Williamsburg Bird Club

Meeting: Chickahominy Riverfront Park Get-together
2025-06-18 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Chickahominy Riverfront Park, 1350 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
We will meet for our annual outdoor meeting at the Chickahominy Riverfront Park with light refreshments and updates on our Purple Martin project by Cheryl Jacobson and the team.

Bird Walk at New Quarter Park
2025-06-28 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-26 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-08-23 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-09-27 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-10-25 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-11-22 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-12-27 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-02-28 08:00 - 10:00 and 2 more dates | New Quarter Park, 1000 Lakeshead Dr, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
Park in the lot near the park office. Bring binoculars if you have them, or borrow some from the office. Free, open to the public. Kids welcome.

Meeting: Jamie Wick "Birds of Costa Rica"
2025-09-17 18:00 - 20:30 | New Quarter Park, 1000 Lakeshead Dr, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
Join us September 17, 6:00 p.m. for light refreshments, followed by the presentation at 6:30 p.m. Photographer Jamie Wick, “Costa Rica: Exploring the Osa Peninsula and the Tarcoles River”. Meeting will be held in-person at the Quarterpath Recreation Center and via Zoom.

Field Trip: Jamestown Beach Event Park
2025-09-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Jamestown Beach Event Park, 2205 Jamestown Rd, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
We’ll meet at Jamestown Beach Event Park for a couple of hours of casual birding. Bring your coffee and your chair (oh, and binoculars) for a meetup at 8:00 a.m. It might be casual birding, but last year the group still recorded 43 species.

Meeting: Dan Cristol "Life Bird"
2025-10-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
Dan Cristol, Chancellor Professor of Biology at William & Mary, will give us a preview of his upcoming book, Life Bird.
Free and open to the public

Field Trip: Eastern Shore
2025-10-18 08:00 - 12:00
Mark your calendar for our club’s annual birding trip to the Eastern Shore on Saturday, October 18. Club members usually identify 50+ species during this field trip, since we’re able to take advantage of a variety of habitats during fall migration. The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch is always a highlight. In addition, some folks have expressed interest in arriving early to observe the Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count.
More details to follow.

Field Trip: Grandview Nature Preserve
2025-11-15 08:00 - 12:00 | Grandview Nature Preserve, State Park Drive, Hampton, Virginia, 23664
On Saturday, November 15, Nancy Barnhart will lead us at Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton. This trip usually provides early views of wintering waterfowl, with loons, scoters, buffleheads among others riding the waves off the beach, while shorebirds scuttle across the sand. And the walk through the marsh to get to the beach frequently has some unusual species, like the Sedge Wren identified each of the last two years.
We’ll meet at the entrance to the park at 8 a.m. The entrance is at the end of State Park Drive. Google Map directions are reliable. Park along State Park Drive.
Carpooling: if you’d like to carpool, or if you can drive others, please let me know at grm0803@gmail.com. Those wishing to carpool should meet at the Colony Square Shopping Center a little after 7 a.m., for a departure no later than 7:10 a.m. As of this writing, one person has expressed an interest in being either a driver or a rider, depending on demand.
Free and open to the public

Meeting
2025-11-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
Check back for details

Christmas Bird Count 2025
2025-12-14
The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is one of the highlights of our bird club’s year. Sunday, December 14, 2025, is the date for the WBC’s 49th CBC. We had 131 participants in last year’s CBC, held just three days before Christmas Day. Many people were out of town, so we hope the earlier date this year will allow more people to join in. Also, if you remember, last year’s count day was brutally cold. So, let’s cross our fingers for better weather this year. If you’re unfamiliar with the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, click this link to learn how it got started. Every year the count occurs December 14 through January 5. Since 1901, Christmas Bird Counts in the U.S. and around the world have provided scientists and orni- thologists with information to identify trends in bird populations that can only be determined by LONG-term data. That’s why it’s so important to continue these studies EVERY YEAR. The CBC is an early- winter bird census.
For the first time, you can sign up online for our Christmas Count and your preferred sector – or if you want to count your backyard birds. To sign up for a sector for the 2025 Christmas Bird Count for the Williamsburg sector, please go to https://mobilize.us/s/AcJlIy

New Year's Day Bird and Birder Show
2026-01-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Chickahominy Riverfront Park, 1350 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
Please join birding enthusiasts Thursday, January 1, 2026, at Chickahominy Riverfront Park for the “New Year’s Day Bird and Birder Show.” The 2026 gathering will be our club’s 20th “almost-annual” event.
We’ll convene at the shelter next to the park’s swimming pool from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Relax and visit with new and familiar friends at the picnic tables or venture out around the park to find our wintering birds. The park provides wonderful access to check the river (from the fishing pier!) and Gordon Creek (from the boat launch) for our wintering waterfowl, plus the woodland edges will yield our winter residents.
The address for Chickahominy Riverfront Park is 1350 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg, VA 23185. You can find directions on the park’s website by clicking this link.
Bring visiting family, friends, and children; come early, stay late, or just drop by. Remember, every bird is a year bird on New Year’s Day! I look forward to wel-
coming you to celebrate the start of 2026.
Free and open to the public.

Field Trip: Dutch Gap
2026-01-17 08:00 - 12:00
For our field trip in January, we’ll visit Dutch Gap Conservation Area in Chester, VA on Saturday, January 17. Rose Ryan will lead our group. Dutch Gap is a reliable location to view wintering dabbling ducks. Last year, the group identified 10 duck species, plus Wilson’s Snipe and American Coot, and 50 species in total. Recent eBird reports have noted all those species present.
We’ll meet at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Henricus Historical Park, located at 251 Henricus Park Road, Chester, VA 23836. Google Maps provides accurate directions to the park. I expect we’ll be birding throughout the morning. The long-range weather forecast calls for seasonal temperatures, although I know that can change. Stay tuned!

Meeting: Bobby Clontz “Land Management Practices Supporting the Red-cockaded Woodpecker”
2026-01-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States

CANCELLED: Bird Walk at New Quarter Park
2026-01-24 08:00 - 10:00 | New Quarter Park, 1000 Lakeshead Dr, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States
The weather will be too bitterly cold, so we are cancelling the bird walk scheduled for today.

Great Backyard Bird Count
2026-02-13 08:00 - 2026-02-16 17:00
Spend time in your favorite places watching birds—then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit your counts to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count toward GBBC.
See more info at https://www.birdcount.org/

Meeting: Sergio Harding and the Second Va. Breeding Bird Atlas
2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
February 18, 2026. Sergio Harding, nongame bird conservation biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, will be our speaker. The Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas is among the largest avian survey projects to take place in Virginia, with close to 1,500 volunteers having contributed data between 2016 and 2020. An Atlas website summarizing these data was published in October 2025, with more content to be added in 2026. Sergio’s presentation will highlight the Atlas data products and website, sharing the key takeaways of what we have learned and how this information will contribute to bird conservation in Virginia. The meeting will be held in-person at the Quarterpath Recreation Center and via Zoom.
Arrive at 6:00 p.m. for light refreshments at the recreation center followed by the program and meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Field Trip: Along the York River
2026-02-21 08:00 - 12:00 | Target, Marquis Shopping Center, 200 Marquis Parkway, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
The next Williamsburg Bird Club field trip will be Saturday, February 21, when Rexanne Bruno will lead us at various sites along the York River. In the past, this trip has provided an opportunity to see several winter resident species, including Tundra Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull, an occasional Clapper Rail, and several deep-water ducks. The fields around the Yorktown Battlefield also are good habitat for Eastern Meadowlark and American Kestrel.
We’ll meet in the parking lot of the Target at Marquis Parkway at 8 a.m., where we can consolidate cars for the morning. The entrance to the parkway at the end of Rt 199 remains closed, so we’ll start by driving to Yorktown, entering the parkway there, and driving to Felgates Creek for our first stop. We’ll then bird the sites on the way back to Yorktown Battlefield and the beach as we have in previous years. And those getting hungry can meet for lunch at the Yorktown Pub (540 Water St.) after birding.

Meeting: Jeff Wright Presents “Birds, Climate Change, and Citizen Science"
2026-03-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
Jeff Wright will present “Birds, Climate Change, and Citizen Science”. The meeting will be held in-person at the Quarterpath Recreation Center and via Zoom. Arrive at 6:00 p.m. for light refreshments at the recreation center followed by the program and meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The Commonwealth of Virginia is a key place in the world for birds. From our barrier islands in the Atlantic to our mountains, we offer habitats, climates, and food chains attractive to a wide range of birds. We are on the Atlantic Flyway which, in many cases, defines the exceptional number of birds transiting Virginia during migration. However, across the globe and in Virginia, birds in many cases are in decline. Further changes are already occurring that will also adversely impact the avian world. Foremost among these is arguably climate change. A key question is do we have the means and the will to mitigate climate change? Are efforts already underway making a difference and if so, how?
Jeff Wright will discuss and examine how, through individual and community efforts, we can make a difference toward slowing the decline of bird life. He will discuss threats to birds, citizen and community science projects related to birds, and that birders and bird clubs are part of the solution. Photography and excerpts from studies of birds are used to tell this story. The presentation will emphasize birds in Virginia of concern, species at a tipping point, and birds and their habitat that need our support. Yes, there are a variety of birds in Virginia that are proverbial “canaries in a coal mine.” The phrase is an idiom that means an advanced warning of potential trouble not just to the birds.

Field Trip to Machicomoco State Park
2026-03-21 08:00 - 12:00 | Machicomoco State Park, Address 3601 Timberneck Farm Rd, Gloucester, VA, United States
Hi, folks. The Williamsburg Bird Club’s March field trip will be next Saturday March 21, when we’ll visit Machicomoco State Park in Gloucester County. Deborah Humphries will lead the group that day. The weather forecast looks favorable. Recent checklists from the park show a wide variety of species, including Tundra Swans, Horned Grebes, Osprey, Killdeer, and lots of Field Sparrows. Last year, the group identified 45 species.
We’ll meet at the parking lot just inside the pay station at 8 a.m. The park is located at 3601 Timberneck Farm Road, Hayes, VA 23072. If you have a state park pass, please bring it. Vehicles without a state park pass will pay a $5 fee. If you’d like to carpool, or you are willing to drive others, please let me know at grm0803@gmail.com . Carpoolers should meet at the Colony Square Shopping Center a little after 7 a.m. for departure by 7:15 a.m.

Meeting: Student Research
2026-04-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Quarterpath Rec Center, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg, 23185, United States
Talks by the recipients of the WBC’s Bill Sheehan/Ruth Beck Ornithology Research Grants. Plan to attend to hear these W&M student presentations: Justin Biggerstaff on “Space Use by Barred Owls In and Around Williamsburg” and Jay Riney on “Prevention of Bird Deaths at Solar Farms”.

Field Trip: Newport News Park
2026-04-18 08:00 - 12:00 | Newport News Park, 13560 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, VA, United States
Hi, folks. We’re two weeks away from the next field trip, scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at Newport News Park. We’ll meet at the parking lot near the Ranger Station (left turn off Constitution Way) at 8 a.m., where Jason Strickland will lead us around the variety of habitats in the park. Recent checklists have reported a few early-returning warblers, like Yellow-throated, Northern Parula, and Common Yellowthroat, and I expect more as we near the date of the field trip.
I won’t be arranging carpooling for this trip. The address for the park is 13560 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, VA 23603. Turn off Jefferson Avenue onto Constitution Way, and the Ranger Station will be on the left a couple tenths of a mile in.

Spring Bird Count
2026-04-26
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Spring Bird Count. Details will be added when we get them.
