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.
Sign up and confirmation notes:

If the Google sign-up form for the trip you want to go on doesn't work the first time, try reloading the web page or restarting your browser, then try again.

If it's less than 3 days before a trip that you signed up for, and you think you should have gotten a message but haven't, try looking for it (carefully) in your spam/junk folder.

If these suggestions didn't help solve the issue, please contact us at fieldtrips@pasadenaaudubon.org .

September 5th: Bette Davis Picnic Area, Glendale Narrows

Saturday, September 5th, 2026
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Leader: Alex Coffey

Along the northeast edge of Griffith Park lies one of the more intriguing birding hotspots of the LA River: Bette Davis Picnic Area / Glendale Narrows Riverwalk. The river habitat and tree cover at this site provide good year-round birding, and in August we may encounter migratory songbirds and a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds. This walk is better than most if you are a photographer looking for eye candy.

The walk is nearly all-level on stable surfaces. However, at one point, we might cross under a bridge on a slanted concrete bank, so wear shoes with a good grip.

Participant limit: none

PHOTO: Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis). Photo by Chris Spurgeon

Sign up here

September 26th: Lower Arroyo Seco

Saturday, September 26th, 2026
8:00 AM to ~10:30 AM
Trip leader: Omar Alui and Preston Hinds

It’s no surprise that in the quintessentially Californian chapparal and oak woodland habitat of the Lower Arroyo Seco, one can reliably find so many of our near-endemic birds, like Nuttall’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, California Towhees, California Thrashers, and Wrentits. But this area can also produce some surprises! A Red-necked Phalarope showed up here last year, and, more recently, a Lazuli Bunting and a Blue Grosbeak! Meet in the parking lot west of the casting pond. Parking can be a challenge here so you may have to park in the neighborhood above and carefully make your way down.

Participant number: 30.

PHOTO: Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus). Photo by Jack Wickel.

Sign up here

September 27th: Piute Ponds

Sunday, September 27th, 2026
7:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Leaders: Jon Feenstra and Alex Coffey

A blip of lush greenery in the vast arid scrubland of the Antelope Valley is unsurprisingly one of the region’s great wetlands. Treated water from the city of Lancaster flows into the historic Amargosa Creek drainage to the shore of Rosamond Lake creating an oasis for both breeding waterbirds and a whole host of migrating waterbirds and landbirds. The list of great bird sightings from the Piute Ponds is long (with a cumulative list over 300 species), but even a “boring” visit will have observations of hundreds to thousands of ducks, including locally uncommon species like Redhead, often flocks of shorebirds that could include Baird’s or Pectoral Sandpipers, warblers working the rows of trees along the ponds, plus lots of herons, ibis, maybe some gulls, terns, rails, and many more. A list approaching 100 different species is possible on a good September day.

Be prepared for some serious heat. We will do some driving on the dirt access roads, but there will be a lot more walking around as well as standing in the sun looking out over the ponds. Bring plenty of water, some salty snacks, and a spotting scope if you have one.

Please note: Piute Ponds is part of Edwards Air Force Base. Recreational use of this area is available to U.S. Citizens and Green Card holders ONLY after vetting through Edwards Air Force Base Security Office prior to visiting. Those chosen by lottery for this trip must have either an annual pass or go through the vetting process to receive a day pass - which requires a weekday trip to Edwards Air Force Base on a day PRIOR to the field trip itself. You will be required to show proof of your pass in order to attend the field trip.

Participant number: 15, by lottery. The signup window will close on Sept. 14th to allow adequate time for the permitting process with Edwards Air Force Base.

PHOTO: Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Photo by Chris Spurgeon.

This field trip is filled.

October 10th: Ventura County: Tams, Tipus and Sod Farms

Saturday, October 10th, 2026 7:30 AM - lunchtime

Trip Leader: Luke Tiller

The Oxnard Plain harbors a host of interesting birding locations including the famous “Tams’ of Bob Kildee and Laguna Road as well as the sod farms and beaches around Ormond Beach. With this trip taking place in mid-October, we hope that we might find interesting migrating pipits, longspurs or plovers on the sod fields or lingering warblers at the tamarisk groves and tipus. We will also look for sparrows, shorebirds, waterfowl and more wherever we stop.

Trip details such as the meeting location will be emailed to participants before the tour departs.

Participant number: 25

PHOTO: Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia). Photo by Luke Tiller.

Sign up here

October 11th: Los Angeles Arboretum Monthly Bird Walk

Sunday, October 11th, 2026

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Trip Leader: Luke Tiller

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, September 8th, 2026.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT REGISTERING FOR THE ARBORETUM WALK: Evidently when the monthly Arboretum walk has reached capacity, the sign-up form stops functioning correctly. This issue is beyond our control. If in doubt, sign up early!


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

October 11th: Rescheduled Dana Point Pelagic

Sunday, October 11th, 2026
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Departure location: Dana Point (24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA 92629)
Price: $140.00 per person

We’re were forced to cancel the September 20th pelagic very last-minute, and we offer our sincere apologies to those who were impacted by this unfortunate circumstance. However, we're excited to announce that we've rescheduled for October 11th! 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.

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.

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

Sign up now!

October 24th: Monthly Bird Walk at The Huntington

Saturday, October 24th, 2026
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.

The Huntington is allowing a limited number of Pasadena Audubon members to enter the grounds for this walk without being Huntington members (thanks Huntington!). You must be a Pasadena Audubon member to attend this trip! Not yet a member? Sign up for PAS membership here and then return to this page.

By the way, if you are also a member of the Huntington at a level that allows you to enter the grounds at 8 am, please also make a reservation on their website. That way your attendance won't count against the limited number of passes the Huntington has given us here at PAS.

Photo: California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) by Chris Spurgeon

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Halloween Parrot Roost at Pasadena City Hall

Saturday, October 31st, 2026
5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Leader: Luke Tiller

The San Gabriel Valley is known nationally for its overnight roosts of Amazona parrots and Mitred and Red-masked Parakeets, and they've taken up residence at Pasadena City Hall! This Halloween, behold the Hitchcockian spectacle, as the suburban skies and soundscape are overtaken by cacophonous flocks returning from their daytime foraging sites to gather at the roosts, as they do around dusk during the non-breeding season. 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 around the plaza to get closer to roosting flocks, but this will involve minimal walking on sidewalks.

Participant limit: none

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

Meet at the Jack and Mack Robinson sculptures at the southwest corner of Holly Street and Garfield Avenue.

Sign up here