2015 Field Trips, Workshops, and Water Adventures
Please read about the festival’s fantastic field trips! Many of these trips will be offered multiple times to maximize your opportunities to see the most birds! And be sure to visit the Trip Leaders page to learn about the extraordinary expertise each of the field trip leaders brings to the festival.
Click below to download the 3-day festival schedule.
2015 MBBF 3-Day Schedule Of Events (272.4 KiB)
FULL-DAY FIELD TRIPS
ANDREW MOLERA STATE PARK and CONDOR VIEWING IN BIG SUR
Description: This full-day trip takes you birding in scenic Big Sur. Field trip leaders will take you to Andrew Molera State Park, one of the premier vagrant traps on the West Coast. Afterward, you’ll spend time looking for condors in likely spots along Highway 1. This trip takes you birding in one of the country’s pristine locations - Big Sur!
Carpooling recommended. Please have a full tank of gas. Participants should bring plenty of water to drink, lunch, and sunscreen for this nearly all-day trip.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24; Friday, Sept 25; Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:00 a.m. to between 2:00 & 4:00 p.m. in Big Sur
Cost: $15.00 premium trip fee
Trip Leaders: Phil Brown (Friday), Eric Feuss (Thursday and Saturday)
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza at 6 a.m. Andrew Molera State Park is approximately 50 miles from Watsonville. For those not traveling in the caravan, meet at 7:15 a.m. at the Ventana Discovery Center/Andrew Molera State Park.
Activity: Moderate
CALIFORNIA SPECIALTIES
Description: This trip focuses on seeing birds unique to California and the Western United States, such as yellow-billed magpie, California thrasher, wrentit, Nuttall’s woodpecker, snowy plover, California towhee, Lawrence’s goldfinch, Clark’s grebe, white-tailed kite, etc. Ranging from Pacific beaches to the foothills to the Salinas Valley, this fast-paced trip will help maximize your list of western birds. Perfect for the out-of-state birder, but fun for anyone.
Carpooling recommended. Please have a full tank of gas. Participants should bring plenty of water to drink, lunches, and sunscreen for this nearly all-day trip.
Dates: Thursday, Sept 24; Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $15.00 premium trip fee
Leaders: Kumaran Arul (Thursday & Friday), Tim Amaral (Saturday)
Transportation: Car caravan from Watsonville Civic Plaza.
Activity: Moderate
PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK
Description: Join us for a visit to one of America’s newest national parks! Pinnacles provides a chance to look for specialties of the California interior landscape, including a chance at yellow-billed magpie, canyon wren, Lawrence’s goldfinch, greater roadrunner, loggerhead shrike, and resident prairie falcons. After birding, an NPS ranger/naturalist will do a presentation on the important work the Pinnacles National Park California Condor Recovery Program conducts. Other than Big Sur, Pinnacles offers the next best chance for seeing a California condor.
Carpooling recommend - Please have a full tank of gas. Participants should bring plenty of water to drink, lunches, and sunscreen for this nearly all-day trip.
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $15.00 premium trip fee
Leader: David Ekdahl
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
HALF-DAY FIELD TRIPS
BEGINNING BIRDING
Description: Unsure about how to find birds in your binoculars? Don’t know a great blue heron from a mourning dove? Or, are you just looking for some tips about how to improve your identification skills? Come join us for an introductory bird walk emphasizing the ABCs of identifying and observing birds in the wild.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24, Friday, Sept 25, Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Friday)
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Lois and Wally Goldfrank (Friday and Saturday a.m.); Rusty Scalf (Thursday a.m. and Friday p.m.)
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
ELKHORN SLOUGH AND MOSS LANDING (COASTAL)
Description: This half-day trip will find us scouring locations such as the mudflats of Moss Landing, visiting the famous Moon Glow Dairy, or checking the freshwater pond of Zmudowski State Beach for the many migrating and wintering shorebirds, gulls, and waterfowl of the region. Peregrine falcons and merlin are often attracted to the large flocks of shorebirds, and California sea otters are usually in the area. Come see why Elkhorn Slough has long been a target destination for birders from around the world. Exact itinerary will be determined based on local conditions.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Bernadette Ramer (Friday), RJ Adams (Saturday)
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
KIRBY PARK and ELKHORN SLOUGH RESERVE (INTERIOR)
Description: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, in the heart of Elkhorn Slough, is one of the premier bird-watching sites in the Western United States. Birding from the Reserve offers an opportunity to explore several of its diverse habitats and see many of the more than 340 species that visit or take refuge throughout this watershed. Elkhorn Slough’s importance to birds during their great fall and spring migrations has led the American Birding Conservancy to declare it a “globally important” area.
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Christian Schwarz
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
LEE ROAD OVERLOOK
Description: The Lee Road Overlook trip will start at the south part of Lee Road, overlooking the west end of Struve Slough. If there is morning sun, the light is nearly perfect to look over the slough. This is an area that we have inventoried nearly weekly for several years. The area is dynamic so that we never see just the same birds two weeks in a row. The area is good for viewing both land and water birds. From Lee Road Overlook we may go to Harkens Slough, and then to the mouth of the Pajaro River. Each of these areas is different from the other, so that different bird species are likely to be added at each stop.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: David and Jane Styer
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
LLAGAS CREEK
Description: Explore the upper reaches of the Pajaro River watershed on this rare opportunity to bird in a restricted access area. We’ll explore Llagas Creek, a tributary of the Pajaro River. A restored native plant corridor borders this creek, which is managed by the Santa Clara County Water District. Paralleling the City of Gilroy’s wastewater treatment plant, it consistently offers surprises in any season. Participants should bring water, a hat, and sunscreen.
Please be prepared to carpool, as parking is limited. Participants should pack a lunch, hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water for this nearly all-day trip.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25
Time: 6:30 a.m. to approximately 11:30 am.
Cost: $15.00 premium trip fee
Trip Leader: Mark Paxton
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
NEW BRIGHTON STATE BEACH
Description: New Brighton State Beach includes patches of willows, oaks, and a fine Monterey Pine forest, all of which are attractive to both migrating and wintering birds. Townsend’s warblers, pygmy nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, and brown creepers are all likely to be seen. The adjacent waters of Monterey Bay are a good place to view caspian, elegant, and Forster’s Terns, and sometimes even a parasitic jaeger!
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Matthew Strusis-Timmer
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
OWLS OF ROBINSON CANYON
Description: These trips always sell out! Robinson Canyon is one of California’s most productive owling sites. Western screech, great horned, barn, and northern saw-whet owls are all likely. Northern pygmy and the endangered spotted owl are possibilities. These field trips, limited to 10, are a must if you’re looking for owls. Bring a flashlight if possible. Dress warmly!
Please be aware that most owls will only be heard, and not seen. No refunds.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25, Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 8:45 p.m. to after midnight
Cost: $15.00 premium trip fee
Trip Leader: Steve Rovell
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Limited
PAJARO DUNES/SUNSET BEACH
Description: Shorebirds, songbirds, and waterfowl are all likely as we visit the varied habitats of Sunset Beach and Pajaro Dunes. Snowy plovers nest on the dunes themselves, and the Pajaro River Mouth has long been one of the premier locations for rare shorebirds, gulls and terns. Stands of Monterey Cypress and willow patches provide habitat for a variety of passerines. This trip highlights some of the richest birding areas of the entire Pajaro Valley.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25
Time: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Nick Levendovsky
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
PINTO LAKE COUNTY PARK
Description: The Pinto Lake area is “home” to the red-shouldered and red-tailed hawk, white-tailed kite, California thrasher, woodpeckers, ducks, and songbirds. We’ll wander the trails of Pinto Lake County Park searching for these and other birds. This trip is recommended for both beginners and experienced birders as something unusual nearly always shows up.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Bob and Bernadette Ramer
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
RANCHO DEL OSO
Description: Birding at this beautiful and historic locale brings together birds from a variety of habitats in a limited area. Turning from the birds of the ocean, beach, creek mouth and marsh, one can search amid riparian, Monterey pine, mixed evergreen, and coast redwood forests. Along with local favorites such as wrentit, pygmy nuthatch, purple finch, house wren, hermit warbler, northern pygmy-owl, marbled murrelet, and a variety of woodpeckers, this is a good place to encounter raptors and a chance for rare migrants and vagrants. Plan for a few miles of walking on mostly gentle slopes.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Todd Newberry
Transportation: Meet at Waddell Beach at 8 am – Drive north on Hwy 1 to the Waddell Beach parking lot (about 17 miles from Santa Cruz) north of Waddell Creek (just before towering bluffs). Trip will begin on Waddell Beach, then work inland from the road-gate that is directly across the highway from the beach parking lot. Alternatively, if you wish to carpool then car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza at 6:45 am.
Activity: Moderate
SALINAS RIVER MOUTH
Description: The mouth of the Salinas River offers an excellent opportunity to find a vagrant shorebird, observe several species of terns, study snowy plovers, catch a northern harrier or a peregrine falcon on the wing, or just enjoy a walk to the Pacific Ocean. Fall is the premier time of the year to visit this locale.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24th
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Scott Smithson
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
VAGRANTS AND MORE ON THE CARMEL RIVER SOUTH BANK TRAIL
Description: September and fall migration is the time to head to riparian corridors to search for vagrants and rarities not found in the area at any other time of the year. This Carmel Valley hotspot opened to the public in 2011 and is already collecting rarities such as: Blue-winged and Blackpoll plus 8 other warbler species, Eastern Kingbird, and Red-eyed Vireo. The trail, a 3-mile round trip that is flat and mostly paved, meanders through multiple habitat types along the Carmel River.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24; Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Bill Hill (Thursday), Rita Carratello (Saturday)
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate
WATSONVILLE SLOUGHS
Description: Come see where the mega-rarity, the common cuckoo, took refuge for several days in September 2012! The sloughs of Harkins, East and West Struve, Hanson, Gallighan, and Watsonville comprise the heart of the Watsonville Sloughs system. A variety of shorebirds, raptors, gulls, ducks, sparrows, and songbirds are present at the sloughs’ varied habitats and their associated uplands. Learn the local access sites for finding birds in Watsonville’s front yard.
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Included with registration
Trip Leaders: Earl Lebow
Transportation: Car caravan departs from Watsonville Civic Plaza
Activity: Moderate, limited
WORKSHOPS
BIRDING OPTICS DEMYSTIFELD
Thursday, Sept. 24, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Thinking about buying your first pair of “real” binoculars or upgrading the ones you have? Considering taking the leap to buy a spotting scope? Learn all about binoculars and scopes, and how particular products perform in different birding situations. What’s more, try out a range of products to find out what feels right in your hands and to see the differences for yourself!
Presenter: Marilyn Rose
CARBON NEUTRAL CUCKOOS: CHASING BIRDS & PLANTING SEEDS
Thursday, Sept. 24, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
California’s first Common Cuckoo was discovered in the Watsonville Wetlands in 2012, and hundreds of birders quickly descended upon a little known patch of recently restored riparian habitat. Thousands of miles were driven or flown by birders in pursuit of the Old World cuckoo, generating a ~40 ton CO2 footprint. Join Scott Smithson, founder of The Green Big Day, as he illuminates the natural connection between birders and habitat restoration through a journey of discovering the ecological impact of his own birding trips. Imagine a future where the rarest bird sightings are coupled with carbon offsetting through support of nearby restoration projects. Learn how to calculate and mitigate the ecological cost of those impromptu mega-rarity birding trips!
Presenter: Scott Smithson
PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR AND TECHNIQUES LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION
Friday, Sept. 25, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
This lecture will touch on field gear choices, gear purchasing, use of monopods and tripods, hand-holding large lenses, body mechanics, and positioning from standing to lying down for hand-holding. This workshop is a good starting point for the next workshop, which takes place in the field.
Presenter: Chris Hartzell
PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD WORKFLOW
Friday, Sept. 25, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Learn how to read the environment, make appropriate camera settings in a timely manner, and then track and “capture” the wildlife you want to photograph! You can take classes to learn settings, but mastering the details of a successful workflow in the field can take years. Join this one-of-a-kind photography workshop where you’ll begin to develop a field workflow just like the pros.
What You Need: Digital SLR camera with zoom lens; basic understanding of ISO/aperture/shutter speed; thorough familiarity with and understanding of your equipment’s buttons and functions.
Presenter: Chris Hartzell
PELAGIC BIRDS IDENTIFICATION
Friday, Sept. 25, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This workshop will provide an overview of seabirds off the California coast. It will introduce you to birding at sea and the overall approach to seabird spotting and identification. The focus of this workshop will primarily be on pelagic (offshore) birds, covering species typically encountered offshore in Monterey Bay. You will also learn how to identify more problematic species, such as jaegers, offshore terns, and storm-petrels. In addition, you’ll learn about some of the vagrant seabirds that occur off California.
Presenter: Scott Terrill, PhD
FIELD SKETCHING
Saturday, Sept. 26: 9:30 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This workshop is designed to enhance your bird watching experience. The morning classroom session includes hands-on, step-by-step instruction, using various local bird specimens to study shape, proportion, color, and texture. After a one-hour lunch break, we’ll go to the wetlands for an afternoon of observation and sketching.
What to Bring: Sketchpad, 6B soft pencil, colored pencils, sharpener, and eraser. For the afternoon at the wetlands, bring a folding chair, sun hat, and remember the binos!
Presenter: Carol Bennett
BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS
Saturday, Sept. 26: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Nature photography is arguably the hardest field of photography, even for those with years of experience. We will be heading into the field and I will work with you on how to set up your camera and give you feedback as we walk through the area sloughs taking photos. Limit 5-7 participants.
Meet at the Civic Plaza to carpool to field.
Presenter: Jeff Bleam
WHAT’S THAT BIRD? MERLIN AND EBIRD CAN HELP!
Saturday, Sept. 26: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This workshop is designed to help bird lovers of all levels explore the applications, and capabilities of Merlin, Merlin Photo ID, eBird, and other digital ornithology resources from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Merlin is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free iPhone app, which currently offers real-time assistance in bird identification for 400 North American birds. eBird is a free, online database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with current and up-to-date data about bird distributions and abundance. Workshop coverage will include details on how to get started with Merlin, Merlin Photo ID, and eBird, as well as how to use eBird’s data visualization tools to explore both the small- and large-scale impacts and capabilities of citizen science.
Held at Watsonville Civic Plaza.
Presenter: Dr. Brooke Keeney
WATER ADVENTURES
ELKHORN SLOUGH SAFARI
Description: Elkhorn Slough Safari is a birding adventure aboard an open 27-foot pontoon boat, allowing for exploration of the slough from a perspective usually experienced only by birds and sea otters. This tour offers a unique opportunity to observe these species in their native habitats, up close and personal. Shorebirds, raptors, grebes, and both harbor seals and sea otters are highlighted. Tours last 1.5-2 hours. Limited to 10 seats per day.
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24 at 12:30 PM; Friday, Sept. 25 at 1:00 PM; Saturday, Sept. 26 at 2:15 PM.
Cost: $38.00/person
Trip Leaders: Captain Joe Mancino and crew
Transportation: Go directly to Elkhorn Slough Safari in Moss Landing. Meet in the Moss Landing Harbor Parking Lot: 7881 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing, 95039. Parking is $6.00.
For directions, go to www.elkhornsloughsafari.com
KAYAK CONNECTION - ELKHORN SLOUGH
Description: Here’s your chance to take your own birding tour of Elkhorn Slough and enjoy a kayaking adventure–courtesy of Kayak Connection in Moss Landing. Shorebirds, sea otters, grebes, pelicans, plus the rarities of fall migration are possible on this guided trip. Some of the most intriguing spots of the slough are accessible only by kayak. Beginning kayakers are welcome and encouraged to sign up. Limited to 10 people in five double-kayaks.
Date: Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26
Cost: $55.00/person
Time: 9:00 - 11:00
Trip Leaders: Kayak Connection crew.
Reservations: Call the Moss Landing shop to reserve your trips by call 831-724-5692. They are open
from 9:00am to 5:00pm Pacific.
Transportation: Go directly to Kayak Connection in Moss Landing. Do not meet at Watsonville Civic Plaza. Allow 30 minutes travel time from Watsonville. For directions, www.kayakconnection.com.
SHEARWATER JOURNEYS PELAGIC TRIPS
Description: An incredible submarine canyon lies below the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which hosts a vast variety of seabirds and marine mammals just a few miles from shore. In addition to humpback whales and a variety of dolphins, we can expect to see sooty, pink-footed, and Buller’s shearwaters; common murres; pigeon guillemots; Cassin’s and rhinoceros auklets; pomarine and parasitic jaegers; and maybe a south polar skua. Black-footed albatross; Manx and flesh-footed shearwaters; black and ashy storm petrels; Sabine’s gull, and arctic tern highlight just a partial list of our possibilities.
Book reservations directly through Shearwater Journeys by mailing check to: PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024. Include first- and second-choice trip dates, name, complete address, email address, and phone numbers. Reserve early to avoid disappointment.
Please note: Dress in layers due to the changing weather conditions. Bring your own lunch and beverages. Food/beverages are not available for purchase on the boat.
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26; Sunday, Sept. 27
Cost: $169.00/person. Possible price adjustment, payable only in cash at the dock, $5-$15/person.
Time: All trips depart at 7 a.m. and return at approximately 3 p.m.
Leaders: Leaders TBD.
Transportation: Monterey Pelagic Trips: Meet Friday and Saturday at Fisherman’s Wharf Monterey. Do NOT meet at Watsonville Civic Plaza! Allow at least one hour driving time from Watsonville. Parking is available in the large lot that connects Fisherman’s Wharf and Commercial Wharf #2. Be sure to go to Fisherman’s Wharf and not the Commercial Wharf. Stop in at Chris’ Fishing Shop to get a parking voucher which can be used at the end of the day. Be at Chris’ Fishing Shop on Fishermans’ Wharf at 7 a.m., SHARP. Latecomers who miss the boat will forfeit their fees. The boat will return about 3 p.m. Send reservations, including first and second choice dates, in case first choice is sold out to:
Debi Shearwater: POB 190, Hollister, CA 95024.
Activity: The dock is unable to accommodate wheelchairs. This trip is unsuitable for pregnant women.
WHISPER CHARTERS
Description: Silent as a whisper, the electric powered Selkie II glides across the waters of Elkhorn Slough. Explore the slough’s natural wonders on an elegant, eco friendly electric cruiser. Elkhorn Slough is one of the premier bird watching sites in the western United States. More than 340 species visit or find permanent refuge here, a remarkable number given the slough’s relatively small size. The tremendous number and variety of birds at the slough attracts thousands of bird watchers from across the country each year. In addition, you’re likely to see sea otters, as well as harbor seals.
Book early: Limited to six people per trip!
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 24; Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26
Cost: Festival Discount! $39.00/person
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Trip Leaders: Whisper Charters’ guides
Transportation: Go directly to Whisper Charters in Moss Landing. Do not meet at Watsonville Civic Plaza. Allow 30 minutes travel time from Watsonville. For more information, www.http://www.whispercharters.com
