When:
February 11, 2023 @ 8:00 am – 11:00 am
2023-02-11T08:00:00-08:00
2023-02-11T11:00:00-08:00
Where:
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
2605 Adobe Canyon Rd
Kenwood, CA 95452
USA
Contact:
Alma
7078335712

Join Sugarloaf docent Dana Glei for a ~2.3-mile hike (~300’ elevation change) aimed at beginner birders. We will begin by talking about tools for identifying birds (e.g., bird ID books, binoculars, Merlin app) and tracking your sightings (eBird app). Throughout the hike, we will give you pointers for identifying particular species by sight, sound, flight pattern, and/or behavior.

On the hike, we are likely to see different types of woodpecker, corvids (such as CA scrub jay), raptors (such as red-tailed hawks), and New World sparrows (towhees) and other usual suspects such as Western bluebird, Black Phoebe, CA quail, Violet-Green swallow, and Oak titmouse.

Meet at the White Barn. We’ll start off hiking toward the Observatory and then take Lower Bald Mt. to the Creekside Trail. We’ll visit the back deck of the Visitor Center, which is a good site for birding, and backtrack to the Creekside Trail to continue on the Hillside Trail to the lookout vista. We will return along Hillside to the White Barn.

Tickets are $10 general, $5 for students, youth (12-17 year olds; must be accompanied by an adult), Sugarloaf members, Sugarloaf volunteers, and free for children under 12 years old. Bring at least a quart of water, sun protection, binoculars, and if you’d like, a bird identification guide and a snack. Wear layers because it is likely to be cold in the early morning. If you are interested in learning how to use the Merlin app (helpful for identifying birds by sound or picture), make sure it’s installed on your phone along with the bird pack for US: West Coast before you arrive at the park, as there is no cell reception up the mountain.

Parking fees apply. Heavy rains cancel.

Ease of access: The White Barn parking lot has one van-designated parking space. The road to the Observatory is flat with minimal elevation change. Lower Bald Mt Trail is a single track trail not accessible by wheelchair or stroller with elevation loss. The road to the Visitor Center is paved and has additional elevation loss. The back deck of the Visitor Center is accessible for people with wheelchairs. Creekside Nature Trail is flat and ADA-compliant for 0.4 miles but its path splits, with the Southern side of the trail being a single-track trail with a small incline. Hillside Trail is a gravel fire road with a hill of approximately 100 feet up to the former boy scout camp.


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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar of events.