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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.

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Upcoming Events and Field Trips

Wednesday, April 17, 7 pm

General Meeting, San Bernardino County Museum

Kia Ora! Welcome to New Zealand!

Presented by: Robin Roberts

In September and October of 2023, early Spring in New Zealand, we traveled

to this beautiful country. Although our main mission was to see family, we

managed to go birding on the North and the South Island. New Zealand is a

perfect place to combine your love of birds and hiking in stunningly lovely

places. Some of the highlights of the trip were Albatrosses, the Kea, an alpine

parrot, Takahe, a flightless bird once thought to be extinct, the Yellow-eyed Penguin (Hoiho), one the most endangered penguins in the world, and several endemic birds that have been restored to island sanctuaries. The Bellbird (Korimako) and the Tui fill the tree canopy with their unique sounds. This country is inspiring as it looks to the future and sees a potential future where birdsong would be a distant memory. A lot of work has been done over the years to prevent this from happening.

In 2012, Robin moved to Idyllwild with her family and she started volunteering with the US Forest Service as a wilderness ranger, fire lookout on Tahquitz Peak and Black Mountain and interpretive coordinator. In 2018, she returned to graduate school for a Master of Art in Biology degree through the University of Miami and San Diego Safari Park. She continues to volunteer as a contributing editor of the Desert Cities Bird Club newsletter, leads bird walks locally and at Sunnylands, teaches introductory bird classes, and is a Christmas Bird Count compiler for Idyllwild. She shares her local and occasional travels on her nature blog, mail to: birding.mountainquailpress.com

Robin looks forward to sharing with us some of her photos of birds and landscapes she captured as she traveled through this wonderful country, New Zealand.

Please come out to enjoy what promises to be a terrific program. Everyone is always welcome.

Saturday, April 20, 2024, Sunday, April 21, 2024

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 27, 2024

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?