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 7: Eaton Canyon Saturday, September 7, 2024, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM Trip leaders: Kristen Ochoa and Lulu Marin, and Eaton Canyon Nature Center docents 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* Trip has reached capacity. Sign up here and we'll add you to the waiting list. To join this bird walk, please sign up here. Loading…	September 8: Los Angeles Arboretum Monthly Bird Walk Sunday, September 8, 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, September 3, 2024. 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.
September 14: Colorado Lagoon Saturday, September 14, 2024, 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM Trip leader: Robb Hamilton Enjoy a morning of fall birding at Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach. Mid-September is a good time to see shorebirds, swallows, flycatchers, and other early-fall migrants before the arrival of such common wintering species as Yellow-rumped Warblers and White-crowned Sparrows. The open channel to Alamitos Bay, which remains a work in progress, has a good track record of interesting birds in fall/winter, so maybe it will hold a nice surprise for our group. Join Robb Hamilton on an easy, 1.5-mile walk around the lagoon’s perimeter. Participant number: No Limit Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip. PHOTO: Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus). Photo by Chris Spurgeon. This field trip is filled. Sign up here and we'll contact you if space opens up. Sign up here Loading…	September 15: Piute Ponds Sunday, September 15, 2024 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM Leader: Jon Feenstra 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 include Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpipers, many warblers working the rows of trees along the ponds, plus lots of herons, ibis, maybe some gulls and 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. Participant number: 15, by lottery Note that the signup list closes on Sept. 2 to allow time for the permitting process with Edwards Air Force Base. Permits are currently offered only to U.S. citizens and Green Card holders. PHOTO: Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Photo by Chris Spurgeon. This field trip is filled. Sign up here and we'll contact you if space opens up. Sign up here Loading…
September 18: Midweek Nice and Easy Birding Group - Los Angeles River, Willow St. Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 8:00 AM Trip leader: Ed Stonick We will meet at the intersection of DeForest Ave. and W. 25th St. in Long Beach. Take the 710 Freeway to Willow St. East. Cross the river, then turn right at Golden Ave., right again at 25th St. and drive to the end of the block. Participant number: No Limit Photo: American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana). Photo by Chris Spurgeon.	September 21: San Gabriel River Spreading Grounds Saturday, September 21, 2024 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM Leader: Darren Dowell Join us for a morning of birding at the San Gabriel Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds in Pico Rivera. Especially during migration, this is a location promising surprises – including what kind of habitat we’ll find. Typical conditions include water and annual vegetation in the basins, surrounded by a more permanent ring of trees and bushes, and we’ll be seeking southbound shorebirds, warblers, sparrows, and more. We’re almost certain to see blackbirds and raptors as well. Views can be distant at this site, so scopes are helpful. We’ll be doing a stroll along the level, paved or compacted bike trail around the basins, up to 3 miles if we do the full loop. If a preview of the site indicates poor birding conditions, we’ll give Legg Lake in South El Monte a try instead. Participant number: No Limit Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip. Photo: Snowy Egret (Egretta thula). Photo by Chris Spurgeon Sign up here Loading…
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. 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 Trip filled, but you can sign up for the waiting list here.	September 25: Birds and Beers Wednesday, September 25, 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! 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.
September 28: Huntington Library Saturday, September 28, 2024 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM Trip Leaders: Mark Hunter and Oliver Huang 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. Sorry, this field trip is filled. Sign up here and we'll add you to the waiting list. Sign up! Loading…	September 28: Getty Center, Brentwood Saturday, September 28, 2024 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM Trip leader: Catherine Hamilton We are very excited to offer for our first time this trip to enjoy the bird scene from one of the most spectacular views in Los Angeles, the gardens of the Getty Center in Brentwood. Through a special arrangement (thanks to Jennifer Roberts, Acting Head of Editorial at Getty), we’ll have early access to the grounds. We’ve timed the trip near the peak of fall migration, and we don’t know quite what we’ll see, but it sounds pretty awesome no matter what. Who better to lead this trip than renowned birder and artist Catherine Hamilton. Catherine will guide the group on a leisurely stroll through the gardens, observing resident bird species and any migrants moving through. After the bird walk, participants are invited to stay and enjoy the galleries and exhibits. Participant number: 20, determined by lottery. Sign up before Thursday, September 19, at 6 PM. Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants before the trip. PHOTO: Central Garden, Getty Center. Photo by Cassia Davis. © 2023 J. Paul Getty Trust. Sign up here Loading…

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.

Trip filled, but you can sign up for the waiting list here.