Santa Clarita River Estuary - Beach Bird Walk
2025-09-06 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
Meet at 8 am at the Surfer’s Knoll parking area off Spinnaker Dr. Best parking is along Spinnaker as the parking lot now requires a fee. Target species will be fall shorebirds such as godwit, sandpipers, plovers, curlew, willet, whimbrel, yellowlegs, gulls and perhaps phalarope or something unexpected, . Expect to walk at least a mile in the sand, which could be hot. Flip flips and sunscreen highly recommended.

Leader is Dee Lyon (805) 427-0987

Monthly Program -- MEMBER SHOW & TELL
2025-09-08 19:00 - 20:30
MEMBER SHOW & TELL

Each September, our first meeting of the season is dedicated to the birding trips and adventures of our members, so you are invited to show off your recent, or not-so-recent photos.

Bring them on either thumb drive or other medium to WFVZ for the meeting, or for those who wish to share your photos via Zoom or need technical advice, please contact Don Klabunde at username Photographer plus @ConejoValleyAudubon.org for instructions and the link where you can upload your files. Then, as long as you have a microphone on your computer, you will be able to narrate your own show on Zoom during the meeting.

Whether or not you need advice, please let Don know if you plan to participate, so he can schedule your contribution.

If you’re interested in joining us for dinner before the meeting, text Chrystal at (805) 261-9885 and meet us at WoodRanch Camarillo at Daily and Lantana by 5:00 pm.

Join us at the Western Foundation

We have the privilege of holding our meetings at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (also known as the Bird Museum), 439 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. If you arrive when the doors open at 6:30, you’ll have the rare opportunity to look around the museum’s collections for a half hour before the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. (Also check out wfvz.org)

Warblers at Bob Kildee Park
2025-09-13 08:00 - 09:00
Meet at 8 am at the corner of Eston St. and Curt Dr. near the baseball fields in the center of Camarillo. Target species will be warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles and whatever else we can find along the tamarisk trees on Eston St. We will be discussing the CVAS Warbler Bingo game and how to sign up and participate.

Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Sycamore Canyon Campground & Beach
2025-09-20 08:00 - 10:00
Meet at 8 am at the paid day-use parking area at the campground. Parking is $3/hr. Target species will be fall migrants and perhaps shorebirds at the beach. We won’t be walking through anyone’s campground, just the main roads near the parking area, the old bridge and then perhaps the beach across the street depending on what we find at the campground area.

Leader is TBD [text John at (818) 625-9584 for info].

Hawk Watch - Grant Park in Ventura
2025-09-27 11:00 - 13:00
Meet at 8 am at the parking area by the Serra Cross in Grant Park in Ventura. Target bird will be the Broad-Winged Hawk which has been recently spotted here. Last year it was first seen on Sept. 29th until Oct. 10th. Bring good walking/hiking shoes as we may climb modest trails.

There may be a change in date/time based on who is leading and where they’re being seen.

Leader is Sangeet Khalsa (805-861-4648)

[CANCELLED] Laguna Road Tamarisks
2025-10-05 08:00
[CANCELLED]

DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, WE ARE CANCELLING THIS TRIP.

Meet at 8 am at the row of Tamarisk trees on Laguna Road just east of Pleasant Valley Road. Target species will be warblers of all sorts. This hundred-year-old row of trees has historically been one of the best places in California to find migrating warblers in the Fall. We will walk carefully along the road to listen and look for these beautiful yellow visitors.

Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Monthly Program - Free-Flying LA Parrot Project
2025-10-06 19:00 - 20:30
Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project

Non-native parrots have become a very present and boisterous element of the urban ecosystems throughout Southern California. Now through the Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project (FLAPP) on iNaturalist, we created a dataset focused on two of the more prominent species in Southern California, the Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned Parrots. After being introduced through the illegal pet trade, these sister-species have established their populations and even created mixed-species flocks that would not be possible otherwise. Our research has focused on distinguishing the two species based on morphological features, comparison of the environmental conditions between their respective native ranges and their introduced range, and we are now shifting to understanding how their genetic makeup has been affected.

Join Brenda Ramirez to learn how you can help contribute to our research from your own neighborhoods! Become a member of FLAPP on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/free-flying-los-angeles-parrot-project.

If you’re interested in joining us for dinner before the meeting, text Chrystal at (805) 261-9885 and meet us at WoodRanch Camarillo at Daily and Lantana by 5:00 pm.

Join us at the Western Foundation

We have the privilege of holding our meetings at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (also known as the Bird Museum), 439 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. If you arrive when the doors open at 6:30, you’ll have the rare opportunity to look around the museum’s collections for a half hour before the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. (Also check out wfvz.org)

Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology collections

CVAS’s meetings will be hybrid, simultaneously live at WFVZ (recommended) and on Zoom. The link to join on Zoom is https://zoom.us/j/6155249106.

Also

Anyone interested in joining us for dinner at Wood Ranch Camarillo before the meeting, let Chrystal know you’re coming (805-261-9885), then meet at the restaurant by 5:00 pm.

Beginner Bird Walk - Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2025-10-08 08:00, 2026-01-14 08:00, 2026-02-11 08:00
Conejo Valley Audubon invites birders of all experience levels to attend our monthly Beginner Bird Walk 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, accessible from 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 teach the best techniques for locating and identifying them. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing, and bring water.

Contact walk leader Richard Armerding at (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK)

The Big Sit
2025-10-11 00:00 - 2025-10-12 23:59
The Big Sit is a semi-competitive international event, sponsored by the New Haven Bird Club, in which birders sit in a 17 ft. circle and count birds for the weekend. If you’re interested in joining a circle, contact John Mueller at (818) 625-9584. You could also form your own circle to compete. Visit https://www.thebigsit.org/ for more info or to register a circle. Also let John know if you register a circle in case other folks want to join you.

So, pick a nice birdy spot, bring snacks, make yourselves comfortable, and see how many bird species you can document over the weekend from inside your circles. Then Monday morning, send your totals to fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org. We’ll publish which individual or team got the most species, and who found the best bird.

Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest
2025-10-11 10:00 - 14:00
Plantapalooza 2025, more formally known as the Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest, is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks, CA. Hosted by the Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF), this free, family-friendly event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and feature eco-themed exhibitors, native plant vendors, beekeepers, wildlife specialists, and hands-on activities for children. CVAS’s booth will have bird friendly plants, raffle plant giveaway, and handouts for children.

Arroyo Vista Community Park in Moorpark
2025-10-19 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot at the far end of the park off Tierra Rejada in Moorpark. We’ll look for all sorts of birds around the park and in the adjacent stretch of Arroyo Simi. There may be youth sports taking place, so come early.

Leader: John Mueller (818) 625-9584 for info

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field trips

Pipits, Plovers and Pipers of the Oxnard Plain
2025-10-26 08:00
Meet at 8 am at the end of Arnold Road at the parking area. We can carpool back out to the fields depending on attendance to ensure we don’t crowd the side of the road. We’ll spend about an hour on the Arnold Road sod fields and then caravan over to Casper Road where these birds are also common. Parking is virtually non-existant on Casper, so maximum carpooling is encouraged when we travel to Casper.

We’ll look for pipits, plovers, sandpipers, raptors and who knows what else. Bring a scope if you have one. We can discuss as a group when we’re there to come up with a game plan.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field tripsLeader – John Mueller (818) 625-9584 for info

Program: Waterfowl of Mono Lake
2025-11-03 19:00 - 20:30
Mono Lake is well-known for its breeding population of California Gulls, and for the large numbers of Eared Grebes and phalaropes that use the lake in fall migration. Tucked away in the scattered wetlands, ponds and creeks around the shores of Mono Lake, there is also an established breeding waterfowl population. Deborah House has monitored the waterfowl at Mono Lake for over two decades, and she will take you on a virtual tour of the habitats that support waterfowl at Mono Lake, discussing the dynamic nature of these areas, how these systems have varied with lake level, and how breeding waterfowl have responded to these fluctuations.

Deborah is a semi-retired community ecologist who has conducted several long-term bird monitoring programs in the eastern Sierra region of California. She has spent her summers walking the incredibly beautiful and dynamic shoreline of Mono Lake, keeping track of the breeding waterfowl and their habitats as part of the restoration program for the lake.

Conejo Creek Park North
2025-11-09 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot on the southern end near the exit. We will then walk a loop of the park to listen and look in the riparian area and grass for migrants and common park birds. This location may have returning waterfowl such as American Wigeon, and the trees and shrubs could be alive with various migratory birds such as warblers, vireos and sparrows.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field tripsLeader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Rancho Simi Community Park
2025-11-16 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot nearest the swimming pool off Royal Av west of Erringer Rd. Rancho Simi Community Park is a hot spot that offers up a variety of habitat such as a pond with an island, old sycamores, stands of conifers, and the adjacent Arroyo Simi. Resident species include Canada Goose, Western Bluebird, Belted Kingfisher, Black-crowned Night-heron, and there almost always seems to be at least one White-faced Ibis in the arroyo. We’ll also look for Plumbeous Vireo, Cackling Goose, various ducks, sparrows, migrating warblers, and other winter visitors.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field trips

Leader is Don Klabunde (805) 522-8023

BIRD OUR PARKS
2025-11-30 08:00
This will be a social birding experiment where we as Ventura County residents will bird our neighborhood parks and see what kind of birds we can find. Birds commonly visit our parks so we will use social media (such as our new “Conejo Valley Audubon Society (CVAS)” WhatsApp community group from your phone) to count birds and discuss what we’re seeing. Every city in Ventura County has multiple parks, so feel free to visit a couple and post your findings on our eBird Trip Report. If you would like to work together as a team, we will have a sign-up form closer to the date. We will then publish our results on the CVAS website and discuss at the December 1st meeting.

Contact John Mueller (818) 625-9584 to indicate which park you intend to cover

Or use our new Field Trip Sign-Up Form and indicate which you want to cover

Here is the proposed list of parks that could be covered. To maximize coverage, I would suggest no more than 2 people per park. Maybe spend 30-60 minutes per park to cover it sufficiently, but not over-doing it. If there are parks missing, please let us know.

Park Name

City

Birder

Bob Kildee Community Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

Community Center Park

Camarillo

Freedom Park

Camarillo

Lokker Park

Camarillo

Mission Oaks Park

Camarillo

Pitts Ranch Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

Valle Lindo Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

El Rio Park

El Rio

Sunkist Park

El Rio

Sheill Park

Fillmore

Two Rivers Park

Fillmore

Meiners Oaks Park

Meiners Oaks

Arroyo Park

Moorpark

Campus View Park

Moorpark

Oak Park

Moorpark

Peach Hill Park

Moorpark

Poindexter Park

Moorpark

Nyeland Acres Park

Nyeland Acres

Chaparral Park

Oak Park

Deerhill Park

Oak Park

Medea Creek Park

Oak Park

Oak Canyon Community Park

Oak Park

Oak View Park

Oak View

Libbey Park

Ojai

Soule Park

Ojai

College Park

Oxnard

Del Sol Park

Oxnard

La Colonia Park

Oxnard

Rio Lindo Park

Oxnard

Rio Vista Park

Oxnard

Southwinds Park

Oxnard

Warring Park

Piru

Bubbling Springs Park

Port Hueneme

Civic Center Park

Port Hueneme

Moranda Park

Port Hueneme

Orvene S. Carpenter Park

Port Hueneme

Wright Park

Port Hueneme

Las Piedras Park

Santa Paula

Teague Park

Santa Paula

Santa Rosa Valley Park

Santa Rosa Valley

Rancho Madera Park

Simi Valley

Rancho Simi Community Park

Simi Valley

Rancho Tapo Community Park

Simi Valley

Sequoia Park

Simi Valley

Conejo Community Park

Thousand Oaks

Conejo Creek North Park

Thousand Oaks

Old Meadows Park

Thousand Oaks

Arroyo Verde Park

Ventura

Barranca Vista Park

Ventura

Camino Real Park

Ventura

Hobert Park

Ventura

Juanamaria Park

Ventura

Marion Cannon Park

Ventura

Montalvo Hill Park

Ventura

Thille Park

Ventura

Westpark

Ventura

December Program-Patch Birding in Long Beach
2025-12-01 19:00 - 20:30
Patch Birding the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach

Patch-birding will lead to better understanding of how our local birds use different parts of the landscape from year to year and season to season, which may be more useful than knowing how often birds stray far off-course.

Over the course of 8 years, Robb Hamilton has birded about 800 times at Colorado Lagoon, a cozy little body of water in Long Beach, recording 228 species out of the 246 that have been reported on eBird, and photographing the different species.

By achieving good coverage of the lagoon throughout the year, and across multiple years, Robb has been able to capture inter-annual variability, and has established the baseline conditions ahead of a major change in the configuration of the lagoon — the opening of a large channel between Alamitos Bay and the lagoon, which will greatly increase the tidal flushing of the lagoon and increase the area of native habitat available to the birds. Ultimately, Robb intends to collect several years of post-channel data and compare it with the extensive pre-channel data already collected.

Born in Santa Barbara, Robb Hamilton has been birding since he was 15. He’s been an independent biological consultant since 1994.

Conejo Community Park & Botanical Gardens
2025-12-06 08:00
Meet in the botanical gardens parking area off Gainsborough Road. There are toilets there and we’ll begin our walk promptly at 8am. The botanical gardens are adjacent to the large open Community Park which offers several opportunities for a variety of birds this time of year. There may be wintering warblers. We’ll look for pipits on the grass; bluebirds in the trees; sparrows, nuthatches and kinglets in the gardens, and hawks in the sky.

This will be a beginner-friendly walk designed to help those new to the hobby learn how to listen, look and identify various types of birds in our area. Check our Field Trips website for current information, updates and a link to sign-up. The botanical garden is a bit hilly, so wear appropriate shoes.

Leader is DAVID PERSON 805-469-6806

Beginner Bird Walk
2025-12-10 08:00

Christmas Bird Count- Thousand Oaks
2025-12-14 00:00 - 23:59
Contact Dave Pereksta at pereksta@pacbell.net, if he hasn’t already contacted you. Carol and Bill Langford will be hosting the post-count tally party. You can reach Carol at (360) 742-6059.

Christmas Bird Count-Ventura
2025-12-20 00:00 - 23:59
Interested folks can email venturabirdcount@gmail.com to sign up.

January-How Does a Songbird Learn to Sing
2026-01-05 19:00 - 20:30
How Does a Songbird Learn to Sing?

Especially when he’s a cowbird who has never met his parent?

Steve Rothstein will discuss generalizations regarding how songbirds learn their vocalizations as well as some exceptions to those generalizations. He will also discuss cowbirds and what’s known about their vocal development and how both innate and genetic aspects combine with learning to produce vocal repertoires.

Steve Rothstein is a Research Professor, Professor Emeritus of Zoology, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, at UC Santa Barbara.

SEE PROGRAMS PAGE

CSUCI Regional Park & Ponds
2026-01-10 08:00
CSU Channel Islands Regional Park & Ponds

WHERE – Take Lewis Road south to Camarillo Street (going to the university, and after the first bridge turn left on Old Dairy Road (yes, the Scary Dairy). Right inside there will be a kiosk where we can pay for parking ($7 I believe) and then we’ll drive to the parking area where the old model planes used to fly.

This is one of the best open spaces in Ventura County for not only good habitat for sparrows as well as raptors and the back ponds for wintering waterfowl. Canvasback have been seen there most years as well as American White Pelicans among others. Expect to walk about 2 miles total. Not much shade so bring a hat and sunscreen.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP

Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

More info: https://www.csuci.edu/unipark/

Hill Canyon
2026-01-24 08:00
Meet at 8 am at Santa Rosa Valley Park, the equestrian parking area at the beginning of Hill Canyon. We will walk through the open space around the equestrian area including the short walk to the creek. Next, we’ll walk across the bridge and up the canyon in search of wintering birds. Rain will cancel this trip. Bathrooms are available at the parking area.

Leaders are Carol & Bill Langford (360) 742-6059

February Program-California Walnut Woodlands
2026-02-02 19:00 - 20:30
Rooted in Community: California Walnut Woodlands

The Ecological Significant to Avifuana

Changes in land use following Euro-American colonization resulted in the severe reduction of the endemic Southern California black walnut (Juglans californica) and its woodland habitat. Natasha Khanna-Dang studied the availability of trees and large shrubs and feeding behavior of birds in eight patches of California walnut woodland in Los Angeles County during the breeding and nonbreeding periods of 2023. Natasha will join CVAS’s monthly meeting via Zoom to discuss the findings on the importance of these woodlands to the larger ecosystem and will discuss how ecological research can intersect with both conservation and social justice issues.

Natasha Khanna-Dang works as an urban conservation biologist based out of Los Angeles, California. They completed their Master of Science degree in Environmental Science at California State University, Los Angeles in 2024.Natasha is also an environmental educator and believes in the importance of intersectional ecology – ecological research that intersects with issues of environmental and social justice.

SEE PROGRAMS PAGE

Bard Lake
2026-02-06 07:45
Meet by 8:00 am at the boardroom of the Calleguas Municipal Water District office, 2100 Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks. After a brief introduction by the CMWD staff, they will escort us on the 3 mile loop around the 230 acre reservoir looking for different duck and gull species. (note: golf carts are available for those who would like them) The lake is typically closed to the public, so this is a special treat for CVAS! All participants must show a signed waiver and their driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID when we gather. Please email fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org for your copy of the waiver to sign in advance.

Trip leaders: Bill & Carol Langford (360) 742-6059

Great Backyard Bird Count
2026-02-13 00:00 - 2026-02-16 23:59
Done annually in February, the GBBC is a global, four day community science event where people of all ages and skill levels help track bird populations by simply watching birds anywhere they choose for 15 minutes or more. Participants can count birds on any of the four days and submit sightings using Merlin Bird ID, eBird Mobile, or the eBird website, with no separate registration required. The goal is to create a worldwide snapshot of where birds are and how they’re doing. It’s easy, fun, and meaningful whether you’re birding solo, with family, or as part of a community event.

More info at: https://www.birdcount.org/

Point Mugu Naval Base - NEW DATE
2026-02-13 08:00 - 13:00
Restricted to current CVAS members.

[NEW DATE] Sign-up deadline was Jan 20th. Check our Field Trips page for current updates, or email John Mueller, your Fieldtrip Chair for more Information: fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org.
