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, 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 possibilities 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, August 30, 2025
SBVAS Pelagic Trip – Dana Point
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Leaders: Tom Benson, Curtis Marantz, Robert McNab, Brittany O’Connor, and Brad Singer
SBVAS is sponsoring a 10-hour pelagic trip to the nearshore waters between Dana Point and Catalina Island on Saturday, August 30, 2025. We will be departing from Dana Point aboard the R/V Sea Explorer at 7:00 AM and returning at 5:00 PM. This extended trip should allow us time to reach and spend some time at the north end of Thirty Mile Bank or the Catalina Escarpment after travelling through Orange County waters. We have a reasonable probability of seeing the following sought-after pelagic species on this trip: Black, Leach’s, Least, and Ashy Storm-Petrels, Long-tailed Jaeger, Craveri's Murrelet, Sabine’s Gull, and Arctic Tern. Additionally, it is a good time of year to find rarer species such as Black-footed Albatross, Red-billed Tropicbird, South Polar Skua, Townsend's Storm-Petrel, and any number of boobies. The cost for the trip is $150 per person. To reserve a space on the trip, email me (see below) with your name and phone number, the number of spaces you want to reserve, and the names of those in your party.
The Sea Explorer is a 65-foot research vessel with plenty of standing room, bench seating on both the upper and lower decks, and an interior salon with limited seating. There is no galley on board, so you should bring your own lunch for this 10-hour excursion. Weather at sea is often cool relative to the mainland, and can be unpredictable. It is recommended that you dress in layers including a light rain jacket for potential sea spray (or even rain). A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also essential. Bring your binoculars and cameras, but leave your spotting scopes at home. There are a number of over-the-counter preventative seasickness treatments available; consult with your doctor if you think you will need them. They are most effective when taken before you get on the boat; do not wait until you are sick. If you have any questions regarding the trip, please contact Tom Benson: thomasabenson AT aol.com.