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
Wednesday, March 19, 7pm
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Meeting
Pelagic Birding
Presented by Tom Benson
Despite its inland location, San Bernardino Valley Audubon has sponsored numerous pelagic birding trips in southern California. These trips have mostly departed from Dana Point during fall migration but have also taken place during winter and spring. Please join us as Tom Benson discusses the history of these pelagic trips and the wonderful birds (and other wildlife) we have seen on them.
Tom has served as the Secretary of the California Birds Records Committee since 2015. He went on his first pelagic trip in September 2000 and has been hooked on pelagic birding ever since. He has led pelagic trips all along the Southern California coast, including all SBVAS pelagic trips from 2017-present.
Saturday, April 19, 2025, Sunday, April 20, 2025
8:00 am and 7:30 am
Salton Sea Shorebirds, San Jacinto Wildlife Area
Leaders: Tony Metcalf (951) 242-7038, David Rankin: david.rankin@ucr.edu
Hey shore-birders and April migrant lovers, join David Rankin (619-869-3952) and Tony Metcalf (951-347-7710) for a two day birding extravaganza at the north end of the Salton Sea (Saturday) and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Sunday). We will focus primarily on shorebirds, contrasting mid-April shorebird diversity at the Salton Sea with inland coastal shorebird diversity at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area and Mystic Lake. (Of course we look at everything from gulls to passerines!!). On Saturday (April 20) we will meet at 8 AM at the infamous Arco Station in Mecca (66 th Ave and HWY 86), and on Sunday (April 21) meet at the gates of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area at 7:30 AM. You can join us for one or both days. Bring drinks, snacks, lunch etc. And we recommend rubber boots for the barnacle beaches at the NESS and goopy Mystic Lake Shoreline.
Saturday, April 26, 2025
7:00 am
Big Morongo Preserve
Leader: Matt Grube (909) 253-3867
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, Brown-crested Flycatcher, 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 Covington Park 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. 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?
Saturday, May 3, 2025
8:00 am
Whitewater Canyon
Leader: Steve Myers (951) 616-7578
Portions of Whitewater Canyon have long been more or less closed to public access, but the former trout farm is now the "Whitewater Canyon Preserve," managed by The Wildlands Conservancy. If you visited the trout farm in the past, you will not know the place now. Most of the facilities have been removed, and habitat restoration is under way. Riparian and desert scrub habitats should be teaming with birds on this trip. The canyon hosts nesting Summer Tanagers and Brown-crested Flycatchers, and migrants should be easy to find. In addition to the Preserve, we may visit Bonnie Bell, a small community in the canyon that contains excellent cottonwood and willow forest and woodland, somewhat reminiscent of Big Morongo. Meet at the Whitewater Canyon Preserve at 8:00 am. To reach the Preserve, go east on I-10, past the turn-off for Highway 111, and take the Whitewater exit. Turn left, pass over I-10, and watch for Whitewater Canyon Road on your left. The Preserve is at the end of Whitewater Canyon Road, approximately 5 miles north of I-10. Bring sturdy footwear, water, lunch, and the usual essentials.
Saturday, May 10, 2025 9:00 am
Baby Birds at Bearpaw Ranch
Leader: Cin Greyraven (909) 794-0509
Join us for a trip into the hidden world of nesting birds at Bearpaw Nature Sanctuary in Forest Falls (map). Biologist Cin Greyraven will lead the group in its search for evidence of breeding behavior in the common birds of the chaparral and forest. Since 1994, Bearpaw Sanctuary has been part of the National Nest Box Trail system, offering homes to Western Bluebirds, Oak Titmice, House Wrens, Mountain Chickadees, and Ash-throated Flycatchers. Learn what types of nest boxes work best and how monitoring data by average citizens across the continent can contribute to scientific research. Learn how to monitor a nest box without disturbing the nesting effort. Enjoy a peek inside the usually inaccessible world of cavity nesters, and learn to recognize different species by their nests, eggs, and chicks. Bring binoculars for long-distance viewing and cameras for close-up snapshots. Children are welcome. For additional information, call (909) 794-0509.
Saturday, May 17, 2025 7:30 am
San Jacinto Mountains
Leader: Robin Roberts 770-856-4826. rober356@miamioh.edu
The San Jacinto Mountains field trip will meet at the Lake Fulmor parking area on State Route 243 at 7:30am. From there we'll spend the day birding various places in the San Jacinto Mountains, looking for specialties like White-headed Woodpecker, Pinyon Jay, Mountain Quail, Williamson's Sapsucker and Red Crossbill We'll also stop at Lake Hemet to see what waterbirds (and maybe Purple Martins) are around, then end the trip in the Garner Valley. Bring sturdy shoes, a lunch/snacks and water. An Adventure Pass will be needed for some locations, so please purchase one ahead of time.
Saturday, May 31, 2025 7:00 am
San Bernardino Mountains
Leader: Brad Singer (909) 936-5087/bcsinger@gmail.com
The San Bernardino Mountains trip will meet outside the Starbuck's located in the Von's shopping center on Big Bear Blvd. and Sandalwood Drive at 7:00 am. We will spend the morning at Cactus Flats and Arrastre Creek where expected species include Black-chinned Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Lazuli Bunting, Scott's Oriole, and Mountain Quail. We will also search for Hepatic Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Calliope Hummingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, Gray Vireo, and Pinyon Jay. About midday we'll bird around Big Bear Lake in search of any lingering shorebirds, terns, and raptors, and then spend the afternoon up either at Bluff Lake or Wildhorse Meadows in search of Williamson's Sapsucker, Dusky Flycatcher, Cassin's Finch, Townsend's Solitaire, and Clark's Nutcracker. Expect a long day, bring plenty of water, lunch, and sturdy hiking shoes. A vehicle with high clearance is recommended but not required.
Saturday, June 7, Sunday, June 8, 2025. 7:00 AM
Sierra Eastside Birding
Leader: Brad Singer (909) 936-5087/bcsinger@gmail.com
The eastside of the Sierra's offer not only a delightful birding experience, but spectacular scenery as well. Come join us as we pursue scrub, sagebrush and montane birds in a variety of settings. On Saturday, we will cover the Owen's Valley, starting in Lone Pine and finishing in Bishop exploring an array of side canyons along the way. Sunday we will drive up towards Mammoth and bird from Crowley Lake to Mono Lake. The bird list is long, but possibilites include both Sagebrush and Sooty Grouse, Clark's Nutcracker, Calliope Hummingbird, Black-backed and Williamson's Sapsucker, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay, and Common Nighthawk. We will meet Saturday morning at 7 am at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center at the corner of Hwy 395 and 136 in Lone Pine. Plan on spending Saturday evening in Bishop. Group size is limited.
Saturday, June 14, 2025 8:00AM
Wrightwood & Blue Ridge
Gene Cardiff & Dori Myers 714 336-1420 M
The San Gabriel Mountains trip will start at the California Department of Forestry Mormon Rocks Station on Highway 138 at 8:00 am. Take I-15 north from San Bernardino or south from the Victor Valley and turn toward Palmdale on Highway 138. The CDF Station is located 1.5 miles up Hwy 138 on the left side of the road, opposite the large sandstone formation called the Mormon Rocks. (There are no restrooms at the CDF Station, use the restrooms at the gas stations near the off ramp.) After birding that area for 30-45 minutes, we will proceed up Lone Pine Canyon Rd into Wrightwood to Big Pines and eventually wind up at 8000 feet and Blue Ridge Campground for lunch. Bring a lunch, liquids and a good pair of shoes. We will look for mountain birds such as the Fox Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Dusky Flycatcher, and Williamson's Sapsucker. Please don’t forget: you will need an Adventure Pass and sometimes you can’t buy one up the hill, so please plan ahead.