Brush up on your identification skills for those “Little Brown Jobs” that confound so many of us. We discuss the taxonomy, behavior and field marks of resident and migrant species, as well as the occasional rarities.

March 7 Part 1: Taxonomy, Morphology, and Behavior

March 14 Part 2: Seasonality and Plumage

March 21 Part 3: Sounds and Sightings

From Swans to Geese to Ducks, the ancient order of Anseriformes has long fascinated humans, even to the point of appearing in early cave paintings, and reinforcing their importance to early humans. Fortunately they are the easiest birds to observe, especially in winter, making December — March the perfect time to fully appreciate these iconic birds. From coastal bays to inland lakes and flooded farmlands they can be found by the hundreds or even thousands, providing birders ample opportunity to enjoy their enormous variety of colors, shapes, and behaviors. In this three-session online class, Matthew Dodder will discuss the taxonomy, diet and identification of the 35 species that occur in Santa Clara County with numerous comparison images. Special attention will be given to some of the rare and more difficult to identify species as well as hybrids.

January 10 Part 1: Taxonomy, Morphology, and Behavior

January 17 Part 2: Divers, Dabblers, and Domestic

January 24 Part 3: Difficult identifications

Get ready to search out the confusingly cryptic, the unexpected vagrants, and the stubbornly uncooperative warblers that are landing in our trees this fall in this three session online class taught by Matthew Dodder at 7PM, Monday, September 6, 13, and 20, 2021.

Interested in using eBird, but don’t know where to start? Matthew Dodder presents a new online workshop, free for SCVAS members, along with an in-person hands-on demonstration. Class was held October 4, 2021.

Accompaniment to eBird Part 1 “A Light Breeze” October 4, 2021

From Peeps to Plovers, shorebirds can be a headache. Get ready to face the challenges of the fall migration with this intermediate birding course. This class was taught by Matthew Dodder from August 9 to August 23, 2021.

Do your eyes glaze over at the sight of an Empidonax? Don’t know how to pronounce Myiarchus? Can’t keep your Kingbirds straight…? If so, we’ve got something for you! Matthew Dodder teaches a 3-part beginning/intermediate-level class on Flycatcher identification which looks at this large, confusing family as a whole and breaks it down into more manageable bits.

Are you intimidated by Gulls? Sit back as Matthew Dodder teaches a 3 part class on Gull identification to help you overcome your fears. This beginner/intermediate-level class focuses on structure, topography, and age as keys to identification. Included are these and other important tools you’ll need to make Gulls fun and less intimidating.

Join Matthew Dodder in exploring the variety of Terns to be found in the greater Bay Area. Focus is on structure, habitat, and comparing similar species.

SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder, discusses the taxonomy, morphology, behavior and field marks of Grebes, Loons, Cormorants and Auks that have occurred in Santa Clara County. The presentation address how these four diverse bird families employed a variety of solutions to life in the water.

Matthew Dodder, Executive Director of Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, takes us through the taxonomy, flight styles, and plumage variables of our Birds of Prey that should be considered when identifying any of the 22 reported Raptor species recorded in Santa Clara County.