Mountain, Sea and Desert Birding Tour 2025
Join us for the return of our Mountain, Sea, and Desert Birding Tour! Led by expert birders Gjon Hazard and Thomas Myers, this immersive three-day adventure will take you on a birding journey from the rugged mountains to the vast Salton Sea, and into the heart of the desert. Gjon and Thomas have meticulously scouted the finest birding spots in the region and are eager to guide you to some of your best bird sightings of the year. Throughout the tour, they will also share insights into bird ecology, conservation, and taxonomy.
We’ll gather early each morning at the Anza-Borrego Foundation administrative office, where we’ll carpool to each destination: Friday at the Salton Sea, Saturday in Borrego Valley, and Sunday at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This tour is suitable for birders of all skill levels and abilities.
Please bring your own binoculars and a packed lunch for each day. Participants are responsible for arranging their own lodging.
REGISTER TODAY!
Date & Time (this event is three days):
6:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday, January 31-Sunday, February 2, 2025
Location:
Meet at the ABF office in the Mall: 587 Palm Canyon Dr. #122, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004
(Note: this is different from the State Park Store. The office is around the corner, next to Kendall’s Café). We’ll then carpool and/or caravan to our birding locations.
Cost:
ABF Members: $225
Non-Members: $250
Students: $100
*Please note that as the Anza-Borrego Foundation is a non-profit organization, all program costs are used to support current and future education programs, including subsidized programs that seek to increase access to the outdoors.
Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for those experiencing financial hardship. If you’d like to request a scholarship, please reach out to [email protected] with a two–three paragraph description about why you’d like to attend this program and your need for a scholarship.
About The Trip Leaders:
Gjon Hazard is a life-long California birder. He has led birding tours and field trips for the San Diego Bird Festival, Western Field Ornithologists, various Audubon societies, and other groups. Gjon is also a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where, for more than 20 years, he has worked with listed and at-risk plant and animal species. Prior to that, he conducted ornithological field surveys for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the U.S. Forest Service, academia, and biological consulting firms.
Thomas Myers has been birding for over 25 years and has led birding tours for Andiamo Travel (based out of Ensenada, Baja Norte Mexico). He has been working as a Wildlife Biologist for the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Natural History Museum, and other local consulting firms concentrating on field work with listed vertebrate species in the southwest including reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and, of course, birds!
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation requests must be received at least seven days before the first day of the event if you wish to receive a refund. Events may be cancelled due to unsafe weather, road conditions, or low attendance, with 24-hour notice, if possible. If ABF cancels a program, we will issue a full refund or credit.
