Our first April 2024 field trip will be on Saturday April 6th from 6:00 am to noon to the Lightning Canyon Ranch, a private 2,205-acre property located at Lakehead overlooking Shasta Lake. This will be a half-day trip in rugged terrain targeting mid-elevation forest species such as Mountain Quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, American Dipper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Northern Pygmy Owl, and possible migrant warblers and flycatchers. The owner’s local representative will give us an outline of the rich history of the property from Native American use, conservation via the Pacific Forest Trust, the 2021 Salt Fire to current and planned uses. We will then take a 1-2 mile birding hike along rugged logging and fire roads culminating with your own lunch at a hunters camp area. There are no bathroom facilities, wear layers of clothing and stout hiking boots, bring water and lunch, also trekking poles, bear spray and/or whistle if you have them. Be also alert for poison oak, rattle snakes, bear and mountain lion.

We will be carpooling with high clearance AWD/4WD vehicles due to limited parking and unpaved access roads. If you are interested, please contact webmaster@shastabirdingsociety.org to register and participate in the trip, receive detailed directions, eBird protocols, and obtain trip waivers to be signed and returned at least 5 days prior to the trip.

Persistent rain/snow prior to or the day of will cancel the trip due to unpaved road conditions.