20. Birding the North Fork Feather River Riparian Corridor (#2)
Saturday, August 5, 2:30pm -4:00 pm
20. BIRDING THE NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR (#2)
DESCRIPTION:
This exciting one-mile round-trip birding walk begins on an old railroad bed and follows a small creek with riparian habitat on both sides of the trail. Then we follow the North Fork of the Feather River to the mouth with views of Lake Almanor. Riparian and meadow habitat, river, lake and mudflats will provide ample opportunities for viewing many species of birds. Target birds include Osprey, Tree and Bank Swallows, Yellow, Orange-crowned, and Audubon’s Warblers, and Warbling Vireos, Cassin’s Finch, and Kingfisher. Bald Eagles, Greater Sandhill Cranes, and White Pelicans could fly over at any time. Western Tanagers, Mountain Bluebirds and Rufous Hummingbirds are summer migrants that may be seen. The estuary is the ideal place to spot migrating shorebirds. Year-round birds include Brown Creeper, Pygmy Nuthatch and Pileated Woodpecker.
TRIP LEADER: MITCH POLING
Mitch Poling grew up in Michigan and attended Grand Valley State University. There, he studied natural resource management, with an emphasis on wildlife management and ecosystem restoration. After working a couple of seasons for the Forest Service in Baldwin, MI, he began seeking out wildlife work in the Sierras. After moving around to various places, a Northern goshawk surveyor position with the Plumas Audubon Society caught his attention. He moved here for the job, with his partner Jac, and they pretty quickly became enamored with Plumas County. With its unique ecology and beauty, Mitch decided that this is where he wanted to work to promote the wellbeing of wildlife and the ecosystems that they reside in. While living here, he has done surveys for Northern goshawks, black-backed woodpeckers, California spotted owls, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, willow flycatchers, and carnivores, as well as various habitat restoration and fire management efforts with the Forest Service.
When it's the off season for field work, he's often working in kitchens. If you've eaten at Pangaea, he has probably fed you. He has also worked at some notable restaurants in Grand Rapids, MI and Portland, OR. When he isn't doing field work or working in the kitchen, he enjoys a good hike, camping, birding, fishing, reading old sci-fi novels, playing guitar, experiencing new music, watching old cartoons, the occasional video game, and relaxing by the creek. Mitch's favorite bird is a hermit thrush!
- $20. Limited to 15 participants.
- Meet at 2:00 PM at the Olsen Barn Meadow.
- Activity level 2. Walking about 1 mile round trip on uneven ground, small hills, occasional rocks, lumpy meadowland.
DESCRIPTION:
This exciting one-mile round-trip birding walk begins on an old railroad bed and follows a small creek with riparian habitat on both sides of the trail. Then we follow the North Fork of the Feather River to the mouth with views of Lake Almanor. Riparian and meadow habitat, river, lake and mudflats will provide ample opportunities for viewing many species of birds. Target birds include Osprey, Tree and Bank Swallows, Yellow, Orange-crowned, and Audubon’s Warblers, and Warbling Vireos, Cassin’s Finch, and Kingfisher. Bald Eagles, Greater Sandhill Cranes, and White Pelicans could fly over at any time. Western Tanagers, Mountain Bluebirds and Rufous Hummingbirds are summer migrants that may be seen. The estuary is the ideal place to spot migrating shorebirds. Year-round birds include Brown Creeper, Pygmy Nuthatch and Pileated Woodpecker.
TRIP LEADER: MITCH POLING
Mitch Poling grew up in Michigan and attended Grand Valley State University. There, he studied natural resource management, with an emphasis on wildlife management and ecosystem restoration. After working a couple of seasons for the Forest Service in Baldwin, MI, he began seeking out wildlife work in the Sierras. After moving around to various places, a Northern goshawk surveyor position with the Plumas Audubon Society caught his attention. He moved here for the job, with his partner Jac, and they pretty quickly became enamored with Plumas County. With its unique ecology and beauty, Mitch decided that this is where he wanted to work to promote the wellbeing of wildlife and the ecosystems that they reside in. While living here, he has done surveys for Northern goshawks, black-backed woodpeckers, California spotted owls, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, willow flycatchers, and carnivores, as well as various habitat restoration and fire management efforts with the Forest Service.
When it's the off season for field work, he's often working in kitchens. If you've eaten at Pangaea, he has probably fed you. He has also worked at some notable restaurants in Grand Rapids, MI and Portland, OR. When he isn't doing field work or working in the kitchen, he enjoys a good hike, camping, birding, fishing, reading old sci-fi novels, playing guitar, experiencing new music, watching old cartoons, the occasional video game, and relaxing by the creek. Mitch's favorite bird is a hermit thrush!
