Special Walks & Trips
These walks (and boat trips) cover areas other than our regularly scheduled walks.
They are also free, and open to the public.
Redwood Region Audubon Society is proud to support the California Breeding Bird Atlas Project, a 5 year effort across many government, private and non-profit organizations to catalog the breeding birds of the Golden State.
Check this page to join one of our up-coming guided birds walks to fill in valuable data gaps and help atlas our region. To learn more about how to personally get involved, please visit their website: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/home
Thursdays, June 4, 18; July 2, 16, and 30; August 13, 27
Arcata Marsh Breeding Bird Survey 2026
Meet Rob Fowler at 8 am at G Street parking lot at Arcata Marsh for 2-3
hour survey of breeding birds in various areas of the Marsh.
Help
contribute breeding bird data to the Arcata Marsh
Learn
how to look for breeding birds and how to code breeding bird
activity
Learn
how to contribute to the statewide California Bird Atlas (California
Bird Atlas - Discover a new world of birding...)
Anyone
can join—from beginner to advanced birders— and start learning
how to contribute breeding bird data to the California Bird Atlas
while learning more about Arcata Marsh’s breeding birds!
Contact
Rob Fowler at migratoriusfwlr@gmail.com for more information.
Friday, June 5, through Sunday, June 7
Weekend field trip to Groves Prairie, Jim Jam Ridge, and surrounding areas.
This field trip is part of the California Bird Atlas Big Weekend. We will spend Friday at Grove’s Prairie and environs, owling and camping that night at Grove’s Prairie. We will proceed the next morning to the Jim Jam Ridge area, where we will atlas multiple sites before owling and camping at Denny Campground. We will return after birding Denny Campground on Sunday morning. Both campgrounds have vault toilets, but neither has potable water. Please prepare accordingly.
Ruffed Grouse, Canada Jay, American Goshawk, Flammulated Owl, and Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds are exciting possibilities. Please meet at Studio 299, 75 Terrace Lane in Willow Creek at 8 am on Friday, June 5. Please email seanmccannlac@gmail.com to RSVP or request additional information.
Sunday, June 7, 8:00 am
Bridgeville and surrounds
Embark into under-birded Bridgeville and surrounding areas with Redwood Region Audubon Society with RRAS President Kathryn West and Programs Director Eric Nelson. This trip is designed to observe and document breeding bird behavior during the California Bird Atlas "Big Weekend", and will also serve as a brief workshop on how to join the project and link your eBird account to the CBA effort. Plan to meet at 8a.m at the Bridgeville Post Office, and from there we will bird a loop around the Van Duzen River, Community Center, Bridgeville Cemetery, with the option of traveling up Kneeland Rd to observe raptors (possibility of Golden Eagle!) and other upland birds. Please RSVP to Kathryn West at president [at] rras.org to register.
Tuesday, June 9, at noon
Wigi Wetlands
Join us to get root-bound, but still green and bushy, twinberry and osoberry plants in the ground. Please bring shovels and digging implements if you have them, and buckets for carrying water from the truck to the plants.
Pelagic Birding and Whale-watching Trip
Saturday, June 20
Join us on one of our monthly pelagic birding and whale-watching trip aboard the Steller Sunrise with Captain Lowell Wallace, Humboldt Charter Company. The Steller Sunrise is a 43-foot US Coast Guard-inspected vessel featuring a spacious exterior walk-around deck, an enclosed bathroom, and a heated cabin, making it ideal for these 6- to 8-hour trips at sea (depending on conditions). Join us as we go offshore from Humboldt Bay in search of seabirds, whales, dolphins, and other wildlife. RRAS leaders will be on board to help spot and identify wildlife. These are very popular trips, are limited to 15 people per trip, and cost $150 per person, with discounts available for students. Field trip dates include: May 10th (Sunday), June 20th (Saturday), July 18th (Saturday), August 15th (Saturday), September 5th (Saturday), October 10th (Saturday), and November 21st (Saturday). To reserve you spot, contact Sean, whiteouters [at] gmail.com.
Saturday, June 27,
Redwood Creek South Levee
This half-day, 5-mile round-trip outing will start from the town of Orick to the mouth of Redwood Creek. We can expect a mix of riparian, riverine, estuarine, and oceanic species, and there's always the chance of something unexpected! Meet at the Orick Horse Trailhead (where there is a restroom) at 8 am; carpool from Murray Road just east of 101 in McKinleyville at 7:15 am. Contact Ken (shrikethree AT gmail DOT com) with any questions.
Sunday, June 28 Azalea State Reserve
9:00 am
Acquired by the State in 1943, Azalea State Reserve is a small 30 acre holding that is one of the north county’s most vegetative diverse public parks. We’ll explore both loop trails, enjoy the spring flora and hopefully encounter the rich bird life found there. This will be a relaxed morning of birding, which will include the optional drive to visit the Lester's nearby yard for additional plant and bird study.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the location, the site requires a short but somewhat steep walk to complete the two separate loop trails. Meet Gary Lester in the Reserve parking lot on the east side of Azalea Avenue in McKinleyville just north of the intersection of North Bank Road (SR 200) and Azalea Avenue at 9:00 a.m.
