Field Trip Leader Bios
Read all the biographies here.
A special note about Field Trips
Please arrive at the location indicated 20 minutes prior to your scheduled event. This will allow us time to check you in and ensure the trip leaves promptly. We ask that you follow your field trip leader from the meeting location to the final destination. Anyone arriving after the field trip leader has left may not be able to join the group. Walk-in registration may be available for some events during the weekend of the Festival.
Weather may change a trip's itinerary, but most trips will be conducted rain or shine. The weather in the valley during January is variable. It is generally cold and sometimes rainy, with daytime highs ranging from 50F to 65F.
Be sure to bring the following on your field trips: rain gear, waterproof footwear, layered clothing, binoculars, camera, field identification guide, water and snack or lunch as needed. Please also check out the Tips & Etiquette below to help you enjoy your day to the fullest.
Tips & Etiquette for Bird Watchers
To make your trip more enjoyable for yourself and others, we ask you to please use these following etiquette tips:
- Wear clothing suitable for the weather and area you'll be hiking in. It's practical to layer clothing to accommodate fluctuations in temperature. Wear comfortable shoes that have a good grip and are waterproof when necessary. You may want to take sunscreen, a hat or rain gear.
- Bring binoculars or a scope for a better viewing experience.
- Bring water on long outings to stay hydrated.
- Bring a Field Guide if you are interested in learning more about the birds you see. If you are a beginning birder, look for a guide that specializes in birds of northern California.
- Be courteous to other explorers. Stay with your group and pay attention to your trip leader. Walk quietly and slowly. Do not disrupt animals or damage their habitats (breaking branches, trampling vegetation). Turn off cell phones or other electronic devices. If you are taking children with you, explain to them proper etiquette before the trip. Always behave in a manner that will enhance the image of the birding communities in the eyes of the public.
- Tune up your senses and listen carefully. Scan the horizon and tree canopies. Look to the ground for prints, feathers and other traces of wildlife. Please remove litter and leave natural items where they belong. This will keep it enjoyable for others when they visit.
- No dogs or pets allowed on any Snow Goose Festival event, workshop, or program. Please leave Fido with friends or family and not in the car during a field trip.
Field Trip: Gray Lodge & Cordi Winery (Harvest Host)
$60 Adult
Sunday, Jan 25, 2026 8:15 am - 4:30 pm
Meet at Patrick Ranch - Pat's Barn (Map)
Walking, could involve distance but largely flat
Description
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is one of the premier winter birding areas in Northern Sacramento Valley. With its varied habitats, flat hiking trails, viewing platform, and a 3-mile auto loop, viewing the thousand-plus ducks, hundreds of thousands of Snow and Ross's Geese, and raptors galore will be spectacular! Then we will take a short (4 mile) drive to Cordi Winery, nestled at the base of the Sutter Buttes, for some wine tasting and R & R after your big day of birding. Cordi Winery is also a Harvest Host where self-contained campers/trailers can stay. Bring snacks, lunch, water, a field guide, and binoculars. Dress for the winter weather and wear hiking shoes or boots. Price includes CDFW Lands Pass and wine tasting fees.
Field Trip Leaders
Tess McGuire
Tess McGuire has been birding and making hats for the last twenty years. She became an avid kayaker when she bought a house on Clear Lake. Now that she lives near Mendocino she paddles the local rivers and birds the coast. Perhaps some day she'll be brave enough to go out on the ocean.
Tess McGuire's Events
- Book Family Farms & Llano Seco Viewing Platform (1/23/2026)
- Paddle the Thermalito Afterbay (1/24/2026)
- Gray Lodge & Cordi Winery (Harvest Host) (1/25/2026)
Jennifer Patten
When Jennifer was in third grade, her teacher took her class on a field trip to Richardson Bay in Marin County. Here she saw hundreds of little sandpipers, hunting and poking for food across the mud flats. Her fascination with birds started on this day and has been with her ever since. Her passion for birds has led her to travel to many countries, including Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Europe, Canada, and all over the US, with Alaska being a particular favorite. She joined AltaCal's board in 1998, is one of the founders and past Director of the annual Snow Goose Festival, volunteered at Gray Lodge leading bird walks, and monitored wood duck boxes in the 1990s. She has volunteered in several bird projects and programs, helping students connect with birds and nature, at schools and the Chico Creek Nature Center. A bird and nature girl at heart, she instills that in her four granddaughters today.
Jennifer Patten's Events
- Llano Seco Rancho - Habitat Conservation & Wintering Waterfowl (1/22/2026)
- Paddle the North Forebay (1/23/2026)
- Gray Lodge & Cordi Winery (Harvest Host) (1/25/2026)