Birds of the Sierra 2026

Leaders : Steve Hunter (shunter@goldengatebirds.org) and
                  Viviana Wolinsky (viwolinsky@gmail.com)
 
The heart of this adventure is six half-day field trips to different habitats in and around Sierra Valley (Sierra and Plumas Counties, north of Truckee). There is an introductory presentation via Zoom to introduce people to the area and its birds.
 
Birds we may see include many Sierra specialties: Swainson’s Hawk; Sandhill Crane; White-headed and Lewis’s Woodpeckers; Calliope Hummingbird; Empidonax flycatchers,  such as Hammond’s, Dusky, and Gray Flycatchers; Mountain Chickadee; Mountain Bluebird; Sage Thrasher; Cassin’s Finch; MacGillivray’s and Hermit Warblers; Western Tanager; Evening Grosbeak; American Dipper; Green-tailed Towhee and Brewer’s Sparrows. There will be an optional evening excursion to listen for booming American Bitterns and winnowing Wilson's Snipes.
 
With the exception of Sunday morning's gradual trek from Lower to Upper Sardine Lake, with a 200 foot elevation gain in a bit over half a mile, on a bumpy, rocky road, most of the walking is on hard-packed roads or trails that are level or have very gradual elevation changes.  Sierra Valley is at 4,850 feet elevation. Yuba Pass is at 6,700 feet elevation.

Lodging and meals are not included in the trip fee. We will send a more detailed itinerary and information about where to look for lodging to those who register.
 
Introductory lecture via Zoom on Wednesday May 20 at 7 pm
 
            (Zoom link will  be provided when you register.)

This presentation will be recorded and a link sent to everyone who is registered.

The field trip meets in Sierra Valley from 3 pm on Thursday June 4 until noon on Sunday June 7.

For more information, please contact Viviana or Steve,
 
Limited to 20 participants. 
 
Price: $400 ($320 for GGAS members, a 20% discount).