Notes about your surroundings.

River Birds--The Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society is hosting a bird-watching field trip on Saturday to a site along the west side of the Santa Ana River across from Fairview Regional Park in Huntington Beach.

The area offers great birding opportunities because of the various habitats in close proximity, including grassland, coastal sage scrub and marshland. It is host to at least 75 different bird species, the most common of which are Bonaparte’s gulls, California gulls, Northern pintails, mew gulls, white-crowned sparrows, European starlings and killdeers. A few species of hawks and egrets have also been spotted recently in the area.

Anyone who would like to participate is asked to meet at 8 a.m. Saturday on the east end of Crailet Drive, off Brookhurst Street south of Adams Avenue. Participants are asked to bring water and binoculars and wear good walking shoes and a hat. The trip will last until at least noon but, if there is sufficient interest, could continue into the midafternoon. For more information, call (714) 543-7393.