Upcoming Field Trips

The quickest way to find out about upcoming trips and registration details is via our member's eblast (these will likely come out in the last week of month prior to the trip). If you have not already signed up for our eblasts sign up here.

Sign up and confirmation notes:

If the Google sign-up form for the trip you want to go on doesn't work the first time, try reloading the web page or restarting your browser, then try again.

If it's less than 3 days before a trip that you signed up for, and you think you should have gotten a message but haven't, try looking for it (carefully) in your spam/junk folder.

If these suggestions didn't help solve the issue, please contact us at fieldtrips@pasadenaaudubon.org .

September 5th: Bette Davis Picnic Area, Glendale Narrows

Saturday, September 5th, 2026
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Leader: Alex Coffey

Along the northeast edge of Griffith Park lies one of the more intriguing birding hotspots of the LA River: Bette Davis Picnic Area / Glendale Narrows Riverwalk. The river habitat and tree cover at this site provide good year-round birding, and in August we may encounter migratory songbirds and a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds. This walk is better than most if you are a photographer looking for eye candy.

The walk is nearly all-level on stable surfaces. However, at one point, we might cross under a bridge on a slanted concrete bank, so wear shoes with a good grip.

Participant limit: none

PHOTO: Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis). Photo by Chris Spurgeon

September 26th: Lower Arroyo Seco

Saturday, September 26th, 2026
8:00 AM to ~10:30 AM
Trip leader: Omar Alui and Preston Hinds

It’s no surprise that in the quintessentially Californian chapparal and oak woodland habitat of the Lower Arroyo Seco, one can reliably find so many of our near-endemic birds, like Nuttall’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, California Towhees, California Thrashers, and Wrentits. But this area can also produce some surprises! A Red-necked Phalarope showed up here last year, and, more recently, a Lazuli Bunting and a Blue Grosbeak! Meet in the parking lot west of the casting pond. Parking can be a challenge here so you may have to park in the neighborhood above and carefully make your way down.

Participant number: 30.

PHOTO: Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus). Photo by Jack Wickel.

September 27th: Piute Ponds

Sunday, September 27th, 2026
7:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Leaders: Jon Feenstra and Alex Coffey

A blip of lush greenery in the vast arid scrubland of the Antelope Valley is unsurprisingly one of the region’s great wetlands. Treated water from the city of Lancaster flows into the historic Amargosa Creek drainage to the shore of Rosamond Lake creating an oasis for both breeding waterbirds and a whole host of migrating waterbirds and landbirds. The list of great bird sightings from the Piute Ponds is long (with a cumulative list over 300 species), but even a “boring” visit will have observations of hundreds to thousands of ducks, including locally uncommon species like Redhead, often flocks of shorebirds that could include Baird’s or Pectoral Sandpipers, warblers working the rows of trees along the ponds, plus lots of herons, ibis, maybe some gulls, terns, rails, and many more. A list approaching 100 different species is possible on a good September day.

Be prepared for some serious heat. We will do some driving on the dirt access roads, but there will be a lot more walking around as well as standing in the sun looking out over the ponds. Bring plenty of water, some salty snacks, and a spotting scope if you have one.

Please note: Piute Ponds is part of Edwards Air Force Base. Recreational use of this area is available to U.S. Citizens and Green Card holders ONLY after vetting through Edwards Air Force Base Security Office prior to visiting. Those chosen by lottery for this trip must have either an annual pass or go through the vetting process to receive a day pass - which requires a weekday trip to Edwards Air Force Base on a day PRIOR to the field trip itself. You will be required to show proof of your pass in order to attend the field trip.

Participant number: 15, by lottery. The signup window will close on Sept. 14th to allow adequate time for the permitting process with Edwards Air Force Base.

PHOTO: Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Photo by Chris Spurgeon.

This field trip is filled.

October 11th: Rescheduled Dana Point Pelagic

Sunday, October 11th, 2026
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Departure location: Dana Point (24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA 92629)
Price: $140.00 per person

We’re were forced to cancel the September 20th pelagic very last-minute, and we offer our sincere apologies to those who were impacted by this unfortunate circumstance. However, we're excited to announce that we've rescheduled for October 11th! Departing from Dana Point in Orange County aboard the Ocean Institute Explorer, we'll spend time exploring the waters of both Orange and Los Angeles Counties. This nine-hour trip will help us connect with species that are harder to see from just your average whale watch, and chartering the boat will allow us to focus specifically on the birds.

We will be providing expert pelagic tour leaders for this trip to help pick out interesting species. Birds that might be encountered include a variety of shearwaters, jaegers, phalaropes, alcids, gulls, and terns. One of our main targets will be the rafts of storm-petrels that gather offshore in September which may include both Black, Ashy, and Least. Uncommon and rare species discovered on similarly timed trips have included: Manx and Flesh-footed Shearwater, Arctic Tern, Red-footed and Blue-footed Booby, and Craveri’s Murrelet among others.

Please note that all ticket sales are final, except in the event of trip cancellation. We will, however, allow transfers and do our best to assist those who need help with that.

By traveling on their boat, this trip also helps support the non-profit Ocean Institute, whose work focuses on marine science, environmental education, and maritime history.

Photo: Pink-footed Shearwater (Ardenna creatopus) by Luke Tiller