🦉 Owling at Palo Comado Canyon
2024-11-16 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Palo Comado Canyon, 6613 Smoke Tree Ave, Oak Park, CA, 91377, United States
Join us as we look for owls in Palo Comado Canyon! We will listen and look for Great Horned Owls, Barn Owls, and Western Screech Owls! We may also run into other nighttime creatures as well!
Meet at the Sunrise Meadows Open Space Trailhead on Smoke Tree Ave. in Oak Park at 6:30 p.m. Bring flashlights and/or headlamps! For those interested, we will also be meeting for dinner at Margaritas Mexican Grill in Oak Park at 5 p.m.
As this was a popular trip last year, please contact Sammy Cowell (818 470 7098) so we can keep the trip from getting too crowded!

🦅Group Falconry Experience
2024-11-23 11:00 - 13:00 | Hawk on Hand Falconry Services, 4235 Monterey Rd, Los Angeles, California, 90032, United States
If you’ve ever wanted to hold a bird of prey on your hand, then this is the experience for you! We will be visiting Hawk on Hand Falconry Services in downtown Los Angeles to learn about the ancient art of falconry and get hands-on experience working with different raptor species!

We’ll meet 3 species (Jasper the Harris Hawk, Kanoni the Augur Buzzard, and Archie the Barn Owl). Each individual participant will get get to hold and fly multiple birds, practicing basic falconry techniques.

Cost is $100 per participant, and group size is limited to 15 people. We are still working on how to reserve/pay for our entire group. So, please do not buy tickets just yet. Instead, simply contact Sammy Cowell at fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org if you are interested!

If you want to carpool together, we will meet at Kanan Park and Ride off the Kanan exit south of the 101 freeway at 9:30 a.m.

🥾 Santa Paula Canyon
2024-11-30 08:00 - 13:00 | Santa Paula Canyon, Santa Paula Canyon Trailhead, Santa Paula, California, 93060, United States
*Disclaimer: This is a moderately difficult hike with multiple stream crossings. If you do not feel comfortable walking across wet rocks or up steep hills, consider skipping this trip*

Nestled in the Topatopa Mountains between Santa Paula and Ojai, Santa Paula Canyon feels like a retreat into the wild. Along the river, we will be looking for American Dippers, and along the cliffs, we will be looking out for Golden Eagles.

We will meet at the trailhead which is past Thomas Aquinas college. Parking can be sometimes limited at the trailhead, so carpooling is encouraged.

Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098

Monthly Program--Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
2024-12-02 19:00 - 20:30 | CA
Get ready for a dive into South America’s birdiest country! Together we’ll explore Colombia’s unique ecology, breathtaking scenery, and unparalleled avian diversity! Colombia holds the record with nearly 2,000 bird species and an impressive 80 endemics!

During our time together, we’ll discuss what has given rise to such incredible diversity. Topics include the country’s five regions, how the Andes Mountain Range formed into three distinct cordilleras, the importance of the mighty Rio Magdalena, and national conservation successes. From sloth-eating Harpy Eagles to shy antpittas, and menageries of colorful tanagers and hummingbirds, Colombia’s astonishing diversity will leave you wanting more!

Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). With a background in biology, ecology, and outdoor education, Benny has worked for over 13 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide. Benny offers guided birding outings in Southern California and small-group birding tours to his favorite tropical locales like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/6155249106.

✈️International Field Trip: Colombian Central Andes (Dec. 6-14, 2025)
2024-12-06 00:00 - 2024-12-14 23:59 | CA
*This trip is scheduled for 2025, but advertised at this date to give a year’s notice for those who are interested*
With more avian species (>1,900) than any other country in the world, Colombia is a birder’s paradise! Join us on this 9-day adventure exploring the Central Andes, famed for its high level of species diversity. Explore the Andean cloud forest, paramo habitats, and farmland searching for flycatchers, hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, and more! We will visit the Otun Quimbaby Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, Rio Blanco Reserve, and Los Nevados National Park. Specialty endemic target species include; Cauca Guan, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Crested Ant-tanager, Buffy Helmetcrest, and more!
Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii)
Cost is $3675 with final payments due September 3rd, 2025. Airfare is not included. Click the link to view the day-to-day itinerary. Contact Sammy Cowell (fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org) or Debbie Jordan (debbie@holbrooktravel.org) for more info!
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager

🌳 Mission Oaks Park
2024-12-07 08:00 - 11:00 | Mission Oaks Park, 5501 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA, 93012, United States
The trails around Mission Oaks Park offer a nice refuge for many interesting overwintering songbirds. Possible uncommon/rare species that we can find here include Plumbeous Vireo, White-throated Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Summer Tanager, and more!

Meet at the parking lot of Mission Oaks Blvd. by the tennis courts.

*New trip leader*: Ryan Burnett (530) 258-6742

Beginner Bird Walk - Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2024-12-11 08:00 - 09:30 | 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).

❄️ Winter Wonderland in Minnesota (dates flexible)
2024-12-12 08:00 - 2024-12-15 17:00 | CA
Interested in birding other places in the country? Then, join us for an out-of-state experience to Minnesota! We will be primarily targeting species that live in the boreal forests of Canada but are pushed father south during the winter. Hopeful songbirds include Boreal Chickadee, Common Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Bohemian Waxwing, and more! Potential raptors include Snowy Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk-owl, and Boreal Owl!

Rough itinerary is as follows:

Thursday, December 12th: Fly into/bird around Minneapolis

Friday, December 13th: Drive to Duluth, bird Lake Superior. Drive to Sax-Zim Bog (potential owling in evening)

Saturday, December 14th: Sax-Zim Bog

Sunday, December 15th: Return to Minneapolis fly out

We may try and split rental cars/lodging to reduce costs. Group size will be limited to 8-10 people. If interested, please contact Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098 or fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org

🎄Christmas Bird Count
2024-12-22 00:00 - 23:59 | CA
Each year around Christmas, we (and hundreds of other Audubon chapters) participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The CBC is always held between Dec. 14th & Jan. 5th. This annual bird count encompasses the United States and Canada, as well as Central and South America, the Pacific Islands, West Indies, and Bermuda. The data collected helps scientists learn more about the status and distribution of our birds.

Everyone is welcome to participate, from beginners to experienced birders. Those of you who are less experienced will be teamed up with others who can help you identify the birds. Count teams are assigned areas around the Conejo Valley, Oxnard Plain, Camarillo, Santa Monica Mountains and other areas within our count circle. Most teams begin in the early morning and end as the sun sets. After the count, participants sometimes gather together for a pot-luck supper and do a general tally of the count.

Contact Dave Pereksta for info at (805) 659-5740 or pereksta@pacbell.net

🌳Las Robles Open Space
2024-12-28 08:00 - 23:00 | Las Robles Open Space, 400 S Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91362, United States
The oak woodland and chapparal in the open space south of Thousand Oaks is quite beautiful in winter and provide a good place to see overwintering migrants like Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and maybe even Golden-crowned Kinglets.

Meet at the Los Robles trailhead at the end of Moorpark Rd.

Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098

Ventura County New Year's Bird Count 🎩🕊️
2025-01-04 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Join us for a county-wide count of wintering birds in Ventura County, from the east to the west, the mountains to the seas! Please note this count is different from the CBC’s in that:

1) This covers the entire county, not just the CBC circle. This allows us to cover some areas in Oak Park, Moorpark, Simi Valley, the mountains, etc. that aren’t covered in the CBC counts.

2) This isn’t a nationally organized event, but rather something for our curiosity and desire to understand more about the species that overwinter in our county. While we don’t have any direct plans for how this data can be used, we plan on keeping annual records for future use on local conservation planning, habitat management, etc!

If interested in helping out, please get in touch with Lukas Le Grice (lukaslegrice@gmail.com) or Sammy Cowell (samueldavidcowell@gmail.com)

JANUARY MONTHLY PROGRAM
2025-01-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo
Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery

On January 1st, 2014, Dorian Anderson boarded his bicycle for the adventure of a lifetime. His two-wheeled journey was an ecofriendly twist on the Big Year. While his predecessors utilized cars, planes, and boats, Anderson’s goal was to replicate their transcontinental travels without the use of petroleum, a herculean challenge no one before him had accepted. He ultimately survived subzero temperatures, drifting snow, gusting winds, lightning storms, mountainous ascents, dog attacks, crumbling roads, and several accidents. By December 31, he’d amassed 618 bird species across 18,000 miles of riding, totals no one imagined possible when he set off with zero cycling experience. Anderson will speak about the genesis of his bike-birding project, provide a thrilling recount of his travels, highlight the birds he saw, and reveal how his adventure changed his life. His personality and enthusiasm are infectious, and his tales of birding, cycling, and self-discovery will inspire others to venture into the outdoors, take note of the birds around them, and make positive changes in their own lives.

Dorian started birding in his Philadelphia backyard at age seven, included the Delaware Valley and Jersey Shore during his preteens, and attended several of Victor Emanuel’s youth birding camps as a teenager. He envisioned himself as an ornithologist but got distracted by molecular biology and alcohol, so his childhood passion for birds lay comatose until he got sober at age 30. Despite that alcoholism and drug abuse which plagued him through his twenties, he completed a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Stanford, did predoctoral biomedical research at Harvard University, and earned his Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics and Molecular Cell Biology from New York University. He then spent three years as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital. Exhausted by the academic rat race and searching for direction, he resigned his postdoctoral position to undertake his Biking for Birds project. Momentum from that life-changing pivot opened many doors including public speaking, travel writing, and tour guiding. He worked in Colombia as a consultant for the National Audubon Society and is currently an international birding guide for Tropical Birding. He is an accomplished bird photographer and has just published his memoir: Under the Influence: Cycling across America in Search of Birds and Recovery.

Salton Sea 🌵🌊*CANCELLED*
2025-01-11 08:00 - 2025-01-12 17:00 | CA
*This trip has been cancelled*

This oasis in the desert beckons! For this overnight trip, we will start early Saturday afternoon, near the north end of the Salton Sea, and then probably bird down the west side of the lake to Unit 1. We’ll spend the night in Brawley, bird a little around the town early on Sunday. We will continue to work our way north on the east side of the lake, stopping at several hotspots before heading home Sunday afternoon. Please note that the trip will require limited driving on unpaved roads.

Please contact Peter Robertshaw (peterrobertshaw@verizon.net, 909-771-9720) for the details and to arrange for carpooling and lodging recommendations.

Target birds: thousands of Snow and Ross’s Geese, Sandhill Cranes, lots of ducks and waders, rails, raptors, Burrowing Owls, Mountain Bluebirds and Plovers, and desert species like Gambel’s Quail, Abert’s Towhee, doves, Gila and Ladder-Backed Woodpeckers, and Vermilion Flycatcher.

Mt. Clef Open Space/CLU ⛰️🌵
2025-01-19 08:00 - 11:00 | Briar Bluff (CLU), 200 Bainbridge Ct, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360, United States
Poke through the prickly pear patches (but try not to get poked!) as we look for roadrunners, Cactus Wren, and the endangered California Gnatcatcher! If time permits, we may go down to CLU and explore different habitats on campus. Meet at the end of Bainbridge Ct. at 8 am. Trip leader: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098.

Pt. Mugu Naval Base ✈️🪖
2025-01-24 08:00 - 13:00 | Pt. Mugu Naval Base, 10A Naval Air Rd., Port Hueneme, CA, 93041, United States
Join us as we explore Ventura County’s most biodiverse hotspot (please note, that this trip is open to current CVAS members only). The Navy must background check each attendee before attendance, so members will need to email fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org to complete and return the form by January 3rd! Also, this trip lasts longer than our normal field trips (8 a.m. – 1 p.m.), and you are not allowed to be on the base without our trip leaders. So, if you cannot make it the whole time, please come another time.

Target species include Brant, Black Skimmer, shorebird species, Vermillion Flycatcher, and more!

Trip Leaders – Martin Ruane and David Pereksta.

Bard Lake 🦢
2025-02-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Bard Lake, 2100 Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360, United States
Bard Lake is a 230-acre reservoir operated by Calleguas Water District. After a brief introduction by the water district, we will walk around the 3-mile loop around the reservoir looking at 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! Make sure to email fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org to complete the liability form! Trip leader – Sammy Cowell

ANNENBERG WILDLIFE CROSSING
2025-02-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo
Robert Rock, President & CEO of Rock Design Associates, leads the design of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, California. The project involves an ambitious collaboration between five core project partners including the National Wildlife Federation, the National Park Service, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority. Rock’s project team is comprised of over a dozen consultants with considerable expertise in their respective fields, from engineering to wildlife biology and from acoustic modeling to soil science. Rock’s expert team collaborates directly with Caltrans on the documentation and construction oversight of the crossing and the additional twelve acres of restored habitat that will reconnect the Simi Hills on the north to the Santa Monica Mountains on the south over the 101 Freeway. His talk will include insights into the thorough design process needed for such a project and the unique collaboration necessary to accomplish it. The concrete structure over the freeway has made incredible progress over the course of the last year and Rock’s talk will include an update on construction efforts as well as a few things to look forward to seeing on the project site this spring.

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)

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.

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.

Lake Sherwood 🦆🏘️
2025-02-08 08:00 - 11:00 | Lake Sherwood, 2201 Stafford Rd., Westlake Village, CA, 91361
Look for waterfowl and oak woodland denizens at the foothills of the Santa Monica’s! Space is limited, so call Bob Zwiegler (805) 496-0377 to get your name onto the list to get through the Stafford Rd. gate. Meet at 8 a.m.

Great Backyard Bird Count 🐦
2025-02-15 08:00 - 10:00 | CA
Every year in February, the National Audubon Society hosts the Great Backyard Bird Count (https://www.birdcount.org/). This year, our chapter will participate by actually birdwatching in people’s backyards! We will have 4 home locations (Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, and Camarillo) to choose from. If you are interested in joining contact Sammy Cowell (818-470-7098, samueldavidcowell@gmail.com) to be assigned a home! Afterwards, we will hope onto a Zoom call to share our lists!

Carrizo Plains 🌷
2025-02-22 00:00 - 23:59 | Carrizo Plain Meeting Point, 32660 CA-33, Maricopa, CA, 93252, United States
Take a trip to the beautiful Carrizo plain where Ferruginous Hawks, Prairie Falcons, Golden Eagles, Mountain Bluebirds, and Mountain Plovers like to spend the winter! This is an all day trip, so be prepared! Meet at 8 a.m. at the corner of Hwy 166/33 and Soda Lake Rd. Trip leaders: Thelma Williams and Dee Lyon (805) 427-0987

CVAS ANNUAL DINNER & AUCTION
2025-03-02 17:30 - 21:00 | Palm Garden Hotel, 495 Ventu Park Road, Thousand Oaks, California, 91320
This is our annual gala fundraiser. Click here for full info

SMITHSONIAN BIRD FRIENDLY® CERTIFICATION
2025-03-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012
Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification

Did you know that many of the brilliant birds flitting across North American backyards are coffee connoisseurs—and you can help them out with your own coffee choices? Many migrant songbirds spend winters on farms where coffee grows under tall trees. Developed by Smithsonian scientists, Bird Friendly® is the only certification that guarantees every coffee bean sold is grown in a way that protects habitat for birds and other wildlife. As the gold standard in biodiversity-friendly certifications, all Bird Friendly coffee comes from organic and deforestation-free farms that sustain diverse, native shade trees on their land. In 2023, the Bird Friendly program certified over 14,000 hectares of land in 12 countries, with 3.58 million pounds of coffee moving through the certified supply chain.

Join Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center’s Laura Rathmell as she discusses coffee, birds, and how your morning cup of coffee can protect the migratory birds we know and love.

To learn more about the Bird Friendly program and where to buy Bird Friendly® certified coffee, visit https://birdfriendly.si.edu

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)

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.

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.

🛶Lake Piru
2025-03-08 08:00 - 11:00 | Lake Piru, 4780 Piru Canyon Rd, Piru, CA, 93040
Meet at 8:00 am at Warring Park in Piru. We’ll look for the largest bird in North America, the California Condor as well as other large raptors, plus waterfowl, and early spring migrants. The entrance fee will be $5 per car for this field trip, instead of the normal $10, so be sure to tell them you are part of the CVAS birding group.

Trip leaders: Peter Robertshaw (909) 771-9720.

© Don Klabunde

Beginner Bird Walk
2025-03-12 08:00 - 11:00 | CA
Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa

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, 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 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)

🦅Lake Casitas
2025-03-15 08:00 - 11:00 | Lake Casitas, 11311 Santa Ana Rd, Ventura, CA, 93001, United States
Thanks to Ojai Rotary Club, we will be able to charter a small boat out onto the lake! Space is limited, so please text Sammy at (818) 470-7098 or email him at fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org if you are interested in coming on this trip. Meet outside the lake entrance at 8:00 am, and we’ll carpool in, since the cost is $20 per car.

Trip leaders: Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098 and Jerry Maryniuk

🦗Potrero Open Space
2025-03-23 08:00 - 11:00 | Rancho Potrero, 5020 Lynn Rd, Thousand Oaks, California, 91320, United States
*DATE CHANGE*

Sunday, Mar 23nd: Potrero Open Space

Meet at 8:00 am in the Rancho Potrero Trailhead parking lot off Lynn Road. This open space is ideal habitat for a variety of grassland species! We’ll specifically be looking for the local population of Grasshopper Sparrows that winter and breed in the area. Vesper Sparrow and Western Meadowlark overwinter as well, and swallows and kingbirds might be arriving early.

Trip leader: Ryan Burnett (530) 258-6742

🛣️ Cañada Larga Road
2025-03-29 08:00 | Canada Larga Road, 180 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura, CA, 93001
Saturday, Mar 29th: Cañada Larga Road

The ranchland along Cañada Larga Road provides great habitat for many grassland species, and the riparian habitat along the creek is a great place to spot early migrants. Meet at 8:00 am at the beginning of the road, and we will drive up the canyon together, stopping at various points.

Trip leader: Marc Better (510) 919-5283

🪽Sisar Canyon
2025-04-05 08:00 - 11:00 | Sisar Canyon, 12799 Sisar Canyon Rd, Ojai, CA, 93023
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).

April Monthly Program-The Klabundes’ Great Eclipse Birding Adventure
2025-04-07 19:00 | CA
The Klabundes’ Great Eclipse Birding Adventure

On April 8th 2024, North America was treated to the spectacle of a total solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow passed across the continent, from Mexico to Newfoundland. Many of us scurried to points along the path of totality. Some were greeted by clouds, but others got lucky and had beautiful clear skies. Don and Chrystal Klabunde were among the lucky. So, join us on April 7th as they present photos from a few birding hot spots along their cross-country drive to Indiana as well as Don’s awesome photos of the 2024 total eclipse!

🪻Conejo Valley Botanical Garden
2025-04-13 08:00 - 11:00 | Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360
As migration heats up, the Conejo Valley Botanical Garden offers birds a nice resting stop in the middle of Thousand Oaks. There is a decent chance to see multiple different warbler species, vireos, flycatchers, orioles, and other migrants.

Meet at the parking lot off Jeaunine Dr.

Trip leader: David Person (805 469-6806)
