THE Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society Established 1926 AVOCET The Newsletter of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society September-October 2017 Panoche Valley: Saving an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Shani Kleinhaus, Environmental Advocate oncluding almost eight years of advocacy and litiga- tion, SCVAS, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, and Defenders of Wildlife have signed a settlement agree- Cment that allows a photovoltaic solar farm to be built on about 1,000 acres of Panoche Valley floor, while at the same time preserving 26,000 acres, including 4,000 acres of valley floor grasslands, as habitat for endangered species. Califor- nia Department of Fish and Wildlife and Con Edison have also signed the agreement. We are proud of this achievement! Monterey Audubon Society first alerted SCVAS to the plans to construct a solar farm in Panoche Valley. In 2009, plans for solar arrays and supportive infrastructure encompassed most of the valley floor, as well as Little Panoche Valley. No mitigation was offered for the inevitable loss of habitat for the many endangered species that call the valley home, so we started mobilizing. In early 2010 we organized a work- shop that formed an alliance of farmers and environmental organizations in opposition to the project. This alliance has never faltered. In the years that followed, our advocacy and permit require- ments by state and federal wildlife agencies resulted in changing project ownership as investors came and went. The project footprint shrunk and mitigation lands were added. San Benito County produced additional environmental re- view documents, asserting repeatedly that the construction of a solar project on thousands of acres of valley floor could Ferruginous Hawk by Debra Shearwater cont’d on page 4 Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Cuba - The Isle of Endemics: Birds and Bats! with Dave Johnston Wednesday, October 18, 2017 Understanding California's Whales with Ted Cheeseman The Avocet 1 Please carpool if possible; bring binoculars, field guides, layered September-October Field Trips clothing. LO = Lunch optional; RC = Heavy rain cancels; NF = No (Full details are also available online at www.scvas.org) facilities available Saturday, Sept. 2, 8:00AM Sunday, Sept. 10, 9:00AM Saturday, Sept. 16, 8:15AM Picchetti Ranch Charleston Slough Sunnyvale Baylands Half day. Leader: Dave Zittin, Half day. Leader: Allen Royer, Half day. Leader: Kirsten Hol- (408) 515-7104. Directions: From (408) 288-7768. Directions: From mquist, (408) 747-0988. Direc- I-280 in Cupertino take Foothill Hwy 101 in Mountain View take tions: Go north on Lawrence Blvd south 3.3 miles (becomes San Antonio Rd north to Termi- Expwy from Hwy 237. The turn Stevens Canyon Rd). Turn right on nal Way parking area. Meet at for the park is about half a mile on Monte Bello Rd. go about a mile, entrance nearest San Antonio Rd. the right. Meet in parking lot to the turn left past winery entrance into Notes: For beginning birders but right of the entrance kiosk. RC preserve parking lot. All birding all are encouraged to attend. Bring levels welcome! Difficulty: Mod- your spotting scope and a friend. Sunday, Sept. 17, 8:00AM erately strenuous walk past an old Santa Theresa County Park orchard, seasonal pond, and oak Tuesday, Sept. 12, 12:30PM Half day. Leader: Steve Tracey, woodlands. Shoreline Riparian to Baylands (408) 966-3860. Directions: From 2.5 hours. Leader: Ralph Schardt, CA 85 South exit 1B (Bernal) or Sunday, Sept. 3, 8:00AM (408) 624-7845. Directions: From take Santa Teresa Blvd. and go Arastradero OSP Hwy 101, take the Shoreline Exit south on Bernal. Follow Bernal Half day. Leader: Rich Page, and head for the Bay. Turn right uphill and turn left at entrance (408) 377-1092. Directions: From on Stierlin Ct. and continue to road. Difficulty: Approx. 2 miles, I-280 take Page Mill Rd. west; turn the end of the road. Parking is some hills. Note: $6 day pass or right on Arastradero Rd. and meet available on the right, carpool if county pass required; purchase at in the parking lot about a half-mile possible. This is an unused area first parking lot. LO, RC on the right. Difficulty: Moder- along Stevens Creek that goes out ately strenuous hiking. RC to the Bay. Highlights: Riparian Saturday, Sept. 23, 9:00AM birds, raptors, and shoreline birds. Palo Alto Baylands Wednesday, Sept. 6, 12:00PM Difficulty: Easy walk with places Half day. Leader: Allen Royer, City of Sunnyvale Landfill to stop on bridges over the creek for (408) 288-7768. Directions: From One hour. Leader: Allen Royer. better access to birds and scoping. Hwy 101 in Palo Alto turn right No RSVP needed. Contact land- RC, LO, RSVP Required: Fill out onto Embarcadero Rd. At the stop fill coordinator, Silviana Ruiz, the form by clicking on the trip on sign (not light), go left and fol- with questions at (408) 730-7545. our website calendar or go to low the road past the duck pond Directions: Donald M. Somers https://goo.gl/forms/ to the parking lot across from the Water Pollution Control Plant, h9NPlxZY6f7a3uAM2 building under construction (Lucy junction of Borregas and Carib- Evans Center). Meet at the poles/ bean. Meet at trailhead at north Wednesday, Sept. 13, 8:30AM gate to San Francisquito Creek end. Difficulty: Birding geared Vasona Lake County Park Trail (towards Lucy Evans Cen- toward beginners. Notes: Bring Half day. Leader: Janna Pauser, ter). Difficulty: For beginning binoculars; loaners available. RC (408) 569-9264 or jannapauser@ birders but all are encouraged to gmail.com. Directions: From attend. Note: Bring your spotting Saturday, Sept. 9, 8:15AM Hwy 17 exit Lark Ave, go west scope and a friend. RC Stevens Creek Park to University Ave. Turn left onto Half day. Leader: Jim Johnson, Blossom Hill Rd and use main Sunday, Sept. 24, 8:30AM (408) 996-3506. Directions: From entrance. Turn into first parking San Luis Reservoir SRA I-280 in Cupertino take Foot- lot on left after kiosk. Highlights: San Luis Creek Area (O’Neill Forebay) hill Expwy exit south 2.1 miles We’ll bird the south end of this Half day. Leader: Pete Dunten, (becomes Stevens Canyon Rd). popular Los Gatos park and should (650) 210-6764. Directions: From Turn left into first park entrance see Western Tanagers, migrating Hwy 101 take Hwy 152 east into and meet in Chestnut Picnic Area warblers, and some fall arrivals. Merced County; turn left into the parking lot. Note: Entrance fee Difficulty: Easy walking. Notes: park entrance before you reach the required. Gate opens at 8:00AM. Entrance turnoff for Basalt Campground. fee is $6 without county park pass. Meet at the docks. Highlights: The Avocet 2 Field Trips cont’d Sunday, Oct. 8, 8:00AM Sunday, Oct. 22, 8:00AM Oka Ponds Grant Ranch We’ll see what’s on the water Half day. Leader: Rich Page, Half day. Leader: Steve Tracey, and what’s up in the trees along (408) 377-1092. Directions: Take (408) 966-3860. Directions: From the Forebay. Difficulty: Approx. 17 South to Lark Ave exit, go right I-680 take Alum Rock Ave north- 3-mile hike. Note: $10 fee required onto Oka Rd, then turn left onto east, turn right on Hamilton Rd per vehicle. W. Mozart Ave, and turn right onto and go about 9 miles to the park. Oka Ln. We’ll meet at the park Or, take Quimby Rd off of Capitol Saturday, Sept. 30, 8:00AM entrance at the end of this road. Expwy to Mt. Hamilton Rd. Turn Moss Landing & Vicinity Please be respectful in parking in right on Mt. Hamiltion Rd and go Half day. Leader: Norm Kikuchi, and around the neighborhood. about 0.5 miles to the park. Meet (831) 251-0666. Directions: Meet at Grant Lake (aka Hall’s Val- in Moss Landing next to Sea Har- Wednesday, Oct. 11, 8:30AM ley Lake) parking lot, first park- vest Restaurant in the big park- Coyote Creek Trail ing lot on left just past the main ing lot and boat launch ramp just Half day. Leader: Janna Pauser, park entrance on the right (do not north of Hwy 1’s Elkhorn Slough (408) 569-9264, jannapauser@ enter the main park entrance). Bridge. Highlights: Shorebirds, gmail.com. Highlights: Local birds, linger- waterfowl, and other migrants. Directions: From CA 85 South, ing migrants. Difficulty: Moder- Notes: Weather conditions can be take Blossom Hill Rd exit east ately strenuous walk. Note: Park highly variable so dress in layers. (left) and continue 2.4 miles onto entrance fee required for last half Bring water. RC Silver Creek Valley Rd. Make a of trip. U-turn at Piercy Rd then immedi- Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:00AM ate right into Silver Creek parking Tuesday, Oct. 24, 12:30PM Charleston Slough lot (meet here). Difficulty: Easy Shoreline Riparian to Baylands Half day. Leader: Allen Royer, walking. RC, For a map, go to 2.5 hours. Leader: Ralph Schardt. (408) 288-7768. See write-up for www.scvas.org and find the field Note: RSVP required, see Sept. 12 Sept. 10. trip on our calendar write-up for RSVP form link. Tuesday, Oct. 3, 12:30PM Saturday, Oct. 14, 8:15AM Saturday, Oct. 28, 8:00AM Shoreline Riparian to Baylands Alum Rock Park Picchetti Ranch 2.5 hours. Leader: Ralph Schardt. Half day. Leader: Jim Johnson Half day. Leader: Dave Zittin. Note: RSVP required, see Sept. 12 (408) 996-3506. Directions: From See write-up for Sept. 2. write-up for RSVP form link. Hwy 101 or I-680 take McKee Rd northeast toward hills then left on Sunday, Oct. 29, 8:00AM Wednesday, Oct.