Notes about your surroundings

Starr Ranch Trips--There will be two field trips to the Starr Ranch Audubon Sanctuary next weekend. South Coast Audubon, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, will sponsor a trip there Saturday, and the Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society will hold a special bird-athon field trip to the sanctuary May 1.

The privately owned sanctuary, which is nearly 4,000 acres, is home to many bird species crowded out by urban sprawl, according to South Coast Audubon officials.

The South Coast trip begins at 8 a.m. A previous South Coast Audubon trip yielded sightings of western tanagers and lazuli buntings. Participants are asked to bring binoculars and field guides (and a lunch, if they wish to eat with the group at the sanctuary’s picnic area in the citrus grove). Heavy shoes are a must; those going on the trip should dress for possible changes in the weather.

Donations will be accepted at the South Coast trip to help maintain the sanctuary and fund research done there.

The group will meet at the Lucky’s shopping center parking lot at Plano Trabuco Road and Santa Margarita Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Access to the sanctuary is limited, so those who wish to participate are asked to carpool as much as possible.

The Sea & Sage trip will begin at 7:30 a.m. It is a special field trip that is being held in conjunction with the chapter’s bird-athon events.

There is a minimum $25 donation for those who wish to participate in the trip. Preregistration is required; call the chapter office at (714) 261-7963.