Birding Field Trips

Birds of a Feather Flock Together!

Half-Day Field Trips

black oystercatcher — Black Oystercatchers are easy to spot on coastal rocks as they probe for juicy invertebrates.

We will meet at the shelter in Willamette Park (east end of SE Goodnight Ave.) and tour the park. This is a free, four-hour excursion geared toward people interested in learning more about birds found in the Corvallis area. All levels of expertise are welcome. Please register for this free event. Sign up at: CorvallisAudubonSecondSaturday@gmail.com. Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess lead excursions. The weather may alter plans. Wear comfortable shoes appropriate for walking paved and unpaved trails. Bring hats and rain gear, as well as water and snacks!
Check What’s Happening on the ASC website homepage a few days before the field trip for updates.

white-tailed kite — White-tailed kites are frequent visitors to the Prairie Overlook at William L Finley National Wildlife Refuge.

Multi-Day Field Trips

burrowing owl — Burrowing Owls are a federal Species of Concern due to habitat loss. They use underground burrows in open grasslands that have been excavated by other species, such as badgers.

Get to know Oregon’s wealth of birdwatching locations. The trip to the Klamath Basin NWR expects to see Whitefronted, Snow and Ross’s Geese, plus a splendid array of migratory waterfowl, and possibly migrating passerines. The Rogue Valley objective is to find birds of the California chaparral Bluegray Gnatcatcher, California Towhee, Oak Titmouse, plus the wealth of spring flowers. We will also see Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Along Oak Creek, we will scout for orioles, tanagers, warblers, and other spring migrants. The Malheur NWR is our signature trip, witnessing the spring migration of waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds at one of America’s greatest refuges. The Summer Lake trip features tSnowy Plover, Common Poorwill, and Yellow Rail.

Next, the Wallowas trip explores the NE corner of the state with its spectacular scenery. Steens Mountain takes us up to Oregon’s highest road, where Gray-crowned and Black Rosy Finches forage on snowbanks. The final trip is to the South Coast in mid-September.

All trips usually have a wide range of expert observers who point out not only the birds, but butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, reptiles, flowers, and geology. Signup sheets for all trips will be available at ASC general meetings and by email to flramsey5@comcast.net. Signing up should be accompanied by a $25 deposit for each trip, which is due one month before departure, payable to MVBA and sent to PO Box 148 in Corvallis, 97339. You may also volunteer as a driver (slots available on the signup sheets). Drivers will not be charged for the regular transportation costs. If the signups are not sufficient to run any trip, it will be cancelled and any deposits will be refunded. F

* Mar 14-16: Klamath Basin NWRs
* Apr 25-27: Rogue Valley
* May 17-20: Malheur NWR
* Jun 13-15: Summer Lake
* Jul 17-21: Wallowa Mtns.
* Jul 31-Aug 3: Steens Mtn.
* Mid-Sep TBA: South Coast