Tree Swallow ©Zane Pickus
Trip Leaders: Zane Pickus, Emmett Iverson
Description:
On January 1, 2026, the California Bird Atlas began! This five-year-long participatory science project will document breeding birds throughout all of California, providing valuable insight into the state’s bird populations as well as how species interact with their habitats. All birders, regardless of experience, are invited to contribute to the project via eBird. This field trip will focus on the ins and outs of the eBird app, with a specific focus on how to contribute to the CBA. eBird has tremendous value to birders of all levels, and the app makes it easy to create checklists and log bird sightings wherever you go. This trip will be geared towards those with little eBird experience and those interested in learning more about the CBA, including best practices for data submission in the field.
As for the birds, the breeding season will be well underway for many species and just beginning for others, so we can expect an exciting morning on the creek. Sparrows, goldfinches, swallows, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens should all be out and about, and we will be on the look out for any breeding behaviors or signs of nesting.
Accessibility:
This trip will involve 2-3 miles of walking along well-maintained reserve trails. Most of these are flat, but there are small slopes in a few spots. There will be frequent stops to talk about birds and log sightings in the eBird mobile app. Outhouses are available at the meeting location.
Meeting Location and Registration:
Birders of all ages and skill levels are welcome! Please bring binoculars, water, and a mobile phone capable of downloading the eBird mobile app. Yolo Bird Alliance will have a scope to share, though this trip will mostly be in creek riparian habitat. High winds or significant rain will cancel this trip. This trip will be capped at 15 participants.
Trip leaders ask that participants have created an eBird account and download the eBird app for iOS or Android prior to the trip. Information on how to do this can be found here: https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile/. Additional information about eBird and how it can be used to learn about birds can be found at this recorded Yolo Bird Alliance speaker series presentation from 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujLAMPCToqg.
Feel free to follow the directions in this tutorial from the CBA, and join the project at the link here: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/home
Please contact Zane Pickus with any questions or to sign-up at yolobirdalliance@gmail.com
Yolo Bird Alliance field trips are free and open to the public. Carpooling is highly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between drivers and riders.