Sandhill Crane Festival

Enjoy a drive through the Sierra-Nevada foothills en route to Pardee Reservoir.  There you will meet James Jones, biologist for EBMUD, and search for early arriving Golden and Bald eagles.  This boat tour also offers uncommon bird species not seen on other Crane Festival tours, including loons, grebes, mergansers, and bufflehead.  Learn more about Pardee Recreational Area by visiting www.pardeelakerecreation.com

Saturday at 8:15 a.m. (#10)

Sunday at 8:15 a.m. (#35)

Duration: 5 hours 25 minutes

Car

Adult: $30 - Youth: $20 - Child: $10

Join an expert birder as you learn basic birding techniques in a fun and easy way in an old growth riparian habitat.  Lodi Lake’s Nature Area is targeted by San Joaquin Audubon Society as the “best place” to see birds in the county.  Pick up some great tips on identifying songbirds and hawks that you can only get by birding with a pro!  Grab your binoculars and be ready to learn!

Saturday at 8:30 a.m. (#11)

Sunday at 7:15 a.m. (#33)

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Car

Adult: $15 - Youth: $5 - Child: $3

Join fellow experienced birders as you visit several local hot spots in search of the area’s many resident and wintering birds.  The differing habitats provide a great variety of birds, from shore birds to wintering warblers.  Visit old growth riparian habitat, farm fields, and local ponds in an attempt to beat the single tour Festival record of 67 birds.  Binoculars, food, and water are highly recommended.  There will be short walks at every stop.

Saturday at 7:30 a.m. (#8)

Sunday at 7:00 a.m. (#31)

Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes

Bus

Adult: $25 - Youth: $15 - Child: $5

Take advantage of our expert kayaking guides from REI and paddle the Cosumnes River!  As you navigate the Middle Slough, look out for wood duck, green and black-crowned heron, a variety of warblers, mallards and scrub jays.  You will see button bush and arroyo willows lining the waterways.  All kayaking equipment will be provided.  

Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (#19)

Sunday at 1:15 p.m. (#41)

Duration: 3 hours

Car

Adult: $40 - Youth: $40 - Child: N/A

Jointly managed by 9 private and government agencies, Cosumnes River Preserve is the finest valley oak riparian forest and wetland habitat in California.  Explore this key link on the Pacific Flyway and learn why its management is considered a model in conservation partnerships.  Learn more about the Preserve at www.cosumnes.org.  Experienced tour guides will lead you among the beauty of the Preserve spotting shorebirds, waders, raptors and our Sandhill cranes.

Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (#22)

Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (#43)

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Bus

Adult: $25 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

This tour takes center stage as the Festival highlight!  Sandhill Cranes spend their days eating and lounging in the surrounding fields.  At dusk, they converge in large groups that can number from several hundreds to several thousands.  Often back dropped by stunning sunsets behind Mt. Diablo, cranes fly in, vocalize, and often put on a show!  Experienced volunteer docents from the Department of Fish and Game share the natural history of the cranes, taking advantage of the Department’s Sandhill Crane Preserve, which is managed to ensure that cranes have suitable habitat when arriving for the winter.  Book this tour first, as they always fill first!  [The birds determine end times for evening tours.]

Friday at 3:45 p.m. (#2)

Friday at 4:00 p.m. (#3)

Friday at 4:15 p.m. (#4)

Saturday at 4:15 p.m (#26)

Saturday at 4:25 p.m (#27)

Saturday at 4:45 p.m. (#29)

Sunday at 3:00 p.m. (#46)

Sunday at 3:15 p.m. (#47)

Sunday at 3:45 p.m. (#49)

Duration: approximately 3 hours

Bus

Adult: $25 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

More fly-in opportunities!  Combine Crane Fly-In with Birding Staten Island to learn what the birds already know – this is one of the best places in the Delta to spend the winter.  Last year the fly-in here numbered into the thousands, with both Greater and Lesser Sandhill cranes.

Friday at 3:30 p.m. (#1)

Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (#23)

Sunday at 2:45 p.m. (#44)

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Bus

Adult: $25 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

Folks often ask what cranes do in the morning.  Let’s get out there and find out!  Accompanied by a Department of Fish and Game crane docent, you will locate the crane roosting field, hear their vocalizations, and witness the early morning sunlight awaken the dew-drawn flight feathers of this majestic bird.  What a way to start your day!

Saturday at 6:30 a.m. (#6)

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Car

Adult: $20 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

During the day Sandhill Cranes may be vocalizing, feeding, dancing, flying, or resting.  Often cranes “bounce” from one feeding field to another, offering good opportunity to observe behaviors not seen in the evening fly-in.  Bright sunshine makes it easier to view their mud-stained wings and bright red forehead, as well as compare adults with juveniles and greater with lesser Sandhill Cranes.  Department of Fish and Game docents will take you to them!  Learn about the natural history of the cranes and the lands they call their winter home.

Saturday at 12:00 p.m. (#15)

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (#36)

Sunday at 1:00 p.m. (#39)

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Bus

Adult: $25 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

Take advantage of the Delta waterways as you cruise along through Sandhill Crane habitat.  The sky fills with cranes, swans, geese, and ducks, but don’t forget to keep an eye on the banks for other birds and mammals.  This tour ranks up there with the Crane Fly-In as the hardest ticket at the Festival to get your hand on!  Suitable for all ages, children are required to have parent supervision.  Docking at the Tower Park Marina and Resort provides the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant and other amenities.  For more info about the marina and resort, visit www.towerparkresort.com

Saturday at 8:00 a.m. (#9)

Saturday at 10:40 a.m. (#13)

Saturday at 1:20 p.m. (#18)

Saturday at 4:00 p.m. (#25)

Sunday at 7:10 a.m. (#32)

Sunday at 9:50 a.m. (#37)

Sunday at 12:20 p.m. (#38)

Sunday at 2:50 p.m. (#45)

Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes

Car

Adult: $40 - Youth: $20 - Child: $10

Turner Road Vintners continues to be a destination highlight among Festival goers.  Its innovative eco-friendly water reclamation ponds have created a natural habitat for a variety of birds.  Get a free taste of their wine as you get a taste of the birding benefits found here.  Past participant comments desired more time at this location.  Here you go!  Come and enjoy!  (Must be 21+)

Saturday at 1:10 p.m. (#17)

Sunday at 1:10 p.m. (#40)

Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes

Car

Adult: $20 - Youth: N/A - Child: N/A

Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River will be at water’s capacity this year, providing the rare opportunity for Crane Festival participants to enjoy a twilight kayaking trip on Saturday or an early morning trip on Sunday.  A great way to start or end your day!  Be on the lookout for beavers, river otters, and lots of birds.  Equipment is provided, so grab a water bottle and let’s go!

Saturday at 3:45 p.m. (#24)

Sunday at 7:30 a.m. (#34)

Duration: 3 hours

Car

Adult: $30 - Youth: $30 - Child: N/A

Join a light hike along the upper Mokelumne River as it spills from Camanche Dam.  Local birders will help you scout 35+ species including bluebirds, night herons, several woodpecker species, mergansers, osprey, and other raptors.  Keep an eye out for salmon jumping up river!  Birders Kathy Schick and Liz West return as tour leaders, ready to share their knowledge of the land and birds specific to this area.  Kathy has participated in the local Christmas count for many years and Liz leads a monthly birding census here.

Saturday at 7:00 a.m. (#7)

Duration: 4 hours

Car

Adult: $20 - Youth: $10 - Child: $5

Launching from the heart of the Delta at Westgate Landing County Park (about a 15-20 minute drive from Hutchins Street Square) you will paddle with experienced kayaker Dan Arbuckle, owner of the Headwaters Kayak Shop in Lodi.  You will learn about the native plants and animals of the Delta and view a wide variety of birds as you meander through the Mokelumne River with your seasoned guide.  You may even be treated to a fly over by the majestic Sandhill Cranes.  All equipment will be provided.  There is a small parking fee for your vehicle at Westgate County Park. 

Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (#20)

Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (#42)

Duration: 4 hours

Car

Adult: $40 - Youth: $40 - Child: N/A

 Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River will be at water’s capacity this year, providing the rare opportunity for Crane Festival participants to enjoy taking a leisurely patio boat ride.  Join a local naturalist as you glide along at sunset, viewing the lake’s resident birds and tranquil scenery.  This tour is available on Saturday and Sunday evening, but the capacity is only 8!

Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (#28)

Sunday at 3:30 p.m. (#48)

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Car

Adult: $25 - Youth: $15 - Child: N/A

Wildlife Photographer Richard Pavek from Sausalito will demonstrate how to photograph birds in flight.  He will teach you how to track and shoot without a tripod while maintaining stability.  Richard will also cover composition, exposures, and shutter speeds for birds in flight as well as looking for bird behavioral cues that let you anticipate when perched birds are about to fly. You can visit his gallery at www.pbase.com/shenmaker or his blog on bird life and bird photography at www.richardsbirdblog.com.  This is the tour portion of the "Photographing Birds in Flight" workshop.  The companion presentation is at 1:30 PM on Saturday and is open to all.

Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (#21)

Duration: 3 hour 30 min

Car

Adult: $35 - Youth: N/A - Child: N/A

Tom and Carmela Hoffman are proud to host this tour to their Heritage Oak Winery.  Stroll picturesque vineyards and an old-growth riparian forest to their private beach along the Mokelumne River.  There you will enjoy a wine and cheese tasting sponsored by Heritage Oak Winery and a delicious lunch provided by Panera Bread.  Local birder Nan Ballot will join the fun and provide answers to your birding questions.  If we are lucky, the hummingbird feeders will be buzzing with various species.  Lunch, wine, nature…. what else is there?  Round trip walking is approximately 2.5 miles, so bring your walking shoes.  For more about the winery, visit www.heritageoakwinery.com.  (Must be 21+)

Saturday at 11:00 a.m. (#14)

Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes

Car

Adult: $35 - Youth: N/A - Child: N/A

Enjoy the "Scenic  Sloughs Tour" with Delta EcoTours, which will cruise along the beautiful riparian sloughs of the north Delta region.  Leaving from Delta EcoFarm on Steamboat Slough, we will take several waterways around Sutter Island, learning about the region's history and environment.  Of special interest is the remaining riparian vegetation, one of the riches plant communities for birds, an ecosystem that supports fish, and a tangled web of roots that holds our levees together.  You won't want to miss the uniquely told narrative history of the Delta as told by Dr. Jeff Hart, your guide and captain.  

Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (#16)

Sunday at 12:15 p.m. (#50)

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Car

Adult: $35 - Youth: $35 - Child: $15

This comprehensive morning-long workshop on cranes will teach you many of the common vocalizations, body language and other characteristics of Sandhill Cranes.  You'll learn to recognize juveniles, tell subspecies apart, distinguish between dancing and aggression and many other details that will help you better understand and appreciate the Sandhill Cranes.  At first light we will listen to the cranes on their roosting spots to identify vocalizations and other behaviors.  We then move to the classroom for breakfast and viewing many behaviors on film before returning to the field to watch and interpret crane interactions.

Saturday at 6:15 a.m. (#5)

Duration: 5 hours 45 minutes

Passenger Van

Adult: $50 - Youth: N/A - Child: N/A

Get acquainted with one of the area’s best-kept secrets.  Top birders frequent this “hot spot” location for the variety of species.  The old-growth riparian habitat provides great opportunity for migrating songbirds, accipiters, wood ducks, and much more.  David Yee, one of California’s most respected birders, returns to lead this small group for a wonderful learning experience.  This year the tour is designed for returning Festival goers who are eager to join David again and move to the next level.  Be careful, you are advancing to official Birder status!

Saturday at 9:10 a.m. (#12)

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Car

Adult: $15 - Youth: $5 - Child: $3

There is no better time to experience the vibrant life of the wetlands than at dawn.  Join a small and hearty group led by local craniac photographer Lon Yarbrough on this amazing photo opportunity.  Dawn begins well before the sunrise, when calls and song reveal the wetland's creatures.  As the sun rises you will experiment with high ISOs, long shutter speeds, and wide open apertures to capture images not obtainable at any other time.  Details and techniques are available at www.sharetheroad.us/dawn.html.  This is the companion tour for Lon Yarbrough's workshop scheduled for Sunday, November 6, at 11:00 AM.

Sunday at 5:45 a.m. (#30)

Duration: 3 hours 15 min

Car

Adult: $35 - Youth: N/A - Child: N/A