As we approach the season of giving, we invite you as a supporter of SCVAS to make a 2024 gift with a Direct Distribution from your traditional IRA.
SCVAS is offering a two-part online class (beginning/intermediate-level) on one of our most confusing groups—the Flycatchers! Class members will gain access to our private discussion group where you can pose questions or photos. Matthew Dodder will be your instructor. Sign up and join the fun!
Monday: March 15 & March 22, 7:00 - 8:30 PM via Zoom. Sign Up Now →
Now you can view the location of every Self-Guided Field Trip on an interactive map. We’ve outlined five areas of interest in our county: West Hills, Bayfront, East Hills, Urban Areas and South County. We have a separate map showing Out of County adventures. There’s also a new map with the locations of all the salt ponds in Santa Clara County.
Read about how our Christmas Bird Count reacted to a pandemic and was still able to gather great data for Citizen Science — this Mountain View Voice article features many familiar SCVAS faces.
Were introducing a new series of birding courses starting with a 3-part class on Gull Identification. Join esteemed birding instructor Matthew Dodder who’ll provide you with tools to not just identify our local gulls, but make identification fun!
Happy New Year! Need help finding great birding spots and figuring out what to look for? Check out our self-guided field trips for January.
There’s no winter birding experience quite like the dry rolling ranch lands and deserted flat earth of Panoche Valley. This trip nearly guarantees to provide the brave-hearted with world-class views of Ferruginous Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Prairie Falcon, and Mountain Bluebird. It’s a magical, barren place!
Bay Area Bird Photographers next online meeting is Wednesday, January 6, where photographer Alex Navarro will show us the birds of Central America.
SCVAS member and Harker School student Vayun Tiwari was featured on the television program "49er Cal-Hi Sports." Please enjoy watching Vayun discuss how he got started birding and his photography hobby during the first 5 minutes of the program.
Fire is an integral part of California’s ecosystem. Our executive Director Matthew Dodder and others discuss wildfire management’s benefits and hazards and its impact on the Black-backed Woodpecker and other native species in San Jose Inside.
Pete Dunten reports on the latest round of rare bird sightings in Santa Clara County. See the archive for past observations and how to report rarities.
Winter seems to hold more bird surprises than other seasons. Why is that? Matthew explores our winter wonders from waterfowl to woodpeckers to warblers. And hawks of course.
As 2020 draws to a close, we have been thinking about what we’re grateful for this year. Your continuing support, alongside our volunteers and staff, has helped us thrive in a most challenging year. Thank you!
The Winter 2021 issue of The Avocet newsletter is here!
Read the Latest Issue Now or explore our Avocet Archives going back to 1929!
Need help finding great birding spots and figuring out what to look for? Check out our self-guided field trips for December.
Punch Magazine explores the Emily Renzel Wetlands with the help of our Executive Director, Matthew Dodder. Article starts on p. 100.
Read More → (or Download PDF )
International Bird Rescue’s featured photographer is our own Vivek Khanzodé, a long-time member of the Board and presenter for Bay Area Bird Photographers.
On Wednesday, November 18 John Richardson took us on an exploration of Tanzania’s National Parks!
Members have been telling us in their own words what they’re observing in their yards, and sharing their pictures too. See what your friends and neighbors have been seeing in their backyards and send your backyard bird sightings to backyardbirds@scvas.org.
Need help finding great birding spots and figuring out what to look for? Check out our self-guided field trips for November. The fall season is a great time to observe wintering ducks at the bay or any of Santa Clara County’s inland lakes and ponds. Or, now that the weather is cooling, head to the grassy hills at Coyote Lake County Park or try the redwoods along the John Nicholas Trail. You can even bird by bike at Ogier Ponds!
Local photographer Luis Villablanca gave a presentation on the Sierra Nevada’s spectacular bird life. Catch the presentation on our YouTube channel!
