Event Category: Field Trips

Fifty-three species seen. Click here to see the eBird list of birds.

Grasshopper Sparrow

On Saturday, April 17, Jason Strickland will lead a trip at Newport News Park. We’ll meet him near the ranger station at 7 a.m. Migration should be progressing well then, and I expect we’ll spend most of the morning at the park.

The group is limited to 25 people, per guidance from the Club’s Board – that’s Jason plus 24 club members. If you would like to participate in the field trip, please email George Martin at grm0803@gmail.com. I’ll advise if you are on the attendee list, or whether you are on the wait list. The Board also specifies that participants should wear masks, should stay 6 feet apart, and should not share optics or books.

Also, there will be no organized carpooling/meeting place for this field trip. It’s OK for people to travel together, as long as the driver agrees and the driver and riders are fully vaccinated. The park isn’t far away, and parking there should be ample.

This event has been CANCELLED due to concerns about the coronavirus.

The Club’s March field trip will be on Saturday, March 21, 2020 to Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry County. Nick Newberry will lead us on the trails in the park. According to the eBird database, there should still be ducks in the James River. In the forest, winter residents should still be present, and we might get to see some early migrants. Spotting scopes should be helpful for viewing birds along the river.

For those who want to carpool, let’s meet at the Colony Square Shopping Center on Jamestown Road at 7:00 AM for a departure time of 7:10 AM sharp. I expect we’ll arrive at the park around 8:00 AM.

For those who wish to drive themselves, the destination address is 695 Chippokes Park Road, Surry, VA 23883. The admission fee to the state park is $7. I encourage those with annual state park
passes to drive.

The Williamsburg Bird Club is sponsoring a boat trip to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands on Sunday, January 19, 2020. There is space available on the boat beyond interest from the Club’s members, so we’re opening up the trip to others.

Your space is reserved when the WBC Treasurer receives your check. Reservations are made in the order in which checks are received. If checks received exceed the capacity of the boat, senders will be added to a wait list. Checks from those on the wait list who do not make the trip will be destroyed. Participants should be at the boat, the Bay Princess, by 8:30 AM to check in for a 9 AM sailing. The dock at Lynnhaven Inlet is at . The captain plans to return the boat to the dock around 1 PM. There is a good seafood restaurant at the dock for those who would like to
have lunch after the trip.

Clothing that protects against wind and dampness is highly recommended. The boat is equipped with restrooms.

The cost for the trip is $30 per person. Please send your check, payable to Williamsburg Bird Club, to:
Club Treasurer, Attention: Ann Carpenter
PO Box 764
Lightfoot, VA 23090
Please include your email address and cell phone number with your check. You will be notified when your check has been received.

If the boat trip has to be canceled due to bad weather, your check will be destroyed. For additional information, please contact George Martin at grm0803@gmail.com, or by phone
at 757-920-5403.