Peregrine Audubon Society's chapter meetings and programs are generally held on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May, at 7PM. The exception is the December meeting. The December 9 meeting is a the second Monday. We'll update details of our schedule as they become available.
All programs except January and February will be held at 7PM in the City Council Chambers of the Ukiah Civic Center at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah. The public is always welcome.
Our January and February programs will be held on Zoom. To receive links, subscribe to our mailing list on our home page.
Board meetings generally take place on the first Thursday of each month, September through May, at 7 PM. Board meetings are open to the membership. You are always welcome and encouraged to participate. Contact a board member here for details.
Chapter Meetings and Programs
Chris Clark on Ghost of the North Goes Hunting: How Great Gray Owl Hunts Voles Under Snow
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Great Gray Owl photos © 2024 Ian Davies, Brian Sullivan and Matti Rekila from the Macaulay Library.
Join us to hear Chris Clark, Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at University of California Riverside present a progam on his recent research on "Animal Aeroacoustics", the study of how flying animals make sounds with their wings. Originally an expert on the sounds hummingbirds make with their feathers in displays, Dr. Clark has begun to unravel the mystery of how and why owls have evolved quiet flight. Quiet flight seems to be a hunting aid, as the birds that have it (including nightbirds, American Kestrel, Harriers, Kites, and of course, Owls) are generally predators. Quiet flight evolves either so that the owl can hear its prey better (the 'Owl ear' hypothesis), or so that they owl can approach its prey in stealth (the 'mouse ear' hypothesis). Although not mutually exclusive, these two hypotheses make certain predictions that differ, such as whether owls that hunt through snow have need of quiet flight. Great Gray Owl, the 'Ghost of the North', is a snow-hunting specialist.
Dr. Clark will present recent research on how Great Gray Owl hunts through snow, which both attenuates (muffles) and refracts the sound of prey. Finally, Dr. Clark will end with the future directions he plans to further unravel how and why owls (and other birds) have evolved to have quiet flight.
Martin McClure on Sharks!
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Martin McClure and Sandbar Sharks © 2024 Martin McClure.
Don't miss tonight's presentation when Martin McClure introduces us to an intriguing member of the animal kingdom. Though not birds, sharks are an ancient and fascinating class of fishes.
During the school year, Martin McClure teaches third grade at Nokomis Elementary. In the summer of 2023 he participated in the NOAA Teacher at Sea program. For this program he joined the crew of RV Oregon II on a two week shark and red snapper long line survey along the Southeast Coast of the US. Martin will be sharing his experiences in conducting research on this voyage, information about sharks, as well as NOAA and the Teacher at Sea program.
Robert Douglas on How Do Fuel Reduction Projects Impact Wildlife Species?
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Brown Bear, Bobcat and Western Spotted Skunk by Robert Douglas © 2024.
Robert Douglas, Jackson Demonstration State Forest biologist, will share some of the data he has gathered from his on-going research while giving participants a look at a wide variety of elusive Jackson Demonstration State Forest wildlife.
Fuel reduction treatments are becoming widespread to reduce the incidence of wildfire by altering the distribution and continuity of fuels around homes and travel routes throughout California’s forests. While these measures have been implemented in dry forest types that have experienced intense, stand-replacing wildfires, we lack understanding how effective these treatments are in mitigating wildfire risk in more moist, coast redwood forests. With the increasing pace and scale of fuels reduction projects, there is also concern among a diverse group of stakeholders about how treatments impact wildlife species and other resources in the forests. Robert will present preliminary data on wildlife species detected as part of this ongoing, collaborative research project on Jackson Demonstration State Forest.
Many of you may remember the fascinating program Robert and Kyle Farmer presented last year on the Spotted Owl Vs. Barred Owl controversy.
Get to Know Your Local Birds!
Monday, December 9, 2024 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Acorn Woodpecker and Anna's Hummingbird by Kent Leland. Photos © 2023
This evening will be our annual Know Your Local Birds Slideshow and Christmas Bird Count Review with George Gibbs and Bob Keiffer. Bob will be presenting his excellent slideshow introduction to our local wintering birds. George will update us on signup details.
Winter is here, the holidays are with us, and our local birds are helping themselves at our feeders again. Every year I am determined to identify those little critters, each and every one! Sure I make some progress, but what of those tough ones that look so similar, those little brown jobs hopping around under the feeder? Yes, I know most are sparrows and surely those feeding above are finches, but which species is each? I definitely need an expert!
Peregrine Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has those experts who can help bring us a step closer to our goal. Join us on Monday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ukiah City Council Chambers when Bob Keiffer will point out distinguishing field marks of our Ukiah area birds. He will discuss and illustrate the sparrows and finches, jays and blackbirds, ducks and waders, as well as the raptors, the hawks and owls, all in living color.
Bring your tough questions for the experts. What birds can I expect in my back yard this winter? How do sparrows and finches differ? Is it really possible to see eagles in the Ukiah Valley? What are the ducks and gulls at Lake Mendocino? Anyone interested in bird calls? Our speaker can help with that too.
Peregrine Audubon also offers help in the field. Beginners and experienced birders can come to the December 9 meeting at 7PM and sign up for the Count, which takes place on Saturday, December 14. We will explain how the Christmas Bird Count works, introduce team leaders, and match you with a group that can best help take you that next step toward better bird biology.
The really avid begin before daybreak and in all kinds of weather. The rest of us can participate for parts of the day or even count at home if we live within the 15-mile diameter count circle (which includes Ukiah). There will be a beginners' count starting at 10AM and meeting at the gate to Mendocino College on Hensley Creek Road..
We meet after the CBC for a potluck dinner in the Alex Rorabaugh Center meeting room at 1640 South State Street. Bring a dish, something to drink, and your eating utensils and join us at 5:00 p.m.
Steve Hampton on Birds and Climate Change
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 7PM - Zoom Meeting
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Photos: Steve Hampton, California Scrub-Jay and big sky.
Photos © 2025 Ilya Povalyaev and the Macaulay Library (California Scrub-Jay) and Steve Hampton .
Zoom in tonight for Steve Hampton's timely presentation about birds and climate change: the changes that are already happening, with a special focus on Northern California.
Birds are responding to climate change, and have been since the mid-1980s. It has only become clear recently. What started as a little bump in the data is now clearly the start of a massive exponential curve. Lesser Goldfinches and California Scrub-jays, among many others, are invading the Pacific Northwest. Anna’s Hummingbirds are over-wintering in Alaska. All booby species have been removed from California's review list. And Western Tanagers are now regular in winter in increasing numbers. At the same time, Wrentits and Oak Titmice are going nowhere. The world of Ivory Gulls and Black Guillemots is melting. Birds are evacuating from the Mojave Desert and literally shrinking, physically, from the Amazon to North America to the Middle East.
The world is changing so fast, and birds with it, that papers are outdated by the time they are published. But the main themes are the same:
- Many birds are responding quickly to rapid climate change.
- Some are not.
- Birds, as a kingdom, like warm weather, and did very well during the last major global warming event 55 million years ago.
- At the species level, there will be winners and losers.
Steve Hampton has been birding since he was 7 years old. He lived in Davis for 30 years and worked for California Dept of Fish and Wildlife much of that time, where he was involved in oil spill response, natural resource damage assessment, seabird restoration, and partnerships with Native communities. He writes regularly for Birding magazine, recently served on the American Ornithological Society's Ad-hoc Committee on English Bird Names, and currently resides in Port Townsend, where he serves as the conservation chair and CBC compiler for Rainshadow Bird Alliance. He combines his love of birds with a PhD in resource economics to analyze bird data. His article in the December 2022 issue of Birding summarized the recent research on birds and climate change. He will present that information, with a special focus on Northern California.
Dan Airola on the Status and Conservation of Purple Martins in California
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 7PM - Zoom Meeting
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Purple Martin feeding juveniles, Purple Martin and Purple Martin juveniles photos © 2025 Dan Airola.
Join us tonight on Zoom when Dan Airola will present an overview of the status and conservation issues facing the Purple Martin in California where it is recognized as a species of special concern. Dan’s talk will discuss the unique live history of this largest North American swallow, differences between the eastern and western subspecies, current threats they face. He will also discuss conservation opportunities through nest box programs and plans for the upcoming 2025 statewide status survey.
Dan is a Wildlife Biologist and Ornithologist who has worked for over 40 years in research and conservation of at-risk species birds in Northern California. Dan has conducted a research and conservation program on the Sacramento Purple Martin population for over 30 years. He also has conducted several status assessments of the species in California and is leading a statewide status survey in 2025. He also has also studied Swainson's Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Bald Eagles, fire-adapted forest species, migrant songbirds, and diving ducks in northern California. Dan also serves the Central Valley Bird Club as a Director, Conservation Chair, and editor of the journal Central Valley Birds.
Roy Arthur Blodgett on Living with Rattlesnakes
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Roy Arthur Blodgett and Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes © 2024 Roy Arthur Blodgett.
Don't miss this evening's presentation by Roy Arthur Blodgett's of Rattlesnake Relations. Tonight we will learn about the fascinating natural history and ecology of the only rattlesnake species native to Mendocino County - the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) - with further insight into how we might better coexist with these oft-misunderstood creatures.
Roy Arthur Blodgett is a naturalist, writer, and rattlesnake enthusiast currently based in Jerusalem Valley, within the ancestral homelands of the Lake Miwok. He has worked on the front lines of human-snake conflict mitigation for over a decade, and is passionate about empowering individuals and communities to coexist more peacefully alongside rattlesnakes. Roy's work with Rattlesnake Relations is focused on human-snake conflict mitigation.
Rebecca Rosen on Falconry and Birds of Prey
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Rebecca Rosen and friend, Spectacled Owl and Barbary Falcon © 2025 Rebecca Rosen.
Falconry is an ancient form of hunting that uses hawks, falcons, eagles, or owls to catch prey. Join Rebecca Rosen, a professional falconer, to hear how she uses falcons and other raptors to help vintners protect their crops from flocks of invasive birds. Rebecca will explain the important role that birds of prey play in our ecosystems and introduce us to three of her raptors – a Harris’ Hawk, a Barbary Falcon, and a Spectacled Owl. She will describe how each is unique from other birds of prey, and we will get to see each one up close and personal! School age children are welcome. The program will begin promptly at 7:00, so please arrive on time!
Katherina Audley on When the Whales Win, Everyone Wins: A Tale of Humpbacks and Transformation
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Katherina Audley, Guerrero kids on the boat and in the shape of a whale. Photos © 2025 Whales of Guerrero.
National Geographic Explorer, Katherina Audley will tell the inspiring story of how a union between humpback whales and a small community in Guerrero, Mexico, led to positive change for both. Learn about the journey of Whales of Guerrero, a groundbreaking citizen science project founded in 2013 by Katherina Audley. Learn how her vision cultivated a spirit of conservation, empowering local fishermen and boat operators to thrive through ecotourism while safeguarding a little-explored marine environment. The transformation of this once-struggling coastal region into a vibrant hub known for its diverse and abundant marine wildlife, where young people are now flourishing as ecotourism guides, whale naturalists, and conservation-minded entrepreneurs has become a model for coastal communities to turn to worldwide. Explore how the collaborative research efforts not only contributed to an increase in the local humpback whale population and their relaxed behavior around boats but also led to international protections for these magnificent creatures. Now based at the Noyo Center for Marine Science, Katherina will connect this powerful story to our own backyard, as the very humpback whales breeding in Guerrero feed off the coast of Mendocino. Join us for an insightful presentation and an engaging discussion about the vital lessons learned and how we can all work together to foster healthy oceans and thriving coastal communities.
Katherina Audley is a National Geographic Explorer deeply committed to community-based marine conservation. For over two decades, she has worked to connect whale research with community involvement and clear science communication in various conservation projects. In 2013, she initiated the Whales of Guerrero project in Mexico, an effort that has aimed to involve local communities in marine conservation and monitoring. This work has supported local engagement in environmental stewardship and contributed to marine mammal understanding. Now part of the Noyo Center for Marine Science, Katherina is focused on applying her experiences to conservation efforts in the Mendocino area. With roots in Alaska and an appreciation for coastal communities, Katherina's presentation will share insights from her work in Mexico and explore possibilities for collaborative marine science and conservation here in Northern California.
Field Trips
Field Trip Guidelines: Everyone is welcome! These guidelines apply to all Peregrine Field Trips. Please take a moment to read them if you are new, or use them to refresh your memory if you have birded with us before. The times listed are the departure times - not the assembly times. Please arrive early! Many of the trips are out of the area and require an hour or more of driving, so promptness is necessary.
Due to insurance requirements, Peregrine Audubon leaders are not allowed to organize carpools. Participants are, however, encouraged to voluntarily share rides. Any carpool arrangements are private arrangements between the driver and the passengers. Drivers must carry adequate insurance coverage. Please be courteous and share gas expenses with the driver
Most trips are all day affairs, but at times various people need to get back sooner. By arriving 15-20 minutes early such necessary travel arrangements can be made. You will probably want to take a pack with lunch, water, hat and appropriate clothing - coats, rain gear, etc. - , binoculars*, camera, and perhaps notepad and field guides.
*Binoculars are important, but loaner pairs may be available for newcomers. If you have some to loan, please bring them along.
Willits Mitigation Lands and Waste Water Treatment Plant
Saturday September 21, 2024
Peregrine Audubon in conjunction with MCRCD, Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, will be doing a bird focused field trip on the Willits Bypass Mitigation Lands along Outlet Creek. We hope to see early raptors migrating into the valley, White Tailed Kites and Early Northern Harriers, and see the tail end of the neotropical migration south along the riparian corridors. The Dogwood, poison oak, blackberry, and rose hips will be ripe and attracting may juvenile birds on their migration from north to south for the Fall and Winter. The tule Elk should have begun bugling so we should hear some of them too.
This trip will have limited space available so you must RSVP at: marisela@mcrcd.org We will meet at 8:30 at the Mendocino County Museum.
Reclamation Road in Lake County
Saturday, October 19, 2024
This field trip will start off around Reclamation Road in Lake County. It is just east of the town of Upper Lake, off of Hwy. 20 on the lake side. It is about a 40 minute drive from Ukiah. After Reclamation Road, the group will return west by way of Rodman Slough, located on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road. This road runs between Hwy. 129 and Hwy. 20. Folks should meet in the CVS parking lot in Ukiah at 7:45 and depart Ukiah at 8 am. The trip will hopefully be bolstered by some rain for the wetlands, and if so, folks may want to wear waterproof footwear. Rodman Slough is the 2nd best location for birding in Lake County and the Reclamation Rd. area is the 6th best location for number of species (eBird). Commonly seen species include: Greater White-fronted Goose, Virginia Rail, Sora, White Pelican, White- faced Ibis, the 3 species of Teal, Bonaparte’s Gull, American Avocets, White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Kestrels & Peregrine Falcons, Say’s Phoebe, California Thrasher, and Lincoln Sparrows.
Covelo and Round Valley
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Join us for a fall visit to the Round Valley area, one of our favorite destinations. This beautiful valley with its open grasslands and large Valley Oaks is home to a number of winter visitors not commonly seen in the Ukiah area. In past years birds of note here have included Bald Eagles, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Peregrine and Prairie Falcons, Lewis’s Woodpeckers, and Canyon Wrens. Time and weather permitting we will continue east to the Black Butte/Eel River campground for a picnic and more birding. Meet before our 8:00 am departure from the CVS parking lot, or at 8:30 at the parking lot in front of Willits High School. We should reach Covelo and Keith’s Market around 11:00.
Ukiah Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 14, 2024
The CBC itself is a good opportunity for birders of all experience levels to help us identify and count birds. For details, please attend our December 9 presentation at the Ukiah City Council Chambers or contact George at ggibbs@pacific.net.
Mendocino South Coast
Saturday, January 25, 2025
We will be making a birding trip to the south coast of Mendocino County, focusing on the Point Arena and Manchester areas. This is an excellent area for raptors including Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks. The Garcia River area is also the winter home for Tundra Swans and other waterfowl. Those interested in car-pooling can meet at the CVS parking lot along Orchard Avenue. It is a long drive, so plan on leaving at 7:30. Dress in layers and pack a lunch. This is pretty much a full-day trip so if you need to leave early please plan to drive your own vehicle.
PLEASE NOTE: The trip leaders, Marisela De Santa Anna (707-841-7172) and Helen Menasian (707-489-9932) will not be carpooling. They will be scoping out the Pt. Arena area on Friday the 24th and staying the night at Wildflower Boutique Motel in Pt. Arena. Marisela and Helen WILL MEET THE GROUP AT THE POINT ARENA PIER AT 9:30 AM ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 25. We have some birders from the coast joining us, so this should be a fun day! Please join us!
For those that want to make it a two-day trip, we recommend the Wildflower Boutique Motel, 160 Main Street, Pt. Arena, CA 95468. Phone: 707-207-6665.
Lake Mendocino North Shore
Saturday, February 22, 2025
We will be birding the north end of Lake Mendocino this morning. We will be focusing on the stretch between the boat launch adjacent to the inlet, and along the Pomo A day-use area. There are great views of the lake from this location, so we will be searching through the water birds for wintering ducks and grebes. Loons are a possibility here as well. Other target birds will include wintering song birds and raptors along the lake shore. Bald Eagle is a good possibility. We will be leaving the CVS parking lot at 8:00 and expect to arrive at the parking area above the north boat launch at 8:30.
Jackson State Forest
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Join JDSF Biologist Robert B Douglas for a guided bird walk in Jackson Demonstration State Forest. We will carpool from Ukiah* and Willits and meet Robert at 9:00 AM at the Camp 20 Day Use Area** halfway between Willits and Fort Bragg. Robert will take us to a nearby site in the forest where we are likely to see pileated woodpeckers, northern flickers, warblers, and amphibians. Robert will finish up around noon. We can decide if we want to extend our trip after that, so you may want to bring a lunch.
*Meet before our 7:45 AM departure from the CVS parking lot, or at 8:20 AM at the parking lot in front of Willits High School.
**The Camp 20 Day Use Area is on the Willits-Fort Bragg Road (HWY 20) approximately halfway between Willits and Fort Bragg. It is about 27 minutes from Willits, near Chamberlain Creek. Look for a paved parking area with a gazebo on the south side of the road.
Hopland Research and Extension Center
Saturday, April 26, 2025
We will be birding this beautiful 5300-acre field station on a trip led by Chuck Vaughn. We will visit a variety of habitats including oak woodlands, chaparral, and riparian areas, and will see and hear the diversity of birds that live there.We hope to see residents like Bell's and Rufous-crowned Sparrows. If our timing is good we might also see Golden Eagles, Grasshopper Sparrows, and a number of neotropical migrants. This trip requires short hikes. We will leave from the Ukiah CVS parking lot at 8:00 am, or you can meet us at the Hopland Center at 8:30. Bring your lunch, water, and binoculars. RSVP is required for this field trip as there is limited space, and reservations will be made for Pereegrine members only on a first-come basis. Please send an email to Chuck Vaughn (cevaughn@pacific.net).
Magruder Ranch
Saturday, May 3, 2025
We will be visiting the Magruder Ranch in Potter Valley with our leader, Helen Magruder Menasian. The Magruder family has owned this property for 100 years. The 2,400 acres of fertile bottom land, rolling oak savannah hills and rugged chaparral rangeland provide an array of habitats for wildlife, and habitat conservation is an important component of the Magruder Ranch management. We will leave from the CVS parking lot in Ukiah at 8 am, or you can meet us at the old Potter Valley bridge site along the Russian River (1/4 mile north of Hwy 20 on Potter Valley Road) at 8:30. Bring your lunch, water, binoculars, and favorite field guides.
Last revised April 03, 2025.