Meet at 7:30 AM at Majors Outpost, 3000 Almanor Drive West, Canyondam, CA, on the west shore of Lake Almanor at the Plumas Pines Resort.
Bring water, sun protection, binoculars.
Activity level 1 and 4. Travel on water, walking up and down the docks.
DESCRIPTION Traveling by pontoon boat on beautiful Lake Almanor with majestic views of Lassen Peak, this trip will take participants to see Western and Clark’s Grebes on their floating nests (from the safe distance of 300 feet). While skimming across the water from a comfortable seat, you will have the opportunity to see many different species of birds. Some of the frequently seen species are Osprey, Bald Eagle, Common Merganser, White Pelican, Bufflehead, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Goldeneye, Eared Grebe, Ring-billed and California Gulls, Red-necked Phalarope, and Forster’s and Common Terns. Rarities including Parasitic Jaeger and Sabine's Gull are often seen as well.
TRIP LEADER: RYAN THONI Ryan Thoni is a biologist and educator. He completed his PhD in evolutionary biology and ecology from Saint Louis University in 2017, where he studied the biodiversity and evolution of Himalayan fish fauna. He has since returned to Plumas County to continue his passion for natural sciences and teaching. He was an associate faculty of the department of Environmental Studies at Feather River College, where he taught classes on wildlife diversity, field techniques, and environmental science. Additionally, Thoni maintains active research projects in the mountains of Asia from Tajikistan to Bhutan. Despite his specialty in ichthyology, Thoni has worked on numerous projects spanning multiple fields of biology including fire ecology, botanical surveys, bird banding, carnivore trapping, various migratory waterfowl projects, freshwater mussel surveys and more. In his free time, he enjoys mushroom foraging, fishing, juggling, and hunting.
Ryan joined Plumas Audubon in the Spring of 2020 as Project Manager and prior to becoming a staff member had been a long-standing member of the Board of Directors. In 2022, Ryan accepted the Executive Director position.