4th Annual Snow Goose Festival, Jan. 24-26, 2003

Saturday, January 25 - Field Trips
6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.	Big Birding Day Expert birders, take this opportunity to fill out your species lists on a tour of northern California’s greatest winter birding sites. Highlights of this tour include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and the CA Dept. of Fish & Game’s Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. More than 2.5 million wintering migratory waterfowl using the Pacific Flyway are attracted to this area. Numerous migratory and non-migratory neotropical and raptor species can also be viewed. Last year, participants on this tour recorded 95 different bird species. A "honker meal" including sandwich, chips, cookie, and drink can be purchased for $3.50 the morning of this tour. Warning: This is not for beginning birders! Field Trip Leader: Richard Redmond has been an Audubon member since 1975 and is now president of the local Altacal Audubon Chapter, as well as a member of the Central Valley Bird Club and American Birds.
7 a.m. - 4 p.m.	Refuge to Refuge Visit two premier Sacramento Valley wildlife refuges. Our first destination will be the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sacramento NWR near Willows. This time of year the valley is loaded with ducks and geese, so we may stop a few times along the way to view large flocks of waterfowl in the agricultural lands. Next, we will travel to the CA Dept. of Fish & Game Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. Plan to see huge flocks of snow geese, American wigeon, northern pintail, mallard, green winged teal and perhaps a blue winged teal and Eurasian wigeon. We should also see white-faced ibis, sandhill cranes and a variety of raptors. A "honker meal" including sandwich, chips, cookie, and drink can be purchased for $3.50 the morning of this tour. Field Trip Leaders: Skip Augur is editor of the White-Tailed Kite, the newsletter of the local Altacal Audubon Society. He is an avid birder and has spent many hours in the field. Steve Emmons is Assistant Manager for the Sacramento NWR. His background and education is in biology and law enforcement, and he is an avid birder and accomplished photographer.
7 a.m. - 2 p.m.	Chico to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Enjoy great birding opportunities as you travel the backroads from Chico to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. Jay has made this trip many a time and knows some of the great stopping places. Gray Lodge, managed by the California Department of Fish and Game, is known for its impressive number of wintering waterfowl. Enjoy a drive along a three-mile auto tour loop as well as a short walk (.3 miles) to a viewing platform where a spotting scope is available for enhanced viewing. Along with identifying numerous avian species Jay will give a brief overview of the wetland ecology of this intensively managed wildlife area. Viewing opportunities include a variety of waterfowl (including snow geese) raptors and neotropical birds. Field Trip Leader: Jay Bogiatto has an MS degree in Biology and Wildlife Management. He is a well-known and popular professor at CSU, Chico with expertise in a variety of waterfowl topics. Jay has also served as project director for a three-year duck and goose habitat utilization study on The Nature Conservancy's Vina Plains Preserve.
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.	Hike the Sutter Buttes (note: registration for this event is closed*) Take a 5 mile hike into the mysterious interior of the Sutter Buttes. Visit secluded locations that reveal the Buttes’ geologic formation, Native American presence, old pioneer home sites, and a wild ecology typical of California’s past. Two separate hikes are available: a Summit Ascent and a mid-mountain hike. The Summit Ascent, with a 1000 ft. elevation gain within a _ mile stretch, is quite strenuous. The mid-mountain is moderately brisk Field Trip Leaders: Mike Hubbartt has led hikes in the Sutter Buttes for 21 years. Mike is President of the Middle Mountain Foundation, which strives to preserve the natural character of a truly unique landscape. Marty Steidlemayer, local landowner within the Buttes, will guide a hike through his property, sharing his intimate knowledge of the area. Birding expert Mary Muchowski will help to identify birds on the hike. Since 1988, she has worked for the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the federal Bureau of Land Management conducting wildlife surveys of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and plants. She loves watching birds and helping others learn to identify different species.
8 a.m. - 12 noon	USFWS Llano Seco & Beginning Birding The Llano Seco Unit of the Sacramento River NWR offers sensational views from an elevated viewing platform. This trip is designed for the beginning to intermediate birder (advanced birders are also welcome) as this is an ideal spot to see a large variety of species without having to travel far and wide. Your leader will share interesting facts about the birds, as well as helpful hints on identification. You can expect to see a variety of wintering waterfowl, sandhill cranes, raptors (possibly bald eagles), and many other species. Just a short drive outside of Chico, this is definitely a birding hot spot! Field Trip Leader: Shelly Kirn is a popular instructor at CSU Chico and Butte College. Her classes include field biology, zoology and plant science.
8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	Feather River Region & Nature Trail Join outdoor enthusiasts for nature and bird discovery along the Feather River. We will caravan to the Old Bath House Nature Center in Oroville near the Table Mountain Bridge at Montgomery and Bridge Streets where the tour begins. Field Trip Leader: Rex Burress, naturalist, will guide you into the wonders of this riparian area that is rich in aquatic life. Rex has been a wildlife artist for 40 years with a keen eye for spotting and identifying the area's vast wildlife, which may include mergansers, goldeneye, bufflehead, osprey, eagle, and if we're very lucky, even some river otter and lingering salmon.
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.	Esquon Ranch Road to Butte College Refuge Just a short drive outside of Durham along the roadways bordering the Esquon Ranch, snow geese, white-fronted geese and sandhill cranes can be seen in great numbers right from your vehicle. Bald eagles are occasionally spotted perched in the snags along the agricultural wetlands, and many more birds and wintering wildlife will be seen during your visit to the sanctuary of Butte College. Field Trip Leaders: Herman Gray and Bob Guzman are both active Gray Lodge Wildlife Area volunteers and docents. They are local residents who enjoy pointing out the fascinating sites and habitats that make up the wonderful diversity of the northern Sacramento Valley. Albin Bills is a field biology instructor at Butte College and has been a faculty advisor to the campus refuge for over twenty-five years.
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.	Lundberg Farms (note: registration for this event is closed*) Tour the farm famous for its specialty rice products and for attracting wildlife to it organic fields. Witness first-hand how valley farm practices, and ecological farming in particular, can benefit migratory and non-migratory bird populations of the Pacific Flyway. Field Trip Leader: Jessica Lundberg will personally greet and lead this tour of her family’s processing facilities and adjacent farmland.
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.	Bike & Bird for the Whole Family Bring the whole family (and bikes and helmets) for a fun and informative afternoon in Bidwell Park. This easy bike ride begins at the Chico Creek Nature Center and continues through the lower park, with lots of stops as you look for birds that spend the winter in the area. Your guide will also be pointing out other signs of wildlife spending the winter in Bidwell Park. Field Trip Leader: Scott Toricelli is a well-known popular naturalist and teacher who has an intimate knowledge of the Chico area. He was a naturalist at the Yosemite Institute, has coordinated programs for the Chico Creek Nature Center for several years, and has taught environmental education for over twenty-five years.

Sunday, January 26 - Field Trips
7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	Chico Oxidation Ponds Just a few miles from downtown Chico, these local oxidation ponds have been mentioned in several books on Northern California as a premier birding spot. Walk on the levees behind the City of Chico Sewage Treatment Plant and find many species of local and migrating waterfowl and other birds and mammals. Field Trip Leader: Mary Muchowski began birding in 1988 when she took Ornithology at South Dakota State University. Since then she has worked for the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management conducting wildlife surveys for birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and plants. She loves watching birds and helping others learn to identify different species.
7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.	Bird the Shores of Black Butte Lake Situated on the west side of the upper Sacramento Valley, Black Butte Lake is surrounded by beautiful dark volcanic buttes. Come explore the many inlets this lake has to offer and see pied-billed grebes, common mergansers, American wigeon, green-winged teal, Clark’s and western grebes. Stop along the roads and see wild turkeys, bluebirds, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. Lewis’s woodpeckers, and golden and bald eagle winter in this area, too. Field Trip Leader: Richard Redmond has been an Audubon member since 1975 and is now president of the local Altacal Audubon Chapter, as well as a member of the Central Valley Bird Club and American Birds.
8 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.	Vina Plains to Pine Creek & The River Visit The Nature Conservancy's Vina Plains Preserve and learn about the foraging characteristics of waterfowl in vernal pool habitats, in addition to the rare plants and animals of vernal pool ecosystems. Next, travel to the Pine Creek Unit of the Sacramento River NWR and learn about riparian restoration, as well as anadromous fish and migratory songbirds. Field Trip Leaders: Joe Silveira has a BS and MS in Biology, and has been a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1990. Dawit Zeleke is a restoration specialist and land manager for The Nature Conservancy.
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Bedrock Park along the Feather River & Oroville Wildlife Area The main attraction of this leisurely walk is the diving duck population that frequents this stretch of the Feather River. Buffleheads, goldeneyes, ruddy ducks and common mergansers can be seen doing their courtship and bonding displays. A short drive to the Oroville Wildlife Area offers additional viewing opportunities of waterfowl and other wintering birds. Field Trip Leaders: Leroy Hord and John Grow are both active local birders and very involved in the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area and the Oroville Wildlife Area Wood Duck Programs.
9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	Kayaking at the Forebay Cruise the cold waters of the North Forebay of Lake Oroville and get up close with the resident and wintering waterfowl. This is a leisurely 3-mile paddle, and you must have your own canoe or kayak to attend. You must also have a PFD (personal floatation device) for each person on your boat. Bring binoculars and warm clothing. Field Trip Leader: Dave Garcia has been a State Park Ranger at Lake Oroville for 18 years. Dave is a Sierra Club and Audubon member and enjoys the outdoors and birding, as both a vocation and a hobby. Kayak Rentals are available from North Rim Adventure Sports 178 East 2nd Street, Chico (530)345-2453
12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.	Wing-It to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge While at the Refuge, this trip offers excellent viewing without ever having to leave your car! But the "winging-it" part of this trip is where the fun really starts! En route, expect to veer off the beaten path a bit, as your leader gravitates to where the birds really are. When you arrive at the Refuge Visitor Center, view the diorama and pick-up a wildlife checklist, and then go off on a leisurely adventure around the auto tour loop. An informative radio program can be tuned in while on the tour, and you can stop and stretch at the viewing platform and the other Park and Stretch area for a closer look at the thousands of waterfowl that winter on this refuge. Field Trip Leader: Michael Denega brings his enthusiasm as a dynamic instructor and researcher of biological sciences to his birding. His travels and studies have taken him from the northern-most regions of the Pacific Flyway in Alaska to the southern-most habitats of South America, yet he still makes his home in the Central Valley, where he encourages his students to learn by going out in the field.
1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.	USFWS Llano Seco Viewing Platform The Llano Seco Unit of the Sacramento River NWR offers sensational views of a wetland area from an elevated viewing platform. The afternoon viewing at this site can be spectacular. Probable species include sandhill cranes, a large variety of wintering waterfowl, raptors and possibly a bald eagle. Llano Seco is just a short drive outside of Chico. This trip promises to be a great conclusion to your Snow Goose Festival experience! Leader: Shelly Kirn is a popular instructor at CSU Chico and Butte College. Her classes include field biology, zoology and plant science.
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.	Indian Fishery Area of Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park State Park Ranger Rick McGaugh will greet you at the picnic area of the Indian Fishery Day Use Area and provide an overview of the cultural and natural history of the park. Take a guided walk on the _ mile nature trail that winds through an oak woodland forest adjacent to an oxbow lake. Woodpeckers abound, along with opportunities to see other woodland and aquatic birds, in addition to river otter, beaver and pond turtles. Field Trip Leader: Rick McGaugh has been the Unit Ranger at Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park for more than 16 years. Local birding expert, Ann Oswald, will bring her many years of birding experience to help locate and identify birds that frequent the river.

A special note about Field Trips Carpooling is encouraged. Please arrive at the Chico Masonic Family Center 15 minutes prior to your scheduled event, in order to check-in. All field trips will be limited to the first 20 reservations. Preregistration is highly recommended.

Weather may change a trip's itinerary, but most trips will be conducted rain or shine. The weather in the valley during January is variable. It is generally cold and sometimes rainy, with daytime highs ranging from 50 - 65F.
Be sure to bring the following on your field trips: Rain gear, waterproof footwear, layered clothing, binoculars, camera, water, field identification guide, and snack or lunch as needed.