Conejo Valley Audubon

Monthly Program - February 2021
2021-02-01 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CVAS Monthly Program Zoom Meeting
A “DO-IT-YOURSELF” BIRDING TOUR THROUGH SPAIN
Photo by Bonnie Clarfield-Bylin
What do you do when your precious camera breaks halfway through a five-week adventure? When in Spain, you drown your sorrows with red wine and lift your spirits with tapas and sangria. You continue with one less thing to carry during outings, but with the reflection of how glad you are that your trip plan included some of the best birding in Europe.
CVAS member, naturalist and world birder Bonnie Clarfield-Bylin will take you on a bird-centric journey though the interesting regions of Spain she and her husband Stephen encountered as they journeyed in a clockwise circuit along the perimeter of the country from Catalonia through Andalusia to the Extremadura before the camera failed. The northern perimeter of Spain will need a do-over!
Since her retirement as a National Park Service Park Ranger, Bonnie has become an experienced travel planner. She has arranged do-it-yourself nature-oriented trips to Columbia, Vietnam, Brazil, Ireland, Scotland, Florida, Arizona and Texas among others, and looks forward to traveling in search of birds and wild-places again.
This will be an online meeting by way of Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Beginner Bird Walk - Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2021-02-10 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-03-10 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-04-14 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-05-12 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-06-09 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-07-14 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-08-11 08:00 - 09:30, 2021-09-08 08:00 - 09:30 and 2 more dates | Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa, 4803 Lynn Rd, Newbury Park, CA, 91320
Conejo Valley Audubon invites birders of all experience levels to attend our monthly Beginner Bird Walks at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa. These walks are held on the second Wednesday of each month. We will meet at 8:00 am at the main parking lot, which is accessible off Lynn Road at Via Goleta in Newbury Park.
Rancho Sierra Vista is an excellent place to see many of the oak woodlands birds that are common in the Conejo Valley area. We will take time to introduce beginning birders to these species and will teach the best techniques for locating and identifying them. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Please register in advance by contacting walk leader Richard Armerding at (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK).

Monthly Program - March 2021
2021-03-01 19:30 - 21:00 | CVAS Monthly Program Zoom Meeting
An Evening With Rosemary Mosco
Rosemary Mosco
Rosemary Mosco blends science, humor and heart to create books and comics about wildlife. BirdWatching Magazine says: “She is the rare humorist who understands nature and biology well enough to make even the most cranky birder crack a smile.” Her Bird and Moon comics are collected in the book, Birding Is My Favorite Video Game, a 2019 ALA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. The Bird and Moon comics have also appeared in publications from Audubon to Ranger Rick.
This will be an online meeting by way of Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Monthly Program - April 2021
2021-04-05 19:30 - 21:00 | CVAS Monthly Program Zoom Meeting
Everything There Is To Know About Catios

Cats kill billions of birds and small animals annually. The outdoors are also perilous for cats. But relegating cats to the indoors can lead to unhappy felines with behavioral issues. Catios – cat patios or enclosures – are the most humane way to allow feline family members to experience the outdoors safely. This presentation will cover nearly everything there is to know about catios — including best practices, tips, and types of recommended materials. There will also be time for questions at the end.

Alan Breslauer

Alan Breslauer, AKA Catio Guy on social media, launched Custom Catios in 2017 to serve cat guardians throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and the surrounding areas. Catio Guy has worked with cat world luminaries Jackson Galaxy and Kitten Lady, rescues including CatCafe Lounge and Lange Foundation, and hundreds of feline families. An industry innovator, he relishes the opportunity to share his knowledge and expertise so that more fur-balls can experience the joy of the outdoors safely.

This will be an online meeting by way of Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Monthly Program - May 2021
2021-05-03 19:30 - 21:00 | CVAS Monthly Program Zoom Meeting
We’ll Always Have Parrots: The Past, Present, and Future of Amazona Parrots in Los Angeles
John McCormack
Dr. John McCormack will speak on the history of Los Angeles’ Amazona parrots (Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned Parrots) and what DNA from museum specimens can tell us about their origins, adaptation to city life, hybridization, and future as distinct species. Dr. McCormack is Director and Curator of the Bird and Mammal Collection at the Moore Laboratory of Zoology and an Assistant Professor of Biology at Occidental College. The Moore Lab holds the largest collection of Mexican birds in the world and over 65,000 specimens in total, which researchers from around the world study to understand avian biodiversity and how it originated. Dr. McCormack has pioneered the use of new DNA sequencing technologies to collect DNA from museum
Amazon Parrot
specimens. He received his undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona and his PhD from UCLA. After postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan and Louisiana State University, he arrived at Occidental College as Moore Lab Director in 2011. He recently oversaw the completion of a major remodel to the Moore Lab’s facilities and collection space.
This will be an online meeting by way of Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Santa Clara River Estuary
2021-09-04 08:00 - 11:00 | Surfer’s Knoll, 1600 Spinnaker Dr, Ventura, CA, 93001
The Santa Clara River Estuary produces some of the most diverse observations of ducks, sandpipers, terns, gulls, plovers and other shorebirds in the county. We’ll meet at Surfer’s Knoll at 9 am and walk down to the estuary after peeking over the fence into the Ventura Settling Ponds. The estuary should be a great place to see Elegant, Forster’s and Caspian Terns, Brown Pelicans, Western, California, and Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, Whimbrels, Long-billed Curlews, American Avocets, and Western & Least Sandpipers. We may even spot a Peregrine Falcon.

Directions: from the 101 freeway, exit Seaward Ave. and proceed south to Harbor Blvd. Turn left and continue to Spinnaker Dr., turning right to enter the harbor area. Drive past the Surfer’s Knoll parking area on the left and make a U-turn to double back and enter the parking lot.
Walk leader: Kay Regester.
Please bring water, a snack, bug repellant and a jacket. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK! RAIN CANCELS
Everyone is welcome to attend any Conejo Valley Audubon field trip, but Conejo Valley Audubon assumes no responsibility for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending a CVAS sponsored activity and in order to attend, all attendees agree that CVAS is not liable for such accidents. Everyone attends at their own risk.

Laguna Tams
2021-09-12 08:00 - 10:00 | Laguna Road Tamarisk Trees, 3690 Laguna Rd., Oxnard, CA, 93033, United States
We will visit the renowned tamarisk trees along Laguna Road in the Oxnard Plain. Previous October visits have yielded views of Black-and-White, Tenessee, Orange-crowned, Lucy’s, Nashville, MacGillivray’s, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Prairie, Black-throated Gray, Townsend’s, Hermit, and Wilson’s Warblers. We might also encounter Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and White-breasted Nuthatch. Meet on Laguna Road, about a quarter mile east of Pleasant Valley Road.
Trip Leader: Frank DeMartino
Please bring water, a snack, bug repellant and a jacket. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK! RAIN CANCELS
Everyone is welcome to attend any Conejo Valley Audubon field trip, but Conejo Valley Audubon assumes no responsibility for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending a CVAS sponsored activity and in order to attend, all attendees agree that CVAS is not liable for such accidents. Everyone attends at their own risk.

Monthly Program - September 2021
2021-09-13 19:30 - 21:00
Each September, our first meeting of the season is dedicated to the birding trips and adventures of our members, so you are invited to submit your recent, or not-so-recent photos. As has become our habit, this year’s Show & Tell will be again conducted over Zoom. Those of you who wish to share your photos, please contact Don Klabunde for instructions and the link where you can upload your files. You will be able to narrate your show during the Zoom meeting.
To attend this meeting, use this link: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Mugu Lagoon and Sycamore Canyon
2021-09-18 08:00 - 11:00 | Mugu Lagoon Turnout, 5735 CA-1, Oxnard, California, 93033
Meet at the big lagoon turnout on PCH. There should be water birds, ducks and raptors. Then to lower Sycamore Canyon, famous for vagrants, warblers and raptors.
Photo by Don Klabunde

California Thrasher
Trip Leader: Matthew Page
Please bring water, a snack, bug repellant and a jacket. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK! RAIN CANCELS
Everyone is welcome to attend any Conejo Valley Audubon field trip, but Conejo Valley Audubon assumes no responsibility for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending a CVAS sponsored activity and in order to attend, all attendees agree that CVAS is not liable for such accidents. Everyone attends at their own risk.

Camino Real Park
2021-09-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Camino Real Park, 4298 Dean Dr., Ventura, CA, 93003
Hopefully some vagrant warblers will appear as well as the usual cast of characters.

Trip Leader is Dee Lyon
Please bring water, a snack, bug repellant and a jacket. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK! RAIN CANCELS
Everyone is welcome to attend any Conejo Valley Audubon field trip, but Conejo Valley Audubon assumes no responsibility for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending a CVAS sponsored activity and in order to attend, all attendees agree that CVAS is not liable for such accidents. Everyone attends at their own risk.

Monthly Program - October 2021
2021-10-04 19:30 - 21:00
THE WONDERFUL LIFE OF A DYING TREE
A dead tree needlessly cut down and hauled away is a tree deprived of half its life value and commendable destiny. Gillian Martin’s presentation unveils the habitat value of dead trees. She persuasively illustrates their contribution to the health and sustainability of forests, yes, even the urban forest. Attendees will learn what to consider when selecting and converting a hazardous tree as a habitat tree. They will forever view a dead tree with greater interest and appreciation.
As a passionate bird advocate, naturalist, public speaker and writer, Gillian Martin has invested the last 20 years advocating for birds. One of her earliest missions was to establish the Cavity Conservation Initiative to encourage the safe retention of dead trees as habitat. She is also the cofounder of Tree Care for Birds and other Wildlife Program of the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture. Her articles have been published in numerous professional journals and newsletters.
To attend this meeting, use this link: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Canada Larga
2021-10-10 08:00 - 11:00 | Canada Larga Road, 180 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura, CA, 93001
Meet at the start of Cañada Larga Road at 8 am.
We will look for sparrows, sapsuckers, raptors and other various field birds. This is car birding with several stops. Bring masks and water.
Leader is Dee Lyon, (805) 427-0987.

Hill Canyon
2021-10-16 08:00 - 11:00 | Hill Canyon, Hill Canyon Rd, Camarillo, CA, 93012
Meet at Hill Canyon Park at 8 am.
We will look for White-throated Swifts, sparrows and oak woodland birds. Bring masks and water.
Leader is Bonnie Clarfield Bylin (805) 405-5632

Bob Kildee Community Park Tams
2021-10-24 08:00 - 10:00 | Bob Kildee Community Park – Tamarisk Trees, 1051 Eston St., Camarillo, CA, 93010, United States
We will visit the renowned tamarisk trees along the east edge of Bob Kildee Community Park. Previous October visits have yielded views of Black-and-White, Tenessee, Orange-crowned, Lucy’s, Nashville, MacGillivray’s, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Prairie, Black-throated Gray, Townsend’s, Hermit, and Wilson’s Warblers. We might also encounter Downy Woodpecker,
Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, and Western Meadowlark. Meet at the southeast corner of the tennis courts (along Eston Street).
Bring a mask and water.
Trip leader: Linda Easter (818) 519-2833

Ventura Settling Ponds
2021-10-31 08:00 - 11:00 | Ventura Settling Ponds, 1400 Angler Ct., Ventura, CA, 93001, United States
Meet at the gate at 8 am.
We will look for water birds and warblers. Bring masks and water.
Leader is Frank de Martino (856) 906-8733

Monthly Program - November 2021
2021-11-01 19:30 - 21:00
WILDLIFE CROSSING AT LIBERTY CANYON
Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation, leader of the #SaveLACougars Campaign, and the author of When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working It Out in California, will speak to us on November 1st about this month’s conservation topic.
To attend this meeting, use this link: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106

Saticoy Ponds
2021-11-06 09:00 - 12:00 | Saticoy Ponds, 3127 Los Angeles Ave, Oxnard, CA, 93036
New young proficient birder, Ava Molnar, will lead our trip to Saticoy Ponds.
We will meet at 9 am at the gate where we will have the code and will need to have our waivers filled out and ready. See waiver on our website. Lots of water birds, some shore birds and passerines.
Trip leader: Ava Molnar 805-427-0987

Conejo Valley Botanic Gardens
2021-11-21 08:00 - 11:00 | Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360
We will see lots of passerines.
This 41-acre property, adjacent to Conejo Community Park, was first acquired in 1973. In 1976, the first areas of the Botanic Garden began to emerge. Since then, dedicated community volunteers, donors, and sponsors have continued to nurture this growing garden oasis, adding a popular children’s garden in March of 2003.
Enter on Jeaunine Dr, off of Gainsborough Rd and park near the Kids Adventure Garden.
Trip Leader: David Person 805-469-6806

Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2021-11-27 08:00 - 11:00 | Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa, 4803 Lynn Rd, Newbury Park, CA, 91320
We will meet at 8:00 am at the main parking lot, which is accessible off Lynn Road at Via Goleta in Newbury Park.
Rancho Sierra Vista is an excellent place to see many of the oak woodlands birds that are common in the Conejo Valley area. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Walk leader Richard Armerding (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK).

Rustic Canyon
2021-12-05 08:00 - 11:00
(CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL SCHEDULE) Meet at the gate at 8:00 am. We will walk along the path, looking for birds who like the edge of the golf course.
Leader is Dee Lyon, (805) 427-0987.

Monthly Program - December 2021
2021-12-06 19:30 - 21:00 | CVAS Monthly Program Zoom Meeting
THE BIRDS NEED OUR HELP!
Population declines have hit many of our favorite birds, and it’s time we talk about how we can help them out. Join our President, Frank DeMartino, who will take a closer look at Cornell’s Seven Simple Actions as well as some other local organizations and projects that are helping restore lost habitat. He’ll talk about turning your yard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat and how native plants can help turn the tide for our feathered friends.
Frank is an avid birdwatcher whose passion for birds has led him to serve on the board of both Ventura Audubon Society and Conejo Valley Audubon Society where he is currently President. He even opened a Wild Birds Unlimited store in Ventura in 2017.
To attend this meeting, use this link: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106
