October Field Trip: Eastern Shore

Saturday, October 21, will be the day we return to the Eastern Shore. Deborah Humphries will lead our group that day, with several stops and usually a great
variety of birds. Expected stops are:

• The overlook at the north side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
• Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge (ESVANWR)
• Kiptopeke State Park, both the Hawkwatch site and a trail

We’ll gather at the overlook, our first stop, around 8:30 a.m. That’s usually a pretty quick stop, depending on how many gulls and cormorants we have to count. But we should be at the ESVANWR Visitor Center by 9:00 a.m. or a little after. Times after that depend on how good the birding is. And, if a rarity has been reported on the southern Eastern Shore, we may add a stop to look for that bird. All that birding will make a lot of us hungry, so lunch at the Cape Charles Brewing Company should be the final stop. Those eating lunch can expect to return to Williamsburg in the range of 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Those interested in carpooling should let me know they’d like to carpool, and meet at the Colony Square Shopping Center shortly after 7:00 a.m. Departure
from there is at 7:15 a.m. Also, let me know if you want to stay for lunch!

If you have a State Park Annual Pass, please bring that with you. Without a pass, the entry fee for Kiptopeke is $7 per vehicle.

September Field Trip: Jamestown Beach Event Park

With the summer almost over, the birds are getting more visible, so it’s time to resume our field trips. The next one will be on Saturday, September 16. We’ll meet at Jamestown Beach Event Park at 8:00 a.m., where we’ll stay pretty much in one place just above the beach to see what birds are around. And you don’t have to arrive at 8 a.m. First, this is casual birding. Second, since we’ll be pretty much in one location, you’ll find the group even if you arrive at 9 a.m.

The location is easily accessible via a paved trail from the parking lot. This event gives participants an opportunity to reconnect with other club members while also birding as much as you like. Bring your chair and your coffee mug! I expect we’ll be birding for a couple hours, but people can come and go as they please. Rexanne Bruno will be keeping the eBird list and sharing it with
participants. Thanks, Rexanne! 

Please Note: Those arriving early may have to wait at the entrance gate until park staff opens it. Last year, the entrance gate was actually a pretty birdy spot.

May 13 Field Trip: Piney Grove Preserve

The Club has been granted access for 15 members (maximum!) to visit Piney Grove Preserve on Saturday, May 13. This preserve in Sussex County is the home of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which Chance Hines described at our March meeting.

Chance will be leading us around the preserve. It will be EARLY—Chance recommends we take the 5:20 a.m. ferry to Surry. We will also need carpools because space for cars is very limited in the preserve.

Signups will be announced separately and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

April Field Trip: Newport News Park

On Saturday, April 15, Jason Strickland will lead us at Newport News Park.  The park in mid-April usually provides a first look at several newly-arrived migrants, such as Prothonotary Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, and Great Crested Flycatchers.  There should also be lingering winter residents, like Yellow-rumped Warblers, which will be molting into their breeding plumage.  We’ll meet at the back of the parking lot by the ranger station at 8 a.m.  No carpooling on this one – it’s a pretty short drive from Williamsburg. 

March 18 Field Trip: Machicomoco State Park

On Saturday, March 18, Nancy Barnhart led nine other birders at Machicomoco State Park. The overnight rain sputtered to a stop soon after the group arrived at the park. Habitat in the park is varied, as there are grassy fields, woods, and marshes along the open York River, and the bird life is varied as a result. The group spotted several Horned Grebes on the river, with one just starting to molt into breeding plumage. The expected Field Sparrows didn’t disappoint, and our group saw several at close range performing “full-body singing.” The parking lot was particularly productive, with a Palm Warbler mixed in with a large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Chipping Sparrows. Killdeer walked on the adjacent field, while Bald Eagles flew along its edges. A treat was a flock of American Pipits, which stayed low in the grass a few hundred feet from the parking lot – sometimes you have to work to see the birds! In all, the group identified 51 species, with the complete list available via the following link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S131204186.