Target birds:Thursday-Tuesday, May 26-31, 2005.
This 6-day trip will be an introduction to southern California’s fauna and flora. The focus will be on the many specialty birds of the region (see target list below). Several of these species have limited ranges in the U.S. (California Gnatcatcher) and two are endemic to California (both are corvids). We will also have an opportunity to study the varied plant species and wildlife in a diverse and scenic landscape. The habitat we will traverse includes chaparral, coastal sage scrub, Pacific cliffs and a Channel Island, coastal and interior mountains, oak woodlands, and arid valleys. This topographic difference will take us from sea level up to 7000 feet.
Target birds:California Condor, California Quail, Mountain Quail, Pigeon Guillemot, Xantus’s Murrelet, Cassin's Auklet, Anna’s Hummingbird, Allen’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Island Scrub-Jay (endemic to California), Yellow-billed Magpie (endemic to California), Oak Titmouse, California Gnatcatcher, California Thrasher, Le Conte’s Thrasher, California Towhee, “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow, Tricolored Blackbird, Lawrence’s Goldfinch.
Jesse Fagan & Craig Rudolph. Jesse, who has lead many trips for TOS, lives in East Texas. Craig was born and raised in Southern California and has a home in Santa Paula. He knows the area very well and is a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service. He will add another dimension with his knowledge of the flora and butterflies and ecological history of the area.
$560/person. The fee will benefit TOS and cover the cost of van rental, a boat trip to Santa Cruz Island, a few meals and some of the expenses of the volunteer trip leaders. The fee does NOT include air transportation, most meals, and lodging; participants will be responsible for these expenses individually. Preference given to TOS members. Price for non-TOS members is $20/person higher. Be sure to read the refund policy stated below.
Participants will be responsible for their own transportation to Los Angeles. This means booking the flight and paying the fare. Checking Expedia.com for airfares, we found Dallas to LAX non-stop, round trip, starts at $223 in late May. A similar flight originating at Houston starts at $304. These flights start before 8 AM and arrive between 10:30 and noon.
Jesse will coordinate the flight schedule(s) and designate a rendezvous point if multiple flights are involved. Jesse adds, "We will need to be birding soon after landing at LAX on the Palos Verdes Peninsula since we will not return to this location (and this is our only chance for California Gnatcatcher)."
Jesse will rent a 15-passenger van. The rental cost, including insurance and gasoline, is included in your registration fee.
Jesse will choose a hotel and provide that information at a later date. A nightly rate of $50-$60 is anticipated. Once that information becomes available, participants must reserve their own rooms. Neither TOS, nor the trip leaders, will reserve rooms for participants. If participants need to cancel rooms, they must do so before the hotel's deadline to avoid billing. The registration fee for this trip does NOT include hotel. You will be expected to pay your own hotel expenses at the time of your stay. Again, details on reservations will be provided later.
Minimum of 6, maximum of 8 participants.
Contact Russell Nelson by e-mail at region5@texasbirds.org If you do not have access to e-mail, you can contact Russell through his cell phone at (512) 431-1420 and leave a voice-message to be called back. If you have questions about the logistics and details of this trip, e-mail Jesse Fagan at jfagan@sfasu.edu
Full payment due upon registration. A mailing address for the check will be provided when you contact us by email. Reservations can be canceled up to March 31 before the trip commences, subject to a $10 cancellation fee. NO REFUNDS if canceled after April 1, although we will attempt to give a partial refund if your cancelled spot can be filled by another participant on a waiting list.