About this Event
Please join the Young Birders Club to explore one of the Central Valley’s winter birding jewels. Merced National Wildlife Refuge is home to the largest wintering population of Lesser Sandhill Cranes and Ross’s Geese. Thousands of Snow, Ross’s, Cackling, Greater White-fronted Geese, and Lesser Sandhill Cranes gather here, along with many varieties of ducks, shorebirds, and raptors for the winter. If you have a scope, please bring it.
At 10 am we will kick off our adventure at the observation platform (37.182378, -120.619973) near the refuge entrance at 7430 W. Sandy Mush Road (37.18593, -120.62027)
We will then embark on the 5-mile, one way-only Auto Tour. While we must remain in our vehicles except at designated parking areas, it’s perfectly fine to pull over and observe wildlife from inside the car. Take your time and be amazed by the stunning sights of the numerous bird species in their natural habitat.
We will gather again on the Pintail Duck (second observation) platform at the Bittern Marsh Trail parking lot for a late lunch. For those interested, there will be an optional hike either on the Bittern Marsh Trail or along the Deadman's Creek, depending on bird activity and time availability.
The trip will end at the first platform, for those who wish to stay later, with the Fly-In at sunset, as thousands of birds return to the refuge for the night.
Trip Difficulty: 1 mile, optional, packed-dirt trails, little or no elevation gain, little to no shade
Leaders:Vicki Silvas-Young, (408) 807-6993, & Kaiting
Directions: From US-101 in Gilroy, exit 10th St/CA-152 E. Take CA-152 E for about 45 miles passing through the hills, the Central Valley, and Los Banos. After Los Banos, continue on CA-152 E for another 20 miles, then take the exit for CA-59 N. Continue on CA-59 N for 7 miles then turn left (heading west) onto Sandy Mush Rd. Continue on Sandy Mush Rd for another 7 miles to the refuge entrance on the left (south) side of the road. Continue into the park on Tour Rte Loop Rd for 0.3 miles. The parking lot and observation deck are on your right.
Latitude/Longitude: (37.182378, -120.619973)
Meet: Observation Platform
Note: Upon arrival, an optional carpool can be arranged for the auto tour. Passengers must remain in the vehicle they select at the beginning of the tour. Birding will be done from the vehicles unless we are in areas where exiting is permitted. The road is packed gravel and there are no parking fees.
Participants are welcome to leave early if needed to accommodate their schedule.
ADA accessible pit toilets in entrance parking lot and along the auto route.
Please dress to be comfortable in outdoor winter weather. Pack your own lunch/snacks for a picnic at Bittern Marsh.
Rain will cancel. Look for an email from the leader if rain seems unpredictable.
Photo by Kaiting
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Merced National Wildlife Refuge, 7430 W. Sandy Mush Road, Merced, United States
USD 0.00
