Waterbirds and Shorebirds in Winter

Instructor: Maureen Lahiff (MLahiff@aol.com)

This class is being offered only once this fall.  If you have already taken it, please wait until August 18 to register, so people who haven’t taken it have a chance to register. Thanks!

In autumn, the Bay Area’s astounding array of resident shore and water birds are joined by over half a million birds who have bred in the north, some stopping to rest and refuel on their way further south, others coming to spend the winter here. This class will assist beginners and advanced beginners in sharpening their ID skills. Learning about what the birds eat, how they feed and their travel patterns will enhance your appreciation and your ID of both our residents and our winter visitors. Many locations in the Bay Area provide great opportunities to see these birds close up and study their behavior.     

Field trip locations: Alameda (Crab Cove and Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary, 8:30 am start), Middle  Harbor Shoreline Park (Oakland, 10:30 am start), Hayward Regional Shoreline (10 am start), MLK Jr Regional Shoreline (Oakland, 2 pm start), Staten Island and Cosumnes River Preserve (in the Delta near Galt, 9:30 am start). Field trip walking is on level ground, mostly paved trails, with some walking on hard-packed trail (Alameda) and sand (Middle Harbor). If you’d like more information about the field trips to help you decide if the class will work for you, please email Maureen.

Recordings of the lecture presentations will be available to class participants  for a limited period of time.

Five Tuesday evening classes by Zoom, 7 to 9 pm: October 2, 28; November 4, 11, 18.

Four three to four hour Sunday field trips, timed with the tides, October 26; 
November 2, 9, 16; and a longer 3/4 day trip in the Delta on November 23.

Sunday, November 30 will be a rain date if a field trip needs to be postponed.

Field trip details and directions will be announced in class and by email.

Class Size: Limited to 20 participants

Price: $300 ($240 for GGBA members, a 20% discount).

Registration opens at 1 pm on Wednesday, August 6 and closes at 11pm on Monday, October 20