Field Trips

Let’s Go Birding!

YVAS field trips are an excellent way to meet other YVAS members, improve your birding skills, and get to know local hotspots and hiking trails.  We have field trips appropriate to people of all birding abilities and are led by knowledgable YVAS members.

For new birders and families, the Second Saturday Bird Walks are a great way to get started:  these walks are always in the Yakima area, short (around 2 hours), over easy trails (1-2 miles) and on Saturday mornings for working people and families. 

Please come out and give our field trips a try!

Sunnyside Wildlife Area, Saturday, April 26, 2025.  8:00 am – noon,  Leader: Kerry Turley 

We’ll head to this state wildlife area south of Sunnyside to walk around the flooded “rice fields.” In the ponds and marshes, we should see a nice selection of ducks such as the beautiful Cinnamon Teal. Various migrating shorebirds will be moving through, too and the very showy Black-necked Stilt may be here in good numbers. Other marsh birds such as Virginia Rail and Sora might be lurking in the cattails. Swallows of various species should have arrived, flitting low over the water hawking insects. 

We’ll walk 1.5-2 miles on a dike track encircling the ponds on the lookout for other birds like Marsh Wren, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Great Egret. Raptors should be about, too. Expect to be homeward bound by about noon or so. Contact Kerry, kdturley@gmail.com, to sign up.

What To Bring: Binoculars, scope, camera, dress for the weather and bring footgear you don’t mind getting a little muddy.

Sora, photo: Brad Roszell

Snow Mountain Ranch. Saturday Bird Walk, May 3, 9:00 – 11:00am  Leaders Sarah Shippen and Gene Miliczky. Please note our walk is the first Saturday this month.

Please join our May Saturday Bird Walk at Snow Mountain Ranch where we will look for Lewis’ Woodpecker, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Scrub Jay and various raptors, sparrows, and warblers. Our walk will cover the lower riparian areas along the creek for the best birding. This is also an excellent time for wildflowers. There is no need to register for this walk, just meet at 9:00am, Saturday, May 3 in the Snow Mountain Ranch parking lot.  

Directions to Snow Mountain Ranch: Head west on Summitview Ave. In 8.8 miles, turn left on Cowiche Mill Rd. Go 2.6 miles. The parking lot and TRAILHEAD are on the left, about 150 meters past the Cowiche Creek Nursery. Trailhead GPS: 46.6597651,-120.7593044,17

Black-headed Grosbeak, photo: Sarah Shippen

Ahtanum, Saturday, May 24

Leader Jeff Kozma Contct Jeff, jkozma1049@gmail.com, for more information.

Field Trip Information

As trips and leaders are  arranged we will add them to the website. Trips may be added with short notice so check often. Trips may be canceled at any time due to bad weather, too few participants, or the lack of a leader. Contact the leader for more information and to reserve a spot.

Field trips are free and are open to anyone. You don’t have to be an Audubon member to participate. Our leaders are club volunteers and are not compensated. If you carpool with somebody, it is common courtesy to compensate the driver for your share of gas and vehicle use. You are also responsible for any park entry fees, camping fees, or motel bills. To enhance the birding experience we need to limit the number of participants on our trips. The number allowed for each trip will be posted. Call or email early to reserve your place on a trip. And, call ASAP if you are not able to make the trip so the leader can offer your spot to someone on the wait list.

Field trips range from a few hours to all day long. Please arrive at the meet up location a bit early. Start time is the time we leave form the meet up location.

What to Bring

Participants need to provide their own binoculars*, food and drink, appropriate footwear and clothing for changing weather, and transportation, unless you find somebody with whom to carpool. Drivers bring your Discover Pass and any other pass you may have.

*A limited number of high quality binoculars are available for use during field trips. Please let the trip leader know in advance if you need binoculars.

Skill Level

We provide a variety of trips that accommodate many birding skill levels. Birders of all levels are welcome on all trips. However, please bear in mind that some beginners may get frustrated or bored on trips designed for advanced birders, where much of the birding is done by ear and the pace is very fast. Some advanced birders might find the trips geared toward beginning birders too basic and slow-paced. The skill level for each trip will be posted.

Families, Children and Dogs

Dogs are disruptive to the birding experience. Therefore, we do not allow any dogs on our trips. While we very much want families to participate, very young children are not appropriate for our field trips. When in doubt about the appropriateness of bringing your child, ask the leader before the trip so you can make plans for child care. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult.

Yellow-breasted Chat, photo: Sarah Shippen

Common Nighthawk, photo: Soo Goh Baus