.

PHOTO: Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus). Photo by Chris Spurgeon.

Sign up here

December 2: Eaton Canyon

Saturday, December 2, 2023, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Trip leaders: Pasadena Audubon and Eaton Canyon Nature Center bird and nature guides

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.

December 9: Guía de Pajareo Celebration & Bird Walk

December 9, 2023
8:30 AM -10:30 AM

Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 N Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, 90031
(MAP)

Join us as we celebrate our newly launched Spanish edition of the local Birding Guide, Guía de Pajareo del Valle y la Sierra de San Gabriel! Enjoy family-friendly activities, learn about local birds, and join us for a bilingual bird walk in English and Spanish! Loaner binoculars will be available.

Sign up here!

December 9: Temple City Parrot Roost

Saturday, December 9, 2023
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Leaders: Omar Alui, Catherine Hamilton, and/or Luke Tiller

Join us for a sunset stroll to enjoy the seasonal sounds of our local choir of Psittacidae! Temple City is now known nationally for its overnight roosts of Amazona parrots and Mitred and Red-masked Parakeets. On most late afternoons during the non-breeding season, the (sub)urban skies and soundscape get overtaken by cacophonous flocks returning from their daytime foraging sites to gather at the roosts. These parrots and parakeets are not native to the United States, but large populations have established themselves in the Los Angeles area and become an important part of the local ecosystem. Join Pasadena Audubon as we sort through the impressive numbers of parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots, looking for some of the less common species. For this trip, we will mostly be standing around letting the birds come to us. We may stroll slowly through the neighborhood to get closer to roosting flocks, but this will involve minimal walking on sidewalks.

Participant limit: none
NOTE: There's a second Temple City Parrot Roost field trip on December 23rd!

PHOTO: Lilac-crowned Parrot (Amazona finschi). Photo by Luke Tiller.

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip

Sign up here

December 10: Los Angeles Arboretum Monthly Bird Walk

Sunday, December 10, 2023
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, December 5, 2023.

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

December 23: Huntington Library

Saturday, December 23, 2023
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!

December 23: Temple City Parrot Roost

Saturday, December 23, 2023
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Leaders: Omar Alui, Catherine Hamilton, and/or Luke Tiller

Join us for a sunset stroll to enjoy the seasonal sounds of our local choir of Psittacidae! Temple City is now known nationally for its overnight roosts of Amazona parrots and Mitred and Red-masked Parakeets. On most late afternoons during the non-breeding season, the (sub)urban skies and soundscape get overtaken by cacophonous flocks returning from their daytime foraging sites to gather at the roosts. These parrots and parakeets are not native to the United States, but large populations have established themselves in the Los Angeles area and become an important part of the local ecosystem. Join Pasadena Audubon as we sort through the impressive numbers of parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots, looking for some of the less common species. For this trip, we will mostly be standing around letting the birds come to us. We may stroll slowly through the neighborhood to get closer to roosting flocks, but this will involve minimal walking on sidewalks.

Participant limit: none
NOTE: There's also a Temple City Parrot Roost field trip on December 9th!

PHOTO: Lilac-crowned Parrot (Amazona finschi). Photo by Luke Tiller.

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip

Sign up here

December 27: Birds and Beers

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

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.

February 1, 2024: Evening Walk at Eaton Canyon

Thursday, February 1, 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Trip leaders: Pasadena Audubon and Eaton Canyon Nature Center bird and nature guides

Pasadena Audubon and Eaton Canyon Nature Center are pleased to offer free quarterly evening bird walks at Eaton Canyon. Listening will be the focus, and we'll experience the change in soundscape as the daytime birds settle down for the night and owls make their presence known. 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, water, an extra layer, flashlight, and binoculars. Please contact fieldtrips@pasadenaaudubon.org for questions or accommodations. Anyone can sign up; no membership is required. Beginning birders are welcome.

Participant limit: 30, chosen by lottery. Signup deadline: 6 PM Tuesday, 2 days before the walk.

Photo: Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) by Chris Spurgeon

Registration will open in January, 2024