Improve Your Birding Skills in The Tilden Nature Area

Leader: Zac Denning, (510) 725-9637, zdenning1@gmail.com

Date: Sunday, July 12 -- 7 to 10 a.m. 

Description: Our goal is to work together to improve our birding skills, starting from where we are now.  We’ll start by finding out what each person wants to improve on. We’ll then walk slowly and sometimes in silence, listening, observing and periodically pausing to discuss what we’ve observing. In addition to covering ID tips, we’ll practice some different techniques, including stationary observation, sky watching and distance scanning, ear birding, ‘pishing’, watching for behavioral clues and more. While any skill level is welcome, this isn’t strictly a beginner class. I will aim to really stretch everyone, introducing some more advanced birding strategies and skills, alongside more basic ones. 

Throughout, we’ll use the birds we find to build our knowledge and familiarity through close observation. What can we observe from a bird’s flight style?  What do we notice when we watch one individual for a longer period of time? We’ll focus not just on identification, but also talk about the context of a bird’s biology, habitat, seasonal movements and habits. We’ll pay attention to calls or behavior to see what stories they tell, such as mobbing, alarm calls, wing fluttering or food caching. We’ll also touch on how to use tools like eBird and Merlin, as well as other resources. But mostly, we’ll move slowly with a focus on close observation.

This will involve 1-2 miles of easy to moderate walking. We’ll walk on both wide unpaved fire roads, as well as shorter distances on narrower paths, with uneven footing, moderate up or down grades or steps. We’ll do our best to avoid poison oak along the trails. 

Dress in layers, bring water & snacks. We will move slowly, often standing still for periods of time. Fog is always possible, and the air at the bottom of this valley can stay cool for longer than elsewhere, so dress for temperatures that are 10 degrees F lower than the forecasted temperature. 

Limit: 15

From the Buchanan St. / Albany exit off of highway 80/580 (the next exit north of Gilman St in Berkeley), head east on Buchanan St (which becomes Marin Ave) towards the Berkeley/Kensington hills, for 2.2 miles past numerous intersections, until you reach a large roundabout with a fountain in the middle. Take the roundabout exit that continues in the same direction as you've been traveling up until now (east), heading very steeply uphill for .3 mi until you reach Spruce St. Make a left on Spruce, continuing for 1 windy uphill mile until you reach the intersection with Grizzly Peak Blvd. Cross Grizzly Peak Blvd, and immediately to your left, just 15 feet past the far side of Grizzly Peak Blvd, look for the entrance to a small road, Canon Drive. Turn left on Canon drive, winding downward for .4 miles, then at the bottom, making a right at the intersection at the bottom of the hill. Almost immediately, you'll see parking on both sides of the road – park anywhere in that area.

It will take 14-17 minutes to get to the Tilden Nature Area from Hwy 80/580.

Google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iCs1Wg6WdeiMmM8r6

Registration opens on Tuesday, June 16, at 1 pm and closes on Thursday, July 9,  at 11 pm.