Conejo Valley Audubon

Beginner Bird Walk - Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2024-02-14 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-03-13 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-04-10 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-05-08 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-06-12 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-07-10 08:00 - 09:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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.
Contact walk leader Richard Armerding at (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK).

? Oak Canyon Community Park
2024-02-24 08:00 - 10:00 | Oak Canyon Community Park, 5600 Hollytree Dr., Oak Park, CA, 91377, United States
Tucked into the Simi Hills, this little gem of a park has a nice diversity of oak woodland, riparian, and chapparal habitat; perfect for birds! Target species include birds like Lewis’s Woodpecker, Fox Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow. Trip leader: Dan Cooper (323) 397-3562

Monthly Program - March 2024
2024-03-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012
JANUARY MONTHLY PROGRAM
BIRDING IN TAIWAN, COSTA RICA, AND NICARAGUA
Presented by Taylor Driggs
Taylor will compare and contrast his birding and nature travel experiences in Taiwan, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. In this presentation he’ll share his birding adventures, show his best sightings, and give a little of his general travel advice for both regions. He’ll offer travel tips and considerations for each country, such as which birding guides he used, and what’s compelling about each of these fabulous locations.
Taylor Driggs is a 25 year resident of the Conejo Valley in Oak Park, an avid birder, hiker and natural history travel enthusiast. He works professionally in the Financial Technology industry.
To attend this meeting, use this link (https://zoom.us/j/6155249106) at the meeting time.

?Lake Casitas *Date Change to 3/9*
2024-03-09 08:00 - 12:00 | Lake Casitas, 11311 Santa Ana Rd, Ventura, CA, 93001, United States
Join us as we explore the largest freshwater body in Ventura County! We will look for waterfowl, swallows, and, of course, the nesting Bald Eagles! We will park outside the lake entrance and carpool in. Cost is $20 per car on the weekend.
We will bird on foot for about an hour and a half, and then we will go boating for the last hour and half! We are working with the Rotary Club to use their boat to get out on the open water! We need at least 15 people to secure the boat, so if you are interested in going on the boat, please let us know at fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org! If you want to simply come for the first portion, that’s fine too!
Trip leaders: Sammy Cowell (818 470 7098) and Jerry Maryniuk (805 794 2791).

Annual Dinner and Auction
2024-03-09 17:30 - 21:30 | Palm Garden Hotel, 495 Ventu Park Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320, United States
2024 Annual Dinner and Auction
Our annual dinner and auction fundraiser will be held on Saturday, March 9th, 2024. We will have a live auction with the suave Don Klabunde, a silent auction and an exciting raffle with the charming Thelma Williams whipping us up into a frenzy for those priceless white elephants.
Of course Palm Garden Hotel always serves up a delicious buffet dinner, CVAS is providing wine and the hotel has a full bar where serious adult beverages can be had for a price.
For those who haven’t experienced this event before, it’s not only a chance to get to know some of your fellow CVAS members, but also who knows what wonders you might be able to buy for a song – wonders from original works of art to one-of-a-kind adventures.
More details, and purchase tickets.

?‍⬛Lake Piru
2024-03-16 08:00 - 11:00 | Lake Piru, 4780 Piru Canyon Rd, Piru, CA, 93040
Join us as we look for the largest bird in North America, the California Condor! We will look for other large raptors, waterfowl, and early spring migrants! Meet at 8:00 am at the store/Condor Point, beyond the entrance. The entrance fee is $5 per car, (Normally it is $10, however, the fee was reduced for this field trip, so be sure to tell them you are part of the CVAS birding group).
Trip leaders: Peter Robertshaw (909 771 9720).

?️Island Scrub-jay Pelagic (via Island Packers - not an CVAS organized event)
2024-03-23 | CA
If you are interested in going out to see the endemic Island Scrub-jay, then hitch a ride on the Island Scrub-jay Pelagic through Island Packers (click here for tickets). Cost is $130 for adults (13-54) and $116 for senior citizens (55+) and military. Note: this is NOT a CVAS-organized event(*), however, many participants from Ventura Audubon and other experienced birders will be going, so there will be plenty of friends! Spots are limited, so act fast!
(*) since this event is not put on by the Conejo Valley Audubon Society, any accidents that occur during the trip are not covered by CVAS field trip insurance.

? Canada Larga Rd.
2024-03-23 08:00 - 11:00 | Canada Larga Road, 180 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura, CA, 93001
Join us as we look for our chapter’s iconic logo as well as raptors, flycatchers, open grassland sparrows, and early spring migrants! Meet at the start of Cañada Larga Road at 8 am.
Trip leader: Marc Better (510 919 5283).

?Malibu Creek State Park
2024-03-30 07:30 - 11:00 | Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, CA, 91301, United States
Join us as we explore the oak and sycamore woodlands of Malibu Creek State Park! In addition to common resident species, we will be looking for early spring migrants like grosbeaks and Lazuli Buntings! Entrance is $12 per car, so we will meet at Kanan Road Park and Ride at 7:45 a.m. to carpool in. If you wish to meet at the park, the parking lot is off Las Virgenes Rd.
Trip leader – Bill and Carol Langford (360 742 6059)

? Sisar Canyon *State Highway 150 Road Closure Notice*
2024-04-06 08:00 - 11:00 | Sisar Canyon, 12799 Sisar Canyon Rd, Ojai, CA, 93023
Update: State Highway 150 connecting Santa Paula to Ojai is closed until further notice. This may impact your traveling decisions.

Sisar Canyon is a great spot to see migrating warblers, vireos, and flycatchers as they forage throughout the oaks and riparian of the canyon. It’s also a decent spot to see Black-chinned and Costa’s Hummingbirds! Meet at 8 am at the parking lot off Sisar Rd. Parking is very limited, so carpooling is suggested.

Trip leader: Spencer Seale (805 746 9789).

?Las Llajas Canyon
2024-04-20 08:00 - 11:00 | Las Llajas Canyon, 5715 Evening Sky Drive, Simi Valley, CA, 93063, United States
Meaning “sore” or “wound”, Las Llajas is underbirded area in east Simi Valley with great potential as a spring migrant trap! Park off Evening Sky Dr. This is a pretty popular mountain biking spot, so it might be a good idea to carpool and get there a bit early.
Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818 470 7098)

? Bear Divide *New Date, Sunday, April 21st!*
2024-04-21 06:00 - 11:00 | Bear Divide Picnic Area, 21525 Santa Clara Truck Trail, Canyon Country, CA, 91387, United States
Bear Divide is a narrow pass in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County that funnels literally thousands of birds through a tiny gap in the mountain ridge. Some dawn flights are so thick with birds that hundreds of migrants may pass by per minute.

Dawn flight is the best time to witness this spectacle, so we plan to be at Bear Divide by 6 a.m. If you want to carpool, meet at Janss Park & Ride opposite T.O. Library, at 5 a.m. There may also be an opportunity to watch banders catch and tag migrants with mist nets.
Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098

? Arroyo Santa Rosa: "Spook Canyon"
2024-04-27 08:00 - 11:00 | Arroyo Santa Rosa, 11711 E Las Posas Rd, Santa Rosa Valley, CA, 93012, United States
This secret little gem of a trail in Santa Rosa Valley runs along the Arroyo Santa Rosa and is a good spot for spring migrants! Bonus: the trail runs past a small little animal farm filled with goats, donkeys, and peacocks! Park on Las Posas Rd. just past Pradera Rd.

Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818 470 7098)

?Big Morongo
2024-04-28 08:00 - 17:00 | Big Morongo, 11055 East Dr., Morongo Valley, CA, 92256, United States
Big Morongo Preserve is one of the best places in southern California for migrant flycatchers, warblers, vireos, and other species but also hosts some great breeding birds. We can expect to see (or hear) Summer and Western Tanagers, Brown-crested and Vermilion Flycatchers, Bullock’s and Hooded Orioles, Yellow-Breasted Chat, Bell’s Vireo, as well as migrants and desert residents. Bring lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. In the afternoon we may look for Black-throated Sparrow and Scott’s Oriole.

Meet at Covington Park. Take I-10 to Hwy 62, go north 10 miles to Morongo Valley and then turn right on Park Avenue.

Trip Leader: Pete Robertshaw (909-771-9720)

⛰️Rancho Sierra Vista
2024-05-04 07:00 - 10:00 | Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa, 4803 Lynn Rd, Newbury Park, CA, 91320
For those who can’t make the beginner bird walks on Wednesdays, this is a great time to check out this hidden gem in Newbury Park! Meet at the end of the parking lot where you’ll see plenty of Cliff Swallows nesting under the eaves of the bathroom. You’ll also look for Lazuli Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, and any late migrants!

Trip leader: Ryan Burnett: (530) 258 – 6742

Monthly Program - May 2024
2024-05-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012
MAY MONTHLY PROGRAM
“Pelagic Birding off Southern California: Searching for Seabirds in the Open Ocean”
by David Pereksta
Nazca Booby Copyright David Pereksta
While 70 percent of the earth is covered by oceans, the lives of the birds that inhabit those waters still hold a number of mysteries that science is only just starting to unravel. Many seabirds come ashore only to breed and then spend the majority of their lives ranging around the world’s oceans; some of which travel incredible distances during foraging trips and migratory movements. The waters offshore of southern California are one of the last birding frontiers in the state, where an exciting mix of seabirds that are rarely if ever seen from land can be found at sea if you know when, where, and how to look for them. A limited number of trips, unpredictable weather, and challenging viewing conditions make pelagic birding trips an adventurous way to explore this frontier. Birders wishing to see these special birds must find some of the few scheduled trips each year, get a reservation before they sell-out, and hope that the weather and birds cooperate.
David Pereksta took his first pelagic trip in 1994, which was a major birding-life changing event. That trip was the start of David’s fascination with seabirds and since then he has spent a considerable amount of time at sea looking for them. With hundreds of days on the water in the Pacific and Atlantic, and trips to remote breeding areas in Russia and the South Pacific, David has immersed himself in understanding the lives of seabirds. David will show us what experiences southern California pelagic birding trips offer including the species that occur off our coast, how the status and distribution of many species have changed recently, where local pelagic trips go and how they operate, and how to best schedule a trip to see the birds (and marine mammals) you are looking for. He will also share anecdotes from some of the most memorable local trips. Bring your soda crackers, Dramamine, and binoculars for this program that is richly illustrated with the best of the thousands of photos David has taken at sea.
David Pereksta is an Avian Biologist with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, where he studies and analyzes the effects of offshore oil and gas, and renewable energy development on birds off the Pacific coast and Hawaii. Prior to his position at BOEM, Dave spent 16 years working on endangered species issues with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Throughout his career with various Federal and State agencies, he has studied several imperiled bird species including Snowy Plovers, Piping Plovers, Least Terns, Ospreys, Northern Goshawks, Brown Pelicans, Spotted Owls, and Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. An avid birder for over 45 years, Dave has traveled throughout North America, South America, the American tropics, the South Pacific, and East Asia including leading trips to Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Peru, and Chile. He also organizes pelagic trips off southern California and leads trips elsewhere in the Pacific and in the Atlantic. He has seen over 2,300 species of birds in his travels; photographing nearly 1,800 species along the way.
The May program will be live at Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm, doors open at 6:30. It will also available via Zoom. The link is, as always, https://zoom.us/j/6155249106.

? Ventura Settling Ponds
2024-05-11 07:00 - 10:00 | Ventura Settling Ponds, 1400 Angler Ct., Ventura, CA, 93001, United States
While most waterfowl species have left the ponds this time of year, there are still tons of birds around! Large numbers of swallows and swifts gather over these waters, so be on the lookout for Purple Martins and potentially even Black Swifts! Other songbirds call this area home for the breeding season like Swainson’s Thrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, and plenty of Yellow Warblers!

Trip leader: Frank De Martino (856) 906 – 8733

? Breeding Bird Class through Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
2024-05-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012
If you’re a new birder looking to familiarize yourself with local species, then consider joining the 2024 Breeding Birds class! This class is a great way to gain familiarity with over 200 species of birds that nest in our region. Emphasis will be on family and species-level characteristics, plus field trips to practice IDs.
The class consists of two Wednesday evening workshops with slides and study skins, held at the WFVZ Museum from 6-8:30 pm on May 15th and 22nd. Field trips will be held the following Saturdays, May 18th and 25th, from 7:30-11 am. The course provides 12 hours of instruction, slides, and other materials for home review afterward. Field trip locations will be announced at the museum classes; all will be in Ventura County.
See the link for more detailed information about cost: https://wfvz.org/classes-and-training/
There are only 10 spots left, and registration closes May 1st.
Instructor: Sammy Cowell

?Mt. Pinos
2024-05-19 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Join us as we go into the mountains to find some alpine birds! We will carpool from the Janss Park & Ride at 6 am. Janss Park & Ride is located on the east side of the 23 freeway at the Janss Road Exit by the soccer fields. Alternatively, meet at 8:00 am at the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base parking lot at the end of Mount Pinos Road (GPS: Cuddy Valley Rd, Forest Rte 9N24, Frazier Park, CA 93225 – or – coordinates 34.8134, -119.1263). Please note that each vehicle that parks at the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base parking lot will need to display a valid adventure pass. Bundle warm! Target species include – Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Olive-sided Flycatcher, White-headed Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Green-tailed Towhee, Red Crossbill and more!

Trip leader: Richard Aremerding (310)-701-3878.

?Breeding Bird Class through Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
2024-05-22 18:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012

? Fillmore Fish Hatchery/Cienega
2024-05-26 07:00 - 10:00 | Cienega, 612 E Telegraph Rd, Fillmore, CA, 93015, United States
The Sespe Cienega is a restoration project aimed at restoring the wetlands of the Santa Clara River! Normally, this area is restricted to the public, but we will be able to enter with friend of CVAS, Linnea Hall! Target species include Bell’s Vireo, White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, and others!

Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098

CVAS ANNUAL PICNIC
2024-06-02 08:00 - 14:00 | CA
THE CVAS ANNUAL PICNIC
Sunday, June 2 at Los Robles Open Space
Meet at 8:00 am for the morning bird walk,
then at 11:00 for the potluck lunch.
It’s been twenty-three years since we first held our CVAS Annual Picnic at the Los Robles Trail area adjacent to the original Janss House in Thousand Oaks, and the area has changed a bit. We can no longer drive right down to “our” oak tree, the lawn is gone, and a few new picnic tables have been added, but “our” tree is still there as shady as ever.
At the south end of Moorpark Rd. turn right onto Greenmeadow Ave. and proceed approximately one mile to the parking area. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited. Please bring your own table service, drinks and chairs, and this year, bring whatever dish you like. 🙂

🌯 Birds and Burritos
2024-11-16 17:00 - 18:15 | Margarita’s Mexican Grill, 702 Lindero Canyon Rd, Oak Park, CA, 91377, United States
Join us at 5 p.m. at Margaritas Mexican Grill for some delicious food and socializing before our evening field trip to look for owls!
Please text or call Sammy Cowell (818 470-7098) if you plan on coming so we can make a reservation.

? CVAS Pelagic - Santa Barbara Channel (departing from Oxnard)
2024-06-13 08:45 - 13:00 | Channel Islands Harbor (Oxnard), 3600 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard, CA, 93035, United States
If you’ve never been birding out on the open ocean waters, this is a perfect opportunity to get your feet wet! Join us as we cruise around the eastern Santa Barbara Channel looking for pelagic birds like jaegers, alcids, storm-petrels, shearwaters, and boobies. We may stop by to look at the Anacapa Arch from the boat, but we will NOT be landing on Anacapa Island.
This trip is 3 hours and will stay in the Santa Barbara Channel within Ventura County waters. Check-in is at 8:45 a.m. We will be riding with Island Packers, departing from Oxnard harbor at 9:30 a.m. We will return to the harbor at 1 p.m. One ticket is $50. This trip is limited to 70 passengers, and you must RSVP by May 23. Click here to find out how to pay and secure your spot!
Contact fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org for more information.

? Ojai Raptor Center
2024-06-15 11:00 - 12:00 | Ojai Raptor Center, 370 Baldwin Road, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
*Update* This trip is now full. However, the Ojai Raptor Center has said they may be able to accommodate additional guests. So, if you are still interested in this trip, contact Sammy Cowell, and there may be a possibility you can still come. Please don’t pay until contacting Sammy!*
We have scheduled a private tour of the Ojai Raptor Center for 15 participants! During this one-hour experience, we will meet a few of the raptor ambassadors, learn about their personal stories, and watch demonstrations of their natural behavior.
Space is first-come first-served, so if you’re interested in coming please contact us at fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org. Cost is $27 per guest. Please click on this link to learn how to pay!
Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098
