Field Trips and Meetings

We will begin our walk up the hill to the Ponderosa Lodge Trail from the SC Juvenile Hall / Michael Gray County Park area. We will explore this interesting portion of the sandhills with oak and montane pine where Pileated Woodpeckers and Red Crossbills are possible, in addition to warblers, wrens, woodpeckers, and nuthatches.

Directions: Meet at 8:00 AM in the parking lot for the SC Juvenile Hall off Graham Hill Rd. adjacent Henry Cowell State Park (3650 Graham Hill Rd.).

Leader: Paul Miller

Join us for a hike (on the strenuous side) through Castle Rock State Park. The birding and wildflowers should be great. We hope to see or hear many spring nesting birds, including Hermit Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsends Warbler, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, and many more. 

Directions: Meet at 8:00 AM in the Castle Rock State Park Main Parking Lot off Highway 35 (37.2322763, -122.0977894). There is a $10 day use fee if you do not have a pass.

Leader: Phil Brown

Bill Murphy will present on raptors.  Details of the Program will follow.

Bill is well-qualified on this topic.  Here's his bio: A retired high school teacher and administrator, Bill spent 38 years in California public education. In addition, he has been a licensed falconer for over a half century and a licensed raptor breeder for 40 years, producing over 800 hawks and falcons. He was an associate of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group from its inception and worked with the group to restore peregrine populations from the precipitous decline they suffered as a result of DDT use.  Peregrine falcons as well as Harris hawks bred at his project were released to augment wild populations. Mr. Murphy has also served as President of the California Hawking Club as well as Western Director of the North American Falconers Association.