Posts

Posted on

Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas Training

From President Cheryl Jacobson:
Greetings WBC Members:  I have been talking to many of you about VA Breeding Bird Atlas and the need for more volunteers for our Region 11.  You have expressed interest but the need for more training.  I  promised training and help for everyone who becomes involved.  I am excited to announce the following:
 
Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas Training-Ashley Peele (Project Coordinator who is based at the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech) and Dave Youker (a member of WBC and Region 11 Leader)
 
Date:  April 13, 2018…. 9:30-12:30
 
Location:  Freedom Park Training Room
 
Directions: From Interstate 64 take exit 234A to Route 199. From Route 199 take the Longhill Road exit. Turn right onto Longhill Road (Route 612). Follow Longhill Road until it ends at the park gates. Once inside the park gates, follow road to the parking lot.
 
We are exploring many fun ways of surveying in our assigned blocks, including working in mini teams and conducting a monthly first Saturday walk/survey in a  somewhat close priority block.  Don’t miss out on the fun!!  Mark your calendar and Save the date. 
 
If you are unable to attend a weekday training…we are invited to join Hampton Roads Bird Club on Saturday morning April 14th.  I will send more details once the location of that training is determined.   Also, you can explore more by going to:  http://amjv.org/index.php/vabba2/about 
 
If you have questions, please email me at jcheryljoy@aol.com .  I hope to see you at the training.  
 
Best Year of the Bird
Cheryl Jacobson   

 

Posted on

TAKE NOTE! CHANGES IN MONTHLY BIRD WALKS

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.

Posted on

Craney Island, August 11, 2017

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”3″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”1000″]

Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
Party Size: 33
Duration: 3 hour(s), 28 minute(s)
Distance: 4.0 mile(s)

Craney Island 8/11/2017

#Species
1Canada Goose
6Northern Shoveler
25Mallard
1American Black Duck
8Ruddy Duck
20Double-crested Cormorant
80Brown Pelican
8Great Blue Heron
12Great Egret
45Snowy Egret
2Green Heron
1Turkey Vulture
4Osprey
50Black-necked Stilt
200American Avocet
8Black-bellied Plover (exact count)
35Semipalmated Plover
2Killdeer (exact count)
20Stilt Sandpiper
45Least Sandpiper
3White-rumped Sandpiper (exact count)
500Semipalmated Sandpiper
1500peep sp.
10Short-billed Dowitcher
10Wilson's Phalarope (exact count)
3Red-necked Phalarope (exact count)
12Spotted Sandpiper
25Greater Yellowlegs
6Willet (Western)
150Lesser Yellowlegs
150Laughing Gull
2Gull-billed Tern
1Caspian Tern
1Black Tern
3Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2Mourning Dove
15Chimney Swift
1American Crow
2Fish Crow
1Purple Martin
80Barn Swallow
15European Starling
3Song Sparrow
20Red-winged Blackbird
8Boat-tailed Grackle
2American Goldfinch
1Blue-winged Teal
1American Kestrel
5Tree Swallow
1wren sp.
5Tree Swallow
1American Kestrel
5Tree Swallow
Posted on

Student Artwork for the Club’s 40th

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. 

Student Art Displayed at the James City County Library. The groups of artwork have been rotated to different buildings throughout the area.
Posted on

September Meeting

We will be celebrating the Club’s 40th anniversary. The meeting will take place in the theater of the Williamsburg Library, 515 Scotland St., Williamsburg, Va., at 7:00.