Jon Dunn will host a full day exploring the waterfowl and wintering passerines at the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, paying particular attention to geese, with the goal of identifying the shy Tule Goose subspecies of the Greater White-fronted Goose.
Additional Fees: $125 donation that will benefit both the Club’s Youth Scholarship and Publication funds
Please note: This trip will meet in Williams, CA, Thursday morning, not Stockton.

Stop by registration to pick up your badge, confirm your meal and field trip selections, and checkout this year's merchandise.

Please come and help us kick off this year’s Central Valley Birding Symposium! Come meet the CVBS board & staff members. Reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy light appetizers, such as cheese, fruit, and veggies, along with a No-Host Bar.

During this time, we will cover Friday’s field trips and make any special announcements and additions/or changes to the Symposium schedule.

Ed will take us through his late-life transformation from one of those unfortunate persons who are oblivious to birds, into a lunatic-fringe bird nerd. But will he actually show us how to cheat the reaper through birding? You'll just have to come to the talk and find out.

**New this year!**
Stop in for coffee and grab your breakfast on the go before heading off for your field trips.

Choose from a variety of trips to experience birding in the Central Valley. Most are included with the cost of registration!

Jon Dunn will host attendees in the foothills of Tuolumne County. This will be a new destination for the Symposium. He will focus in particular on the areas of Don Pedro Reservoir and Rock River Road. The reservoir and neighboring lakes/ponds attract many rare waterfowl and divers, and the unique habitat along Rock River Rd is a noted spot for wintering Vesper Sparrow, Lewis's Woodpecker, Mountain Bluebird, and Ferruginous Hawk.
Additional Fees: A $125 donation that will benefit both the Club’s Youth Scholarship and Publication funds.

Part one of a two-part class. Join professional bird photographer Bob Steele as we explore digital bird photography in the field. Topics discussed and explained will include camera setup, equipment, exposure techniques, composition, flash use, digital field evaluation of images, and approaching subjects.
Workshop fee ($25) includes Introduction to Photo Editing on Saturday. Limit 10.

This annual program has historically garnered "most favorite" on evaluations, and for good reason. This year's distinguished panelists, Jon Dunn, Keith Hansen, Lynette Williams, and Konshau Duman, will be presented with a series of photographs of birds that are either hard to identify, or the bird photos are not straightforward. The panel will discuss how they're attempting to identify the bird. It will feel like you're out in the field with these brilliant birders, one-on-one!

**NEW THIS YEAR!**
We will be offering a 'plated' dinner for Friday night. Choose from Salmon, Chicken, or a Vegetarian option.

*Please register in advance for this dinner, as we will have limited flexibility for last-minute additions with a plated meal. Coffee, hot and iced tea, water, and a no-host bar will be available.

"Birding on Threatened Land- A fight to protect open space for birds in the Natomas Basin"

Our very own Mackenzie Hollender was awarded the 2026 American Birding Association Young Birder of the Year for both field sketching and her conservation work in her hometown of Sacramento. A couple of years ago, when she was a high school sophomore, Mackenzie learned that 8,000 acres of vital bird habitat in her neighborhood was slated for development. Using her passion for birds, she launched a campaign to inspire advocacy to oppose urban sprawl and protect open space. She shares her story of the intersection of her love for birds and the environment, and how she discovered birding can inspire change for our communities.

**New this year!**
Stop in for coffee and grab your breakfast on the go before heading off for your field trips.

Check individual trips for departure times.

Using photos taken in the field on Friday, we will continue Saturday morning with the editing workshop where Bob will provide further techniques to really allow your photos to pop.

Join bird artist Keith Hansen, for a clear and demystified look into bird illustration. With a step-by-step process, Keith will share his tips and techniques for capturing the bird on paper, how to rough out its form, and render basic patterns.

Join Master Carvers from the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association for a four-hour carving seminar. All the necessary materials, including a study guide and the best knives on the market, will be provided for this seminar. Short lectures with lots of hands-on carving will enable you to complete a miniature Green Heron. Topics include where to get your supplies, how to use reference material, wood selection, and how to use hand tools and power tools. There is a $30 fee for materials. The price includes a one-year membership in the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association and a club directory, so you will know who is carving in your area. Must be fifteen years old or older. Pre-registration is required.

Returning for a second year! Join us as we hear from some of the brightest young minds in ornithology. Undergraduates and graduate students from nearby universities are excited to present their research in the Central Valley Bird Symposium's student research session.

**New this year!**
We will have a delicious BBQ buffet lunch! Expect BBQ chicken and ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob, and more!

The CVBS serves as the annual meeting of the Central Valley Bird Club. Join us for lunch and a brief meeting to give an update on the club and conservation news.

Join Andy Englis and UC Davis students for a unique, up-close look at Central Valley Birds! Specimens from the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology will be set up at stations to help you hone your identification skills. This workshop is a rare opportunity and one of the highlights of the Symposium whenever it is offered!

Join your fellow young birders to meet and share stories of your birding adventures! This will be a casual meet-up for pre-college-age birders, with Central Valley Bird Club board members and other mentors hosting and answering questions. Snacks and drinks will be available.

This is a time to have fun and visit with one another. Closer to the event in an email update, we will include a list of authors available for signing at the reception.

Buffet including Tri-Tip Steak and Roasted Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, in-season vegetables, and cheese tortellini. Coffee, hot and iced tea, water, and a no-host bar will be available.

Support the Symposium & Bid on Something Special!
Our Silent Auction helps make the CVBS possible, including supporting our student presenters and attendees, while giving you a chance to bid on unique experiences, field trips, and one-of-a-kind items. Every bid helps keep this special birding tradition thriving for years to come!

"For the Love of Bird & the Joy of Birding"

World-renowned bird artist and rising author Keith Hansen will share what happens when a person's life is deeply inspired and motivated by all things avian. Keith's lively program will show how this path led him to pursue knowledge in both art and literature, eventually shaping a life of creativity and expression, both through a brush on canvas and script on parchment. An accomplished videographer, Keith will feature many scenes from his art gallery garden in Marin County and from around the world.

**New this year!**
Stop in for coffee and grab your breakfast on the go before heading off for your field trips.

In part 1 in November 2026, we covered slightly over half of the flycatcher species recorded in North America. These included the kingbirds and the Myiarchus, and a brief discussion of other groups like Elaenias and Tyrannulets.

In part 2 we cover fewer species, but they include the naturally difficult genus Empidonax and Contopus (Pewees). The latter genus includes Eastern and Western Wood Pewee, which are not safely identified in the field unless heard. Also included in this section are the Tufted-Flycatchers (genus Mitrephanes), which have recently been taxonomically adjusted, although mysteries remain, and the three Phoebe species. Along the way, we discuss the great taxonomist Allan R. Phillips and D-Day +2 in early June 1944 on Omaha Beach, Normandy, and a hell of a storm at Dungeness, England, in 2015. We close with a discussion of the Vermilion flycatchers, a seemingly straightforward species, but, to quote Neil Young, “is this not the way it seems?” The road to enlightenment was initiated by Paul DeBendictis, co-author with Guy McCaskie of Birds of Northern California in the first edition of Birds of Northern California (1967).

PLEASE BRING YOUR BINOCULARS TO THE PRESENTATION, as it will help to see the complex patterns of the tertial edges, wingbars, and primary projection on the Empidonax flycatchers and more.

Please note Sunday trips, and the Symposium, end at the last birding location on the field trip, so plan to head home from there. Trips should be finished by noon or 1pm.