SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY
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.
Contact us at:
eSBVAS@gmail.com
Meetings
Meetings are held at the San Bernardino County Museum once a month on Wednesday nights from September through May. The museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Ln, Redlands, CA 92374.
Scheduled Upcoming Events and Field Trips
Saturday, February 1, 2025 - 7:00 am
Salton Sea Goose & Crane Trip
Leader: Tom Benson (909) 648-0899
This trip at times has been called the “waterfowl trip”, the “goose trip”, and a “wonderful field trip.” It is all of those and more. We usually tally over 100 species. We will make an effort to see regional specialties including Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose, Sandhill Crane, Mountain Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, and Burrowing Owl. We will meet at 7:00 am behind the Del Taco in the Mecca Travel Center at 66th Avenue and the 86 Expressway. We will work south from Mecca on Highway 111 to North Shore, Salton Sea State Recreation Area (SRA), toward Brawley, and our eventual terminus at Unit 1 Salton Sea NWR. Please bring your California State Parks pass or $5 for parking at the SRA.
Saturday, February 1, 2025 - 7:30 am
Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve Field Trip
Leader: Charity Hagen
The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Murrieta is a haven for bird life at the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains. With it's multiple habitats of Oak and Sycamore riparian woodlands, Chapparal, rare Bunchgrass Prairie, and ephemeral Vernal Pools, it is a great place to see birds of multiple habitats in one location. This trip takes place during the winter months when the diversity of birds is the highest, with resident species joined by wintering birds such as sparrows, raptors, and woodpeckers. The Reserve is well known as a reliable location to see Lewis's Woodpeckers. With any luck, winter rains will fill the vernal pools, which can be full of ducks and shorebirds of many species. The trip will begin at 7:30 at the Visitor Center, which is 4 miles west of Interstate 15 on Clinton Keith Rd., in the city of Murrieta. There is a $4 per person fee to access the preserve, payable at the trailhead or visitor center. Plan on a walk up to 2-3 miles on some uneven terrain. Depending on conditions and other factors such as water in the vernal pools, we may drive to other access points on the Reserve, but the trip will begin at the Visitor Center. Bring good walking/hiking shoes, a jacket, and snacks and water. Heavy rain prior to the trip will likely cancel, contact the trip leader at the phone number listed if the weather has been bad for updates on the trip.
Sunday, February 9, 2025
San Jacinto Valley and Lake Perris
Leader: Tony Metcalf (951) 242-7038
The San Jacinto Wildlife Area (SJWA) and the San Jacinto Valley have lots of birds all year. SBVAS leads a Fall trip, a Spring trip, and now a Winter trip to this remarkable birding hotspot. In addition to the high number of resident species, overwintering birds and the occasional spectacular occurrence, the diversity and number of birds of prey and gulls peak after the new year. So join us on a fairly intense but unstructured day. We will certainly cover the SJWA and adjacent lands, and we may go to Lake Perris and …well, who knows. We will meet at 7:00 AM at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area entrance.
Saturday March 8, 2025 - 8:00 am
Lake Skinner County Park Field Trip
Leader: 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.