Events Calendar
To Sunday 15 February 2015
Leaders: Phil and Pat Gordon field trips AT ohloneaudubon.org
We will be making our annual jaunt to the southern refuges this year. Saturday will be spent at the refuges in the area, including Merced NWR and possibly San Luis NWR and Los Banos Wildlife Area. This should be a day of spectacular views of waterfowl: ducks, geese, cranes and maybe swans. On Saturday, we plan to have dinner at Wool Growers Restaurant in Los Banos (Basque), located near the intersection of 6th and H Street.
Sunday will be spent driving south to Little Panoche Road and the Panoche Valley. Our plan this year is to turn around at the CA-25 junction after birding in the area and come home via I-5, in contrast to previous years’ trips home through Hollister. In Panoche Valley we will be looking for Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Mountain Bluebirds, Vesper and Lark Sparrows, and those Mountain Plovers. We also expect to find a good assortment of raptors.
Campers can spend the night at the Basalt Campground or other campgrounds around San Luis Reservoir including the Medeiros area. Go to the San Luis NWR web site for more information, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=558
Lodging suggestions in Santa Nella include Motel 6 (209-827-2700), Holiday Inn Express (877-859-5095), Best Western Andersen’s Inn (800-780-7234), or Hotel Mission De Oro (209-826-4444).
Meet Saturday at 8:30 AM at the O’Neill Forebay Wildlife Area. From the Bay Area take I-580 east, then I-5 south. Exit at CA-33 south (Santa Nella Blvd.). Restrooms are located at the nearby McDonald’s and Starbucks. Proceed south about 1 mile past Santa Nella on SR-33. The parking area for the wildlife area is just north of the canal and is signed. Drive time is about 1.75 hours.
For more information give Phil or Pat a call at 510/ 538-3550 or cell 510-364-6472 or 510-690-7613; email pagpeg AT aol.com. Trip will go rain or shine. Only heavy flooding will cancel.