Birders and wild bird enthusiasts in and around Williamsburg, Virginia
Meetings are held the third Wednesday of January-May and September-November currently via Zoom. Meetings are free and open to the public.
In May, Susan Powell will be our speaker. As a dedicated birder and well-respected authority on all things avian, she will be sharing with us techniques to advance our birding proficiency as well as a quick review on bird markings and ways to improve our identification skills. She’ll also add some interesting and successful ways to improve our Breeding Bird skills.
Come join us on May 16 th for this opportunity to make your birding experiences even more successful.
As always, our April meeting is a very special one, with research grant recipients presenting their findings. These three folks are Master students in the Biology Department at W&M and their research is just fascinating.
Speaking first will be Jasmine Parham whose research was about “The Dietary Transfer of Mercury in the South River Floodplain”. Also speaking will be Robert Galvin, whose topic, “Investigating Wading Bird Use of Natural Fringing Marshes and Living Shorelines” sounds equally interesting. Finally, Rachel Davis will talk about “Mercury Exposure on Tissue-specific Reduction in Telomere Length at Multiple Developmental Ages in the Zebra Finch”.
Please come join us for an interesting and very educational evening. Our April 18 th meeting will be in Andrews Hall, Room 101, at 7:00 pm.
Don’t forget you’ll need your parking pass!
Our very own WBC member, Dr. Dan Cristol will discuss the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and concerns regarding factors impacting it under the current Administration. All WBC members are encouraged to participate in a letter writing session at the end of the meeting, where stamps will be made available.
February is always our joint meeting with the WBC and the Historic Rivers Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists. Last year we all were so amazed by the wonderful birds from Busch Gardens that we have invited them back. The representatives of Busch Gardens with be bringing some different, beautiful wild bird visitors. Be sure to use your parking pass.
This meeting has been cancelled due to the winter storm. We hope to have Matt speak in a future month.
Please join us at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 17th, in Integrated Science Center, room 1280, for a program given by our speaker, W&M student, Matt Anthony. His topic is a fascinating one….Magee Marsh. Situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, this is a prime stopover for North American warblers during spring migration. Every year thousands of birders, photographers, and nature lovers flock to this location in spring to witness the unforgettable spectacle of large songbird concentrations preparing to migrate across the great lake toward their breeding grounds in the north. Many birders makebthe trip annually. Magee Marsh is just one of those special places that you feel compelled to return to year after year. You can reasonably expect to see 30 species of warblers (including the vireos) there and the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler often shows up mid-May. Come join us to learn more about this magical spot, so you too can plan a trip there next spring.