For: Waterfowl, snipe
Place: Struble Lake Parking lot, 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Jim Russell (610-399-1580, jrussell73@verizon.net)
Note: This is a half day trip. There is minimal walking involved.
Directions: From Downingtown, take Route 322 west about 7 miles then take a slight right onto Chestnut Tree Road (after Sunoco gas tanks.) In about 3 miles bear left at stop sign onto Morgantown Road. The parking area for Struble Lake is 0.5 miles on the left.
For: Seasonal birds
Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park
Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.
Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.
For: Migrants and resident birds
Place: Parking lot on 1123 Rapp’s Dam Rd.
Leader: Rick Wolf (610-933-6414, randewolf@icloud.com)
Note: We will walk approximately 2 level miles along French Creek looking for migrating & resident birds in addition to learning about the rich history of the immediate area.
Directions: Take route 113 to Rapps Dam Road in Kimberton. Proceed for about 1/2 mile to the trail head just before the covered bridge or email or call the leader for directions or use the link below.
Mike Coulter
Since 2019, the Great Marsh Institute has been utilizing Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) for the purpose of detecting and monitoring bird species within The Great Marsh in Chester County. ARU's are useful in remote locations and for targeting rare species. Raw field data is analyzed through a multi-step process which then shows the distribution and relative density of various species. This long-term research allows the tracking of trends which inform future conservation decisions. In this program, avian researcher Mike Coulter of the Great Marsh Institute will describe the purpose and process of this study and the results obtained to date.
Mike Coulter, a lifelong Chester County resident, has been birding the county for over 30 years and has focused his efforts on The Great Marsh for the past 13 years in an effort to better understand the bird species present at this unique 700 acre+ habitat. As a member of GMI's Science Advisory Board, he has been instrumental in developing strategies for habitat improvement.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
For: Spring migrants, butterflies, etc.
Place: Stroud Preserve parking lot, 8:00 a.m.
Leaders: Lois Bryman (610-399-4613, lbryman25@gmail.com)
Note: Trip is an approximately two- to three-hour walk covering about 2 miles with some moderate hills.
Directions: From West Chester, take Route 162 west for about 2 miles and turn left onto North Creek Road. The parking lot is on the right.
For: Seasonal birds
Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park
Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.
Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.
For: Migrants and resident birds
Place: Valley Creek Park, 361 N. Morehall Road, Malvern, 10:00 a.m.
Leader: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com)
Flyer:
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For: Early migrants
Place: Newlin Township Maintenance Building, 8:00 a.m.
Leaders: Judy Ford (610-486-6061, RareJBird@verizon.net) and Mike Gardner (484-880-7083, birdnerd@zoominternet.net)
Note: Approximately 3 hours, walking over mostly flat, marshy terrain, about 1-2 miles. Waterproof boots or shoes a must.
Directions: The Newlin Twp Bldg parking lot (1751 Embreeville Rd Coatesville PA 19320) is west of West Chester, on PA Rte 162, directly across from the marsh. This is a half-day trip.
For: Seasonal birds
Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park
Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.
Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.
For: Migrants and resident birds
Place: Wedgewood Rd. parking lot, 7:45 a.m. (39.715200, -75.7603524)
Leader: Bob Murray (610-644-5440, rmurraymmi@gmail.com)
Note: The walk will be on an abandoned railroad bed, along the banks of White Clay Creek, which forms a section of the Mason-Dixon trail. We will cover a total distance of about 3 miles. There will be bathroom facilities at the Nature Center, which is at the midpoint of the walk. We will finish up before noon.
Note: The park charges a fee of $8 per vehicle.
Directions: Call leader for directions if not carpooling.
Carpooling: Meet at Painters Crossing, PA, on the northwest corner of US Routes 1 and 202. Departure time 7:00 a.m.
For: Migrants and resident birds
Place: Natural Lands' Binky Lee Preserve at 1445 Pikeland Road in Chester Springs, 8:00 a.m.
Leaders: Luc Jacobs (484-706-1999, jacobsluc52@yahoo.com)
Note: This will be a 3 to 4 hour walk covering about 2.5 miles with a decent grade at one point. We will be looking for resident and migrating birds including Bobolinks, Yellow-breasted Chats and sparrows in grass fields and shaded woodland paths.
Directions: Call or email the leader for directions or use the link below. The Google Maps coordinates are: 40.095808, -75.603413.
Robert Galardo
If tropical birds and butterflies fascinate you, then you’ll be sure to enjoy this virtual presentation. It will be an up-close and personal look at these colorful denizens of Honduras. To date, more than 800 species of birds and over 1,300 butterflies have been found there. This little known Central American country still receives little attention, but Robert will take you on a picture-filled journey on what he, and other colleagues, have been doing there for the past 30 years. After nearly two decades of field work, Robert published two lengthy volumes on the birds of Honduras (in English and Spanish). He and his partner, Olivia, then set out to start working on the country’s butterflies; a field of fauna that was virtually unknown. After seven years of field work, they finally finished the first edition of the Guide to the Butterflies of Honduras. Join Robert on this enlightening presentation and get to know the beautiful country he calls ‘home’.
Robert is originally from California. His passion for all things natural lead him to get a degree in Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation from Humboldt State University in his home state. Immediately after graduating, he joined the Peace Corps and served as a volunteer in Honduras from 1993-1996. He remained in that country and has been there ever since. He and Olivia reside at Emerald Valley, an international butterfly center, home to 755 species of butterflies and 200 birds.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.