Field Trips

Time: Saturday, 8:30 a.m.

Place: 855 Ellis Woods Road, Pottstown 19465

For: Winter residents

Leaders: Patty & John Werth (484-985-8164 h, 215-859-1148 day of walk, pattyww@comcast.net)

Note: Trails are earthen on rolling hills and depending on weather conditions may be muddy and slippery. Good footwear is a must.

This walk is in conjunction with Valley Forge Audubon Society.

Directions: From West Chester, take Hwy 100 N to east on Rte 23. After 1.3 miles, turn left on Ebelhare Rd, and follow for 2 miles to Ellis Woods Rd. Turn left and go 0.4 miles; the park entrance is at the township building on the right.
 
Ellis Woods

For: Waterfowl and other late winter visitors

Place: Bombay Hook Headquarters, 8:30 a.m.

Leaders: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com)

Note: Minimal walking involved. Bring lunch, this is an all day trip.

Directions: Meet at NWR, 2591 Whitehall Neck Rd, Smyrna, DE 19977 at 8:30 a.m. Do not leave the HQ; depending on birding on Whitehall Neck Rd, we may arrive to the HQ after 8:30. Please contact leader if you will meet the group at Bombay Hook. We will bird Bombay Hook and head north to various spots in Delaware.

Carpooling: Due to Covid concerns, check with leader to confirm if carpooling is occurring. Meet at Painters Crossing, PA, on the northwest corner of Routes 1 and 202. Departure time: 7:00 a.m.

Bombay Hook NWR

For: Winter residents

Place: Your feeders and your yard

Coordinator: Carol Majors (610-399-1509, carolmajors@gmail.com)

Note: Count birds at your feeder, in your yard or any site of your choosing. Although the bird count is Feb. 18 to 21, only lists for Feb. 19 will be counted in the report. Input data into eBird.org and send to coordinator. All results must be sent to Carol by February 28. For more information, see website at Great Backyard Bird Count.

For: Winter Residents

Place: 28 Moores Road, Elverson, PA, 8:00 a.m.

Leader: Mike Coulter. If you plan to attend please email the Great Marsh Institute at lori@greatmarshinstitute.org to let them know to expect you.

Note: Join local birding expert Mike Coulter as he guides us through the Great Marsh, an ancient periglacial marsh and the largest marsh in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

This event is hosted by the Great Marsh Institute, a non-profit with the mission of supporting scientific studies and educational opportunities for all! This event is free, but donations of any amount are welcome to support the Institute! For full trip details see here. This will be about a 3 hour walk. Conditions could be muddy and very wet, or snowy or icy so wear appropriate footwear.

Please note that the property is private but you can always visit during our planned trips.

Directions: The marsh is off of Rt. 401 four miles northwest of Rt. 100 at Ludwig's Corner. Lat/Long = 40.127651, -75.767697 or use 28 Moores Road for GPS directions. Meet at the grassy parking area at the top of the hill near 28 Moores Road. Once you turn off of Rt. 401 on to Moore's Road proceed 1/4 mile along the gravel road. You will cross a bridge and at the 1/4 mile mark make a right up the hill on the paved part of the drive. This is the first right after the bridge. At the top of the hill you should see other cars parked in the meeting area.

For: Migrants & residents

Place: Marsh Creek State Park, Park Road parking lot, 8:00 a.m.

Leader: Dorothy Bedford (609-658-1894, db@bt9.org)

Note: We will start out at Marsh Creek State Park and continue to Struble Lake, Chambers Lake, Coatesville Reservoir and other birding areas, ending up back at Marsh Creek. Bring lunch, this is an all day trip. Minimal walking involved. Covid protocols apply, please confirm attendance and bring your mask. Due to Covid concerns, check with leader to confirm if a participant limit is in effect and if carpooling is occurring.

Directions: The park is located 2 miles west of Eagle Village off of PA 100. The address is 675 Park Road, Downingtown, PA. Meet at the main parking lot by the (closed) snack bar.

Marsh Creek State Park

Place: 1 Park Road, Coatesville, PA, 8:00 a.m. Meet at the park office (40.029944,-75.841333)

Leaders: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com), Patty Werth (484-985-8614, pattyww@comcast.net) and John Werth (215-859-1148)

Note: The Chester County Parks system has seven wonderful parks which provide excellent birdwatching opportunities.  Join the West Chester Bird Club and Valley Forge Audubon Society on these joint field trips to explore all seven of the parks, one per month, in 2022.

We begin the series at Hibernia County Park, home to woods, fields, and the 94-acre Chambers Lake.  We will meander through the park's various habitats searching for birds, and hope for some interesting waterfowl resting and feeding on the lake.

This field trip will cover 1-2 miles and will last approximately 2 hours.

Restrooms are available on site at the park office, where we will meet.

Hibernia Park