Williamsburg Bird Club

By Jim Corliss
For many years we have been conducting two monthly bird walks in New Quarter Park. One walk has been held on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 am. The other walk has been on the fourth Saturday of each month at 7:00 am. Based on suggestions from WBC members, starting in February, the bird walk schedule will change to include some walks at other local birding spots. In addition, each walk will start at 8:00 am regardless of its location. Please note that our regular field trips, which are on the third Saturday of each month, are not affected by this change.

Our planned schedule of Saturday bird walks for 2018 is posted at the end of this month’s Flyer. For each month, the second-Saturday walk will be held at varying locations, and the fourth-Saturday walk will take place at New Quarter Park. The goal is to provide members with different experiences and the opportunity to explore some of the many birding spots that we are so fortunate to have right here in and around the Williamsburg area. Walks will still be roughly two hours long and open to the public at no cost.

We are looking forward to the first “new” walk on February 10th at the College Creek beach area along the Colonial Parkway. For this walk, please plan to arrive at the College Creek parking lot on the parkway at 8:00 am. The parking lot can be reached by either: a) entering the Colonial Parkway from Route 199 near South Henry Street and traveling towards Jamestown for about 1.75 miles; or b) entering the Colonial Parkway near Jamestown Settlement and traveling towards Yorktown for about 5.25 miles.

We hope that everyone enjoys the new bird walk schedule, and please continue making suggestions to help us all find the best birding here in Williamsburg.

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For the club’s 40th anniversary celebration, Deane Gordon contacted local elementary and middle schools with a proposal to have students produce artwork that would capture our organization’s significant milestone.  Fifty-six students from area schools — Abingdon Elementary School, Gloucester (47), Coventry Elementary School, York (13), Grafton Bethel Elementary School, York (1), Waller Mill Elementary School, York (1) Grafton Middle School, York (1), Tabb Elementary School, York (3) — submitted works. The artwork was divided into five groups and is displayed in the Tabb Library lobby, Wild Birds Unlimited in Williamsburg, the Backyard Birder in Williamsburg, the Yorktown Library, and the JCC Library on Croaker Road. In September, the student’s art pieces will be  brought together for the club’s anniversary celebration.