Need help finding great birding spots and figuring out what to look for? Check out our self-guided field trips for March. Also check out our new Salt Pond map!
March Self-Guided Field Trips
Speaker Series: Sparky Stensaas
Join us Wednesday February 17 at 7pm as we host our special guest, Sparky Stensaas, the Executive Director of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Minnesota, as he discusses the famous Sax-Zim Bog and the assortment of Owls and other animal wonders that show up each winter.
Great Backyard Bird Count (and Competition)
Time to get counting! The Great Backyard Bird Count is here, and we are excited! This year participating SCVAS members can win themselves some SCVAS gear just by sending in their lists, all while taking part in one of the most accessible global bird counts to be found.
Open Space Authority Highlights Matthew Dodder
The Open Space Authority’s Community Connections blog has a wonderful article highlighting our Executive Director Matthew Dodder.
South Georgia and the Falkland Islands - Bob Lewis
Bay Area Bird Photographers online meeting was Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30pm, where photographer Bob Lewis presented “To the End of the Earth – South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.” The full presentation is available on our YoutTube channel.
February Self-Guided Field Trips
Need help finding great birding spots and figuring out what to look for? Check out our self-guided field trips for February. Also check out our new Salt Pond map!
Action Alerts: Conservation in your Community
Just ten minutes of your time can have an impact across the Bay. Take a moment to speak up for the birds and nature that make our Bay Area such a unique place to live.
Speaker Series: Sahas Barve
Avian ecologist and Peter Buck Fellow at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, Sahas Barve will discuss the social life of our Acorn Woodpeckers on January 20th.
Maps to Guide You
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.
COVID and the CBC
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.
New Birding Class: Gulls
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!
January Self-Guided Field Trips
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.
Self-Guided Field Trip to Panoche Valley
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!
Birds of the Maya - Alex Navarro
Bay Area Bird Photographers next online meeting is Wednesday, January 6, where photographer Alex Navarro will show us the birds of Central America.
Vayun Tiwari Featured on Cal-Hi Sports
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.
Wildfire Management...Was Smokey Wrong?
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.
Bird Notes August—October 2020
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.
What to Look for Now
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.
Annual Appeal
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!
