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. 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 Tuesday 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
The Mighty Maacama: Tectonic Fracture Zone and Primary Plate Boundary
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Photos: Tectonic sag pond along the Maacama Fracture Zone near Laytonville 2025, Tectonic Landforms of the Maacama fracture zone observed from the slopes above the UC Hopland Research Center 2026, © Rowena Forest/Cal Geographic
Join us to explore the intriguing landforms, living landscapes, and active tectonics of the very young and lively Maacama Fracture Zone. For several months physical geographer, Rowena Forest, had been researching and reporting on the geomorphology, ecosystems, and latest scientific research concerning the Maacama fault and fracture zone when the June 24th, magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit upper Redwood Valley on a “new’’ strand of this complex tectonic system in Mendocino County. Also in the final edits of this Mighty Maacama presentation for the Peregrine Audubon Society when the earthquake occurred, this significant event spurred renewed interest, concern, and a deeper dive into the Maacama’s dynamic tectonic, geomorphic, and ecological setting.
Rowena Forest is a physical geographer and science writer for Cal Geographic, with a lifelong personal and professional focus on California’s dynamic coastal landforms, geomorphology, tectonics, and native ecosystems. She holds a B.A. in Physical Geography from San Francisco State University, with a professional background conducting botanical mapping and habitat surveys on the California coast, the Sierra Nevada, the Farallon Islands, and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands; as well as historic ecology and geomorphology research throughout California. Rowena grew up on the Northern California coast in the tectonic landscape of rural West Marin County, on a marine terrace at the southern tip of the Point Reyes Peninsula. You can review her work at Cal Geographic.com, and her monthly geography column in the Mendocino Voice.
Anna Antonowich on Bats of Mendocino County
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Photos left to right: Mexican Free-tailed Bat, bat injury rehabilitation and Pallid Bat © 2026 NorCalBats.
Tonight Anna Antonowich, a longtime volunteer with Northern California Bats (NorCalBats), will be speaking about the natural history of Mendocino county bats and her experiences in rescuing these amazing creatures.
NorCalBats is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of bats throughout Northern California. In addition, they are committed to public education regarding the environmental benefits of bats, and dispelling fears and myths that lead to the death of roosts and colonies. Based in the Sacramento Valley, trained volunteers care for injured and orphaned bats throughout northern California.
NorCalBats is funded through donations and presentations. They don’t receive any funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture, any state or federal agency, or major corporation.
Charlie Schneider and Justin Smith on the Eel and Russian River Fisheries
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Get to Know Your Local Birds!
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Acorn Woodpecker and Anna's Hummingbird by Kent Leland. Photos © 2026
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 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 meeting and sign up for the Count, which takes place on Saturday, December 19. 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.
Anna Bride on Habitat Restoration for the Endangered Berhen's Silverspot Butterfly
Tuesday, January 19, 2027 at 7PM - Zoom Meeting
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Learn about important work being done along the Mendocino Coast to help a federally endangered butterfly. Anna Bride, Stewardship Project Manager for the Mendocino Land Trust, will share with us the story of the Behren's silverspot butterfly and the work her team and many partners are doing to bring this species back from the brink.
Vishal Subramanyan on "Dear Blondie"
Tuesday, February 16, 2027 at 7PM - Zoom Meeting
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Vishal and Bobcat © 2026 Vishal Subramanyan.
National Geographic Young Explorer and documentary filmmaker Vishal Subramanyan returns to share a sneak peek of "Dear Blondie". This documentary film follows a wild bobcat who has spent over a decade raising kittens on the edge of a Bay Area city.The film documents her extraordinary resilience across eight litters, weaving together rare behavioral footage with a story about urban wildlife, habitat fragmentation, and community.
Vishal Subramanyan is an award-winning wildlife photographer, videographer, and National Geographic Young Explorer. As a freelance storyteller, he partners with leading conservation organizations in California and beyond to create stories that inspire deeper connections between people and nature. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with degrees in ecology and statistics.
His work has been featured by National Geographic, CNN, NPR, Smithsonian, and the LA Times, and has won prestigious awards,including Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Through his work, Vishal shares compelling wildlife stories that spark curiosity and drive conservation action.
Jim Xerogeanes on Lake Pillsbury and Mendocino National Forest
Tuesday, March 16, 2027 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Details to follow
Rebecca Rosen on Falconry and Birds of Prey
Tuesday, April 20, 2027 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
Rebecca Rosen and friend, Barbary Falcon and Screech-Owl © 2026 Rebecca Rosen.
Rebecca Rosen and her birds are back by popular demand! Join Rebecca , 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 some of her raptors. 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!
TBA
Tuesday, May 18, 2027 at 7PM - Ukiah City Council Chambers
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.
Beginners' Bird Walk at Ukiah Waste Water Treatment Plant
Saturday September 26, 2026
At the Ukiah Waste Water Treatment Plant, or UWWTP, you can probably see more species of birds in less time than anywhere else in the Ukiah valley. Its habitat range is outstanding: riparian areas adjacent to the Russian River, settling ponds, beautiful stands of mature valley oaks, blackberry thickets, and adjacent open grasslands. Meet at the UWWTP office area at 8:00. The walk around the oxidation ponds is about one mile, all on level ground.
Clear Lake State Park
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Join us for a morning of birding at Clear Lake State Park. This beautiful park has a variety of habitats that support a great diversity of birds, and it is a great time of year to be out in the oaks enjoying the fall colors. Expect to see some birds we seldom see in Ukiah- American White Pelicans, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and an abundance of water birds. We depart from the CVS parking lot at 8 am, and should arrive at the Visitor Center by 9 if you prefer to meet us there. Parking fee is $8 per vehicle. Be sure to bring a lunch and something to drink for a picnic in the park. For those wishing to continue birding in the afternoon, we will probably be visiting the Lakeside County Park and Rodman Slough areas on our way back to Ukiah.
We will meet at the CVS parking lot in Ukiah at 8:00 am and carpool to the site. Please bring a lunch, water, and binoculars.
Covelo and Round Valley
Saturday, November 21, 2026
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 19, 2026
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 15 presentation at the Ukiah City Council Chambers or contact George at ggibbs@pacific.net.
Central Valley Wildlife Refuges
Friday, January 21 - 24, 2027
Details to follow
Willits Mitigation Lands and Waste Water Treatment Plant
Saturday, February 20, 2027
Northern Harrier, Great Egret. Red-shouldered Hawk and Bull Tule Elk © 2026 Marisela De Santa Anna.
Join Peregrine Audubon and the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District for birding at the Willits Bypass Mitigation Lands in the Little Lake Valley and the Willits Water Treatment Plant. It is a good time of year to see many species of ducks including American Wigeon, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal. Hopefully, we will get to observe hunting raptors such as Bald and Golden Eagles or Northern Harrier and White-tailed Kite. We may also get to see elk or the evidence they leave behind.
Come prepared for an extended outing -- we will meet at 8:30 am at the Mendocino County Museum and ride share to observation sites. We will return to the museum around 1:30 pm so bring a pack with lunch, snacks and plenty of drinking water and your binoculars. Due to winter conditions, bring rubber or "muck" boots if you have them or a change of socks and shoes if you don't.
This trip will have limited space available so you must RSVP at: amyw@mcrcd.org.
Lake Mendocino North Shore
Saturday, March 20, 2027
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.
Hopland Research and Extension Center
Saturday, April 24, 2027
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).
Potter Valley and the Eel River
Saturday, May 8, 2027
The primary birding on this trip is done along the scenic main stem of the Eel River with stops at the Pioneer Bridge, Trout Creek, and possibly Burris Lane. Both MacGillivray's and Hermit Warblers are usually seen on this trip, and they can be difficult to find elsewhere in the county. Other possible birds include Bald Eagle and American Dipper. We will leave from the Ukiah CVS parking lot at 8:00 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 September 01, 2026.