Altacal Audubon Society

Weather permitting, this trip will be different! It is our last Second Saturday hike before summer break. Start at Horseshoe Lake and drive up to Bear Hole. We’ll hike the rim of the spectacular Iron Canyon, through Black Rail and Peregrine Falcon habitat and late blooming wildflowers. Prepare for a little mud from seeps. Birders of all levels are welcome. Meet at east Horseshoe Lake parking lot just past the gun club at 9 am. Bring binoculars, water, snacks, walking shoes and proper clothing for expected weather. Back to our cars by noon. Rain cancels. altacal.org/sites/UpperBidwellPark/index.php. For more information contact Skip Augur at wba@acm.org or 530-519-4724.

In cooperation with California State Parks, Altacal Audubon is offering a guided hike into the Sutter Buttes Peace Valley area with Parks Ranger Zach Chambers. We will visit an early California cemetery, a Wintu grinding rock site, an old homestead, a beautiful side canyon deep within the Buttes and the birding for those spring migrants will be at its peak! The hiking will be mostly on uneven ground and climbs will be from moderate to strenuous. Good physical shape is required.

We will meet at Chico Park & Ride (lot closes to Hwy 99) at 8 am. Bring binoculars, field guide, and food, plenty of water, wear hiking boots and money for ride sharing. There is a twenty person limit. Advance reservations are required with a requested donation of $20. Please contact Jennifer Patten at jpchico@sbcglobal.net.

Two trips in one! Our first stop will be the Pine Creek Unit of the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge. We will walk and bird parts of this restored site looking for grassland and riparian birds. Next we will visit the Indian Fishery area of the Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park. Here we will walk a half mile nature trail to see several species of woodpeckers and many other resident and migrating woodland and aquatic birds. We may also see river otter, beaver and pond turtles. Beginning birders are always welcome. Bring water, a snack or lunch. Meet at the Chico Park & Ride closest to Hwy 99 at 8:30 am. We will carpool over to the Pine Creek Unit and then to the Indian Fishery. We will return by 1 pm Rain cancels. For more information, contact Skip Augur at wba@acm.org or 530-519-4724.

We’ll take a walk on the Brad Freeman Trail meandering along a portion of the lovely Feather River, up to the spillway and beyond, enjoying a relatively flat mile or two walk. We’ll see both riparian species like Common Mergansers and Belted Kingfishers and songbirds that inhabit the gray pine/chaparral community including California Towhee and Wrentit and more elusive birds like Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Rock Wren. Meeting time is 8 am in the parking area near the bathhouse on Old Ferry Road off of the Montgomery Street round-a-bout in Oroville. Please carpool as parking is limited. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen, hats and binoculars. There could be opportunities to take a dip too! The trip will end about 1pm. To see the meeting place and birding route: http://g.co/maps/ep4qu. To view the Brad Freeman Trail, http://www.giswk.tzo.com/lowerdamtrails/default.aspx. Contact Dawn Garcia at mel.dawn@sbcglobal.net or 530-513-1785.

Image copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART