Conejo Valley Audubon Society

BIRD OUR PARKS
2025-11-30 08:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This will be a social birding experiment where we as Ventura County residents will bird our neighborhood parks and see what kind of birds we can find. Birds commonly visit our parks so we will use social media (such as our new “Conejo Valley Audubon Society (CVAS)” WhatsApp community group from your phone) to count birds and discuss what we’re seeing. Every city in Ventura County has multiple parks, so feel free to visit a couple and post your findings on our eBird Trip Report. If you would like to work together as a team, we will have a sign-up form closer to the date. We will then publish our results on the CVAS website and discuss at the December 1st meeting.

Contact John Mueller (818) 625-9584 to indicate which park you intend to cover

Or use our new Field Trip Sign-Up Form and indicate which you want to cover

Here is the proposed list of parks that could be covered. To maximize coverage, I would suggest no more than 2 people per park. Maybe spend 30-60 minutes per park to cover it sufficiently, but not over-doing it. If there are parks missing, please let us know.

Park Name

City

Birder

Bob Kildee Community Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

Community Center Park

Camarillo

Freedom Park

Camarillo

Lokker Park

Camarillo

Mission Oaks Park

Camarillo

Pitts Ranch Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

Valle Lindo Park

Camarillo

John Mueller

El Rio Park

El Rio

Sunkist Park

El Rio

Sheill Park

Fillmore

Two Rivers Park

Fillmore

Meiners Oaks Park

Meiners Oaks

Arroyo Park

Moorpark

Campus View Park

Moorpark

Oak Park

Moorpark

Peach Hill Park

Moorpark

Poindexter Park

Moorpark

Nyeland Acres Park

Nyeland Acres

Chaparral Park

Oak Park

Deerhill Park

Oak Park

Medea Creek Park

Oak Park

Oak Canyon Community Park

Oak Park

Oak View Park

Oak View

Libbey Park

Ojai

Soule Park

Ojai

College Park

Oxnard

Del Sol Park

Oxnard

La Colonia Park

Oxnard

Rio Lindo Park

Oxnard

Rio Vista Park

Oxnard

Southwinds Park

Oxnard

Warring Park

Piru

Bubbling Springs Park

Port Hueneme

Civic Center Park

Port Hueneme

Moranda Park

Port Hueneme

Orvene S. Carpenter Park

Port Hueneme

Wright Park

Port Hueneme

Las Piedras Park

Santa Paula

Teague Park

Santa Paula

Santa Rosa Valley Park

Santa Rosa Valley

Rancho Madera Park

Simi Valley

Rancho Simi Community Park

Simi Valley

Rancho Tapo Community Park

Simi Valley

Sequoia Park

Simi Valley

Conejo Community Park

Thousand Oaks

Conejo Creek North Park

Thousand Oaks

Old Meadows Park

Thousand Oaks

Arroyo Verde Park

Ventura

Barranca Vista Park

Ventura

Camino Real Park

Ventura

Hobert Park

Ventura

Juanamaria Park

Ventura

Marion Cannon Park

Ventura

Montalvo Hill Park

Ventura

Thille Park

Ventura

Westpark

Ventura

Rancho Simi Community Park
2025-11-16 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot nearest the swimming pool off Royal Av west of Erringer Rd. Rancho Simi Community Park is a hot spot that offers up a variety of habitat such as a pond with an island, old sycamores, stands of conifers, and the adjacent Arroyo Simi. Resident species include Canada Goose, Western Bluebird, Belted Kingfisher, Black-crowned Night-heron, and there almost always seems to be at least one White-faced Ibis in the arroyo. We’ll also look for Plumbeous Vireo, Cackling Goose, various ducks, sparrows, migrating warblers, and other winter visitors.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field trips

Leader is Don Klabunde (805) 522-8023

Conejo Creek Park North
2025-11-09 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot on the southern end near the exit. We will then walk a loop of the park to listen and look in the riparian area and grass for migrants and common park birds. This location may have returning waterfowl such as American Wigeon, and the trees and shrubs could be alive with various migratory birds such as warblers, vireos and sparrows.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field tripsLeader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Program: Waterfowl of Mono Lake
2025-11-03 19:00 - 20:30
Mono Lake is well-known for its breeding population of California Gulls, and for the large numbers of Eared Grebes and phalaropes that use the lake in fall migration. Tucked away in the scattered wetlands, ponds and creeks around the shores of Mono Lake, there is also an established breeding waterfowl population. Deborah House has monitored the waterfowl at Mono Lake for over two decades, and she will take you on a virtual tour of the habitats that support waterfowl at Mono Lake, discussing the dynamic nature of these areas, how these systems have varied with lake level, and how breeding waterfowl have responded to these fluctuations.

Deborah is a semi-retired community ecologist who has conducted several long-term bird monitoring programs in the eastern Sierra region of California. She has spent her summers walking the incredibly beautiful and dynamic shoreline of Mono Lake, keeping track of the breeding waterfowl and their habitats as part of the restoration program for the lake.

Pipits, Plovers and Pipers of the Oxnard Plain
2025-10-26 08:00
Meet at 8 am at the end of Arnold Road at the parking area. We can carpool back out to the fields depending on attendance to ensure we don't crowd the side of the road. We’ll spend about an hour on the Arnold Road sod fields and then caravan over to Casper Road where these birds are also common. Parking is virtually non-existant on Casper, so maximum carpooling is encouraged when we travel to Casper.

We’ll look for pipits, plovers, sandpipers, raptors and who knows what else. Bring a scope if you have one. We can discuss as a group when we’re there to come up with a game plan.

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field tripsLeader - John Mueller (818) 625-9584 for info

Arroyo Vista Community Park in Moorpark
2025-10-19 08:00
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot at the far end of the park off Tierra Rejada in Moorpark. We’ll look for all sorts of birds around the park and in the adjacent stretch of Arroyo Simi. There may be youth sports taking place, so come early.

Leader: John Mueller (818) 625-9584 for info

RSVP at this link on Google Forms for all our field trips

Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest
2025-10-11 10:00 - 14:00
Plantapalooza 2025, more formally known as the Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest, is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks, CA. Hosted by the Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF), this free, family-friendly event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and feature eco-themed exhibitors, native plant vendors, beekeepers, wildlife specialists, and hands-on activities for children. CVAS's booth will have bird friendly plants, raffle plant giveaway, and handouts for children.

The Big Sit
2025-10-11 00:00 - 2025-10-12 23:59
The Big Sit is a semi-competitive international event, sponsored by the New Haven Bird Club, in which birders sit in a 17 ft. circle and count birds for the weekend. If you’re interested in joining a circle, contact John Mueller at (818) 625-9584. You could also form your own circle to compete. Visit https://www.thebigsit.org/ for more info or to register a circle. Also let John know if you register a circle in case other folks want to join you.

So, pick a nice birdy spot, bring snacks, make yourselves comfortable, and see how many bird species you can document over the weekend from inside your circles. Then Monday morning, send your totals to fieldtrips@conejovalleyaudubon.org. We’ll publish which individual or team got the most species, and who found the best bird.

Beginner Bird Walk - Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2025-10-08 08:00
Conejo Valley Audubon invites birders of all experience levels to attend our monthly Beginner Bird Walk at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa. These walks are held on the second Wednesday of each month. We will meet at 8:00 am at the main parking lot, accessible from Lynn Road at Via Goleta in Newbury Park. Rancho Sierra Vista is an excellent place to see many of the oak woodlands birds that are common in the Conejo Valley area. We will take time to introduce beginning birders to these species and teach the best techniques for locating and identifying them. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing, and bring water.

Contact walk leader Richard Armerding at (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK)

Monthly Program - Free-Flying LA Parrot Project
2025-10-06 19:00 - 20:30
Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project

Non-native parrots have become a very present and boisterous element of the urban ecosystems throughout Southern California. Now through the Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project (FLAPP) on iNaturalist, we created a dataset focused on two of the more prominent species in Southern California, the Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned Parrots. After being introduced through the illegal pet trade, these sister-species have established their populations and even created mixed-species flocks that would not be possible otherwise. Our research has focused on distinguishing the two species based on morphological features, comparison of the environmental conditions between their respective native ranges and their introduced range, and we are now shifting to understanding how their genetic makeup has been affected.

Join Brenda Ramirez to learn how you can help contribute to our research from your own neighborhoods! Become a member of FLAPP on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/free-flying-los-angeles-parrot-project.

If you’re interested in joining us for dinner before the meeting, text Chrystal at (805) 261-9885 and meet us at WoodRanch Camarillo at Daily and Lantana by 5:00 pm.

Join us at the Western Foundation

We have the privilege of holding our meetings at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (also known as the Bird Museum), 439 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. If you arrive when the doors open at 6:30, you’ll have the rare opportunity to look around the museum’s collections for a half hour before the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. (Also check out wfvz.org)

Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology collections

CVAS’s meetings will be hybrid, simultaneously live at WFVZ (recommended) and on Zoom. The link to join on Zoom is https://zoom.us/j/6155249106.

Also

Anyone interested in joining us for dinner at Wood Ranch Camarillo before the meeting, let Chrystal know you’re coming (805-261-9885), then meet at the restaurant by 5:00 pm.

[CANCELLED] Laguna Road Tamarisks
2025-10-05 08:00
[CANCELLED]

DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, WE ARE CANCELLING THIS TRIP.

Meet at 8 am at the row of Tamarisk trees on Laguna Road just east of Pleasant Valley Road. Target species will be warblers of all sorts. This hundred-year-old row of trees has historically been one of the best places in California to find migrating warblers in the Fall. We will walk carefully along the road to listen and look for these beautiful yellow visitors.

Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Hawk Watch - Grant Park in Ventura
2025-09-27 11:00 - 13:00
Meet at 8 am at the parking area by the Serra Cross in Grant Park in Ventura. Target bird will be the Broad-Winged Hawk which has been recently spotted here. Last year it was first seen on Sept. 29th until Oct. 10th. Bring good walking/hiking shoes as we may climb modest trails.

There may be a change in date/time based on who is leading and where they're being seen.

Leader is Sangeet Khalsa (805-861-4648)

Sycamore Canyon Campground & Beach
2025-09-20 08:00 - 10:00
Meet at 8 am at the paid day-use parking area at the campground. Parking is $3/hr. Target species will be fall migrants and perhaps shorebirds at the beach. We won't be walking through anyone's campground, just the main roads near the parking area, the old bridge and then perhaps the beach across the street depending on what we find at the campground area.

Leader is TBD [text John at (818) 625-9584 for info].

Warblers at Bob Kildee Park
2025-09-13 08:00 - 09:00
Meet at 8 am at the corner of Eston St. and Curt Dr. near the baseball fields in the center of Camarillo. Target species will be warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles and whatever else we can find along the tamarisk trees on Eston St. We will be discussing the CVAS Warbler Bingo game and how to sign up and participate.

Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Monthly Program -- MEMBER SHOW & TELL
2025-09-08 19:00 - 20:30
MEMBER SHOW & TELL

Each September, our first meeting of the season is dedicated to the birding trips and adventures of our members, so you are invited to show off your recent, or not-so-recent photos.

Bring them on either thumb drive or other medium to WFVZ for the meeting, or for those who wish to share your photos via Zoom or need technical advice, please contact Don Klabunde at username Photographer plus @ConejoValleyAudubon.org for instructions and the link where you can upload your files. Then, as long as you have a microphone on your computer, you will be able to narrate your own show on Zoom during the meeting.

Whether or not you need advice, please let Don know if you plan to participate, so he can schedule your contribution.

If you’re interested in joining us for dinner before the meeting, text Chrystal at (805) 261-9885 and meet us at WoodRanch Camarillo at Daily and Lantana by 5:00 pm.

Join us at the Western Foundation

We have the privilege of holding our meetings at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (also known as the Bird Museum), 439 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. If you arrive when the doors open at 6:30, you’ll have the rare opportunity to look around the museum’s collections for a half hour before the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. (Also check out wfvz.org)

Santa Clarita River Estuary - Beach Bird Walk
2025-09-06 08:00 - 10:00
Meet at 8 am at the Surfer's Knoll parking area off Spinnaker Dr. Best parking is along Spinnaker as the parking lot now requires a fee. Target species will be fall shorebirds such as godwit, sandpipers, plovers, curlew, willet, whimbrel, yellowlegs, gulls and perhaps phalarope or something unexpected, . Expect to walk at least a mile in the sand, which could be hot. Flip flips and sunscreen highly recommended.

Leader is Dee Lyon (805) 427-0987

Bird Walk - Camarillo Outlets
2025-08-31 08:00 - 10:00
Leader is John Mueller (818) 625-9584

Our first field trip of the year will begin with an easy location perfect for locating Fall migrants. Meet at 8 am at the corner of Camarillo Center Drive and Plaza la Vista, near the Crossroads church behind the Camarillo Outlets. Best parking is at the outlets along Camarillo Center Dr. Target species will be early fall migrants (warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles).

Lawns to Habitat Grant winners will be notified
2025-08-15 00:00 - 23:59
By August 15 all grant applications will be reviewed by a panel of experienced CVAS members, and winning applicants will be notified by email.

Find full info for the CVAS Lawns to Habitat and Ashes to Habitat Grants under our HABITAT PAGE.

Lawns to Habitat and Ashes to Habitat application deadline
2025-07-31 23:59

Beginner Birding Class Part 3
2025-06-14 08:00
Our third class will be at 8 am at Rancho Simi Community Park, 1765 Royal Ave., Simi Valley. This offers a blend of habitats to continue to develop your birding skills. Bring water & snacks, wear comfortable shoes and binoculars if you have them.

Please RSVP at education@conejovalleyaudubon.org

Beginner Bird Walk Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa
2025-06-11 08:00, 2025-05-14 08:00
Conejo Valley Audubon invites birders of all experience levels to attend our monthly Beginner Bird Walk at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa. These walks are held on the second Wednesday of each month. We will meet at 8:00 am at the main parking lot, which is accessible off Lynn Road at Via Goleta in Newbury Park. Rancho Sierra Vista is an excellent place to see many of the oak woodlands birds that are common in the Conejo Valley area. We will take time to introduce beginning birders to these species and teach the best techniques for locating and identifying them. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing, and bring water.

Contact walk leader Richard Armerding at (310) 701-3878 (texting is OK)

CVAS Annual Picnic
2025-06-08 08:00 - 12:00
Birdwalk at 8 am and Potluck Picnic at 10:30 am. At south end of Moorpark Rd turn right and follow Greenmeadow Ave to the end. Meet under our usual oak tree.

Beginner Birding Class Part 2
2025-06-07 08:00
Our second class will be at 8 am at Hill Cyn Trail off of Santa Rosa Valley road, Camarillo. This habitat location will assist you to put into practice your ongoing birding knowledge. Bring water & snacks, wear comfortable shoes and binoculars if you have them.

Please RSVP at education@conejovalleyaudubon.org

*Last-minute Bonus Monthly Program* Yellow-headed Amazons of Belize by Jonathan Urbina ?
2025-06-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA, 93012
We have a last-minute special guest from Belize, Jonathan Urbina, presenting a bonus program about the Yellow-headed Amazon this Monday, June 2nd from 2-3 pm at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology.

Born and raised in Belize, Jonathan went to school at Murray State in Kentucky, majoring in environmental sciences. He has gone on to work in various conservation projects in Belize, including working with the highly sensitive Orange-breasted Falcon. Currently, he is an active birding guide, leading trips in both Belize and Guatemala.

We will try and have this program available via Zoom. Please check back here for the link!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86956744308?pwd=[REDACTED]

Lawns to Habitat and Ashes to Habitat Grant applications will be accepted until July 31
2025-06-01 00:00 - 2025-07-31 23:59
Find info and applications for the CVAS Lawns to Habitat and Ashes to Habitat Grants under our HABITAT PAGE.

Beginner Birding Class Part 1
2025-05-31 08:00
Our first class this year will meet at 8 am at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough Rd., Thousand Oaks. Drive to the parking lot off of Jeaunine Drive. Class will be held in the Kids’ Adventure Garden. A $10 cash donation will be collected for CVBG. Bring water & snacks, wear comfortable shoes and binoculars if you have them. All ages welcome! Two further classes will be June 7 and June 14, locations to be announced.

Please RSVP at education@conejovalleyaudubon.org

?Mount Pinos
2025-05-25 08:00 - 13:00 | Mt. Pinos, Cuddy Valley Rd., Frazier Park, CA, 93225, United States
Join us as we go into the mountains to find some alpine birds. To carpool, meet at 6 am at the Janss Park & Ride, located on the east side of the 23 freeway at the Janss Road Exit by the soccer fields. Alternatively, meet at 8:00 am at the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base parking lot at the end of Mount Pinos Road (GPS: Cuddy Valley Rd, Forest Rte 9N24, Frazier Park, CA 93225 — or use coordinates 34.8134, -119.1263). Dress warm!

Target species include – Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Olive-sided Flycatcher, White-headed Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Green-tailed Towhee, Red Crossbill and more!

Trip leader - Richard Armerding: (310) 701-3878.

?️Island Scrub-Jay Pelagic trip to Santa Cruz Island
2025-05-18 08:00 - 17:30 | Channel Islands Harbor (Oxnard), 3600 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard, CA, 93035, United States
This trip is organized by Island Packers, not CVAS. Tickets must be purchased through them either on the Island Packers website https://islandpackers.com/oxnard-to-scrub-jay/ or call (805) 642-1393. The cost is $138 per person. Leaves from Oxnard Harbor. Please arrive at 7:15 a.m., 45 minutes prior to depature.

We will take our time on our way over to the island, looking for shearwaters, alcids, and other pelagic species. Once on the island, we will spend an hour or so looking for the endemic Island Scrub-Jay and other unique island wildlife! Then, we will spend the rest of the afternoon cruising around the Santa Barbara Channel looking for more birds and other wildlife.

?Two Rivers Park
2025-05-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Two Rivers Park, River St., Fillmore, CA, 93015
*Time change*

Meet at Two Rivers Park at River and C Street in Fillmore at 6:30 pm in the evening. We will be going just before dusk to hopefully see nighthawks come out! If you want, we will meet at Daniel's Gourmet Food Co. in Fillmore at 5 pm beforehand for food and drinks.

Trip leader - Sammy Cowell (818) 470-7098
