PLEASE NOTE: Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on public gatherings, all GGAS field trips have been cancelled through the month of May. We will post any further updates as soon as we are alerted of them. You can also check GGAS Chat for the latest updates as well.

Join us on one of our upcoming field trips! Nearly all are free and beginners are always welcome.

Cancellations: Heavy rain almost always cancels trips. Other cancellations may be posted on the GGAS-Chat discussion group: Sign up for free at groups.io/g/GGAS-Chat. If you’re uncertain about whether a trip has been cancelled, please contact the trip leader.

Our field trips welcome birders of all skill levels, especially beginning birders. We encourage experienced birders to help the new birders in the group. And beginners: Don’t be shy. We encourage you to identify yourselves at the start of the walks so that the leaders and more experienced birders can help.

You can also find our walks on Meetup at https://www.meetup.com/Golden-Gate-Audubon-Society/

New GGAS chat group

We’ve started a new chat group where we can post updates to field trips and conduct general birding/conservation discussions. Click here to go to the site. Membership is free.

https://groups.io/g/GGAS-Chat

Pelagic trips, including the Farallons

We’re listing these links to opportunities for seabirding, for your convenience.

Please contact them directly for more information, cost and reservations.

Alvaro Jaramillo leads outstanding trips and bring experienced sea-birders along as spotters. Trips leave from a variety of ports, including Monterey (with the submarine canyon in Monterey Bay).

Alvaro’s Adventures

Alvaro Jaramillo alvarosadventures.com

email: alvaro@alvarosadventures.com

These Farallon trips leave from Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.

Whalewatching trips that include the Farallones:

For these, look at the biographical sketches of the guides and then call and ask which trips have guides who are enthusiastic about birds as well as marine mammals. These trips leave from Sausalito and San Francisco.

Oceanic Society

www.oceanicsociety.org

follow the links for Whalewatching and then Farallones

Contact link has phone numbers.

Grebe Courtship

If you are interested in seeing the courtship rituals of the Western and Clarke’s Grebe consider booking with Faith Rigolosi who takes groups out on her comfortable 10-seat boat on Clear Lake. Faith has been a supporter of our Birdathon for many years. The best time to witness the grebe courtship displays is in late spring, early summer. For more info, see Faith’s website here. Contact Faith at faithrig@gmail.com.

GGAS Is Looking For New Field Trip Leaders!

If you’re a birder and have favorite spots that you would like to share, please consider joining our cadre of volunteer field trip leaders.

It might sound a little scary (“Who me? I can’t lead a field trip.”) but it’s really fun and quite easy.

We’re planning some training walks. We’ll help you write trip descriptions and find background resources on the places you love to go birding.

And you don’t need to be able to identify every bird. You’ll be successful by organizing an enjoyable walk at an interesting location. Need a coach? If you’d like a mentor, we’ll match you up with an experienced field trip leader.

If you’re interested (even if you’re maybe a little interested, but also a little nervous) contact Maureen Lahiff, adult education committee chair, 510.484.6529, MLahiff@aol.com or our field trip coordinator, Steve Lombardi, hotrock175@gmail.com.

Photo by Ilana De Bare