About SBVAS
SBVAS strives to bring people to their natural environment. Focusing on birds and other wildlife, we hope to conserve natural resources in the Southern California's "Inland Empire," specifically San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties.
Founded in 1948, San Bernardino Valley Audubon is southeastern California's leading non-profit engaging people in the conservation of birds and their habitats. We involve people through recreational birding, envelop them in our education programs, and engage them in conservation actions from counting birds to working with local, state, and national policy makers. San Bernardino Valley Audubon is a fully independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Upcoming Events and Field Trips
March 1 Beginning Bird Walk-Fairmount Park
March 7 Lake Skinner County Park Field Trip
March 18 General Meeting
March 21 Bolsa Chica Field Trip
April 15 General Meeting
April 18 Salton Sea Field Trip
April 19 Beginning Bird Walk-San Timoteo Cyn.
April 19 San Jacinto Wildlife Area Field Trip
April 25 Big Morongo Preserve Field Trip
Northern Pintail
Meetings
SBVAS board meetings convene the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm, general meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm. Board meetings are held at 740 W. Mill, Unit A, in San Bernardino and all general meetings are held at the San Bernardino County Museum at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands.
Everybody is welcome.
Vermilion Flycatcher
MARCH/APRIL EVENTS
Sunday, March 1
8-10 am
Beginning Bird Walk at Fairmount Park, Riverside
Dave Goodward (909) 783-2417
For those of you who are just beginning the wonderful pastime of bird watching, please join us for a fun, slow-paced morning of birding in one of our local wildlife habitats. Our goal will be to teach you enough basic birding techniques and identification skills so that you will feel comfortable birding on your own or joining our longer birding trips throughout the year. We will introduce you to some of our local bird species. You may be surprised at what wonderful birds can be seen! Wear comfortable walking shoes, hats and sunscreen and bring binoculars and water. The walk is free and no reservations are needed, however, all participants must sign a liability waiver. You may print one out ahead of time and bring it with you, or the trip leader will have forms available on site. Everyone is welcome.
Saturday March 7
8:00 am
Lake Skinner County Park Field Trip
Charity Hagen
Lake Skinner County Park is an oasis for birds. In the many wild and manicured areas of the park, birders can expect to see a wide range of birds. The park contains oak woodlands, Riversidian sage scrub, riparian areas, exotic trees and shrubs, and a reservoir. This combination of habitats has attracted well over 200 species to the park. The reservoir is an important wintering ground for species such as Common Goldeneye, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, and multiple other duck and grebe species. In the riparian areas and manicured trees of the park, many wintering passerine species can be found, with such notable birds as sapsuckers, thrushes, multiple sparrow species, and the occasional wintering eastern warbler. On this field trip we will scour the many different habitats and multiple shoreline access points to find as many of these birds as possible. In early spring expect to see lingering winter visitors mixed with early arrival breeders such as orioles, along with year round residents such as Acorn Woodpecker and California Gnatcatcher. Expect to see from 50-70 species during the field trip, with rarities always a possibility. Most areas can be accessed by vehicle, but be prepared to walk up to a mile in search of the best birding locations.
Meet at 8 am at the Alamos Schoolhouse Nature Center just inside the park entrance. There is a $6 per person fee to access the park.
Wednesday, March 18
General Meeting, San Bernardino County Museum
From Predation to Anthropophobia:
The consequences of fear in animal populations
Presented by Breanna Putnam
Almost all animals face the risk of predation at some point in their lives. Hence, fear—the perceived risk of predation from actual
predators or other threats—can drive behavioral and physiological traits. I have worked in various systems studying predator-prey
interactions and I am now applying this knowledge to understand the effects of urbanization on lizard populations in Southern California.
I am looking at whether an inappropriate fear of humans filters certain species or individuals from urban habitats. Because I work in
urban areas, a large barrier to collecting data is surveying across private property lines and so I work closely with community/citizen
scientists. I am promoting community science opportunities in the Inland Empire through the City Nature Challenge, which is a global
competition among cities using the iNaturalist platform. Overall, an understanding of animal responses to urbanization will be
important for urban planning, management, and conservation.
Saturday, March 21
8:00 am
Bolsa Chica & Orange County Coast
Dori Myers (714) 779-2201 (h) or (714) 336-1420 (m)
Please join us for what should be a great day of birding in the wetland areas of Orange County. Expect to see a large variety of wintering birds including ducks, shorebirds, grebes, herons, egrets, terns, cormorants, etc. We ought to find gulls and raptors and some song birds. With any luck we will see 50 or more species just in the morning. After birding Bolsa Chica (until around noon) we will go to Newport Back Bay or the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary to eat our lunch and finish the day. We will meet at the PCH parking lot of Bolsa Chica at 8:00 am (map). To reach Bolsa Chica, take the 91 freeway south to the 55 (Newport freeway). Continue on the 55 to the 405 and go north towards Long Beach. Exit at Beach Blvd. (south) and continue to Pacific Coast Highway. Turn right and head north on PCH, past Huntington Beach. We will meet in the parking lot of the Ecological Preserve (Bolsa Chica) on the inland side of Pacific Coast Hwy at the signal between Seagate and Warner. Please bring a lunch if you intend to stay for the day. Also bring binoculars, bird book and a scope if you have one. It can get cold along the coast in winter so dress in layers.
Wednesday, April 15
General Meeting, San Bernardino County Museum
Birds of Sri Lanka"
Presented by Rustom Jamador
During January and February of 2018 Palomar Audubon member, Rustom Jamador, traveled to India to visit friends, family, and of course to go birding. He birded in Northern and Western India and Sri Lanka, the pearl-shaped island that lies at the southern tip of the sub-continent. He will present his photos and talk about his trip to this remarkable island.
Rustom grew up in India and has birded many areas in that country. He has given well received presentations on his previous trips. Rustom has been a member of the National Audubon for many years and is a life member of the Bombay Natural History Society for over 35 years. He is a member of San Diego, Palomar, and Buena Vista Audubon chapters and joins them on their weekly field trips. Please come enjoy what promises to be an interesting presentation.
Saturday, April 18
7:00 am
Shorebird Migration at the Salton Sea
Chet McGaugh (951) 781-3699 and Tony Metcalf (951) 242-7038
Tony Metcalf and Chet McGaugh will be leading back-to-back San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips on the weekend of April 20-21, to the north end of the Salton Sea (Saturday) and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Sunday). As we both are big fans of the shorebirds, and the date is excellent for a good migration experience, we intend to spend most of the weekend searching mudflats, marshes, slop ponds, wet fields, barnacle beaches, and open sea and sky. It is our hope that we can provide some knowledge about this fascinating bunch of birds, stimulate appreciation and interest in them, and mitigate some of the phobias. And have fun. As usual, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips are open to all. We will meet at 7:00 am at the "Big Arco" (map) on the corner of 66th Avenue and the 86S Expressway in Mecca. Pick one trip or the other or both. There will be different species seen at the Salton Sea and at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. The study of shorebirds is greatly enhanced by the use of spotting scopes so we hope there will be plenty besides our own. Though not necessary, we suggest having rubber boots for those hard to get to spots, particularly at the Salton Sea (short wades, slogging through deep mud, barnacles). Bring lunch and snacks and drinks. Weather is likely to be excellent, and there will be many birds to see besides the waders.
Sunday, April 19
8:00-10:00 am
Beginning Bird Walk at San Timoteo Canyon
Matt Grube (909) 253-3867
Our goal will be to teach you enough basic birding techniques and identification skills so that you will feel comfortable birding on your own or joining our longer birding trips throughout the year. We will meet at the dirt lot along San Timoteo Canyon Rd just south of Fern Ave at 8 am. The walk is free, and all are invited to join. Expect to walk 2-3 miles on level dirt paths as we look for spring migrants and summer nesting birds. Please contact Matt Grube by email at mattgrube@gmail.com for questions.
Sunday, April 19
7:00 am
San Jacinto Wildlife Area
Tony Metcalf (951) 242-7038 and Chet McGaugh (951) 781-3699
Tony Metcalf and Chet McGaugh will be leading back-to-back San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips on the weekend of April 20-21, to the north end of the Salton Sea (Saturday) and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Sunday). As we both are big fans of the shorebirds, and the date is excellent for a good migration experience, we intend to spend most of the weekend searching mudflats, marshes, slop ponds, wet fields, barnacle beaches, and open sea and sky. It is our hope that we can provide some knowledge about this fascinating bunch of birds, stimulate appreciation and interest in them, and mitigate some of the phobias. And have fun. As usual, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips are open to all. We will meet at 7:00 am at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area headquarters on Davis Road, a few miles north of Lakeview and the Ramona Expressway. Pick one trip or the other or both. There will be different species seen at the Salton Sea and at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. The study of shorebirds is greatly enhanced by the use of spotting scopes so we hope there will be plenty besides our own. Though not necessary, we suggest having rubber boots for those hard to get to spots, particularly at the Salton Sea (short wades, slogging through deep mud, barnacles). Bring lunch and snacks and drinks. Weather is likely to be excellent, and there will be many birds to see besides the waders.
Saturday, April 25
7:00 am
Big Morongo Preserve
The last week of April is about the best time for observing migrant land birds in Southern California and Big Morongo is one of the best places for it. In addition to migrant warblers, vireos and flycatchers, we expect to see the breeding specialities including Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole and Hooded Oriole. Join us for a morning birdwalk on the trails and roads of the preserve and surrounding areas. We will meet at the preserve parking lot at 7:00 am. To get there, take I-10 to Highway 62, go north ten miles to Morongo Valley, then turn right on Park Avenue to Covington Park. Turn left at Covington Park, then do a quick right-left-right into the preserve. Weather is typically good this time of year. Bring water, snacks and lunch if you plan to make a day of it. Some of us will probably stay out all day. Who knows where the afternoon will lead us?
