For: Shorebirds & herons
Place: Forsythe NWR Headquarters, 8:00 a.m. 
Leaders: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com)
Note: Meet at Forsythe at 8:00 a.m. Minimal walking involved. Bring a lunch, this is an all-day trip.
Directions: Call leader for trip details, carpooling and directions.
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.
Mary Birdsong
Join Erie Bird Observatory’s Mary Birdsong, who will introduce us to EBO’s mission and programs and provide a recap of the 2023 nesting season for endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers and Common Terns at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park. She will also share general information about birding the park.
Mary Birdsong is co-founder and Lead Shorebird Monitor for Erie Bird Observatory. She has been monitoring shorebirds, particularly Piping Plovers since 2015. She active in Presque Isle Audubon, is also a freelance writer and artist. She shares her home with her husband Mike Plyler and two gray tabby cats, and is the proud Busia to three granddaughters.
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: 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 local fall birds
Place: Parking area below dam, 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Rick Wolf (610-933-6414, randewolf@icloud.com)
Note: We will explore some of the fields looking for fall residents and migrants. This will be a 2.5 hour trip with moderate walking.
Directions: From Route 202, take 252 north about 2.5 miles to Route 23. Turn left on Route 23. Go about 1.5 miles, turn right on Ferry Lane, then right on Pawlings Road. Go about 1 mile, turn right at Pawlings Farm sign. Park on lot after farm house.
For: Fall Migrants & Early 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. This will help them to organize and keep groups small. This event is free but donations are always welcome via our Paypal, Venmo, or cash donations at the door.
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 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: 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.
Wayne Laubsher
Going north in the winter for birdwatching? Yes! It's quality more so than quantity as this program highlights the various far northern specialty bird species that appear in Ontario and even the northeastern U.S. during certain winters. Irruptive species of raptors and finches, wintering northern species of waterfowl and gulls, and the occasional western vagrants will be covered. Where and when to find them and reasons why they show up so far south of their normal range will also be discussed. The emphasis of the program will be on the areas of southern and eastern Ontario and also a few nearby areas in Quebec.
Wayne is the Clinton County compiler for the PA Birds publication and a member of the Lycoming Audubon Society board as well as the Northcentral PA Conservancy Technical Committee. He also coordinates the Audubon CBC centered in the Lock Haven area. He is a native of the Lock Haven area in Clinton County, residing in Swissdale. Some of Wayne’s recent work was as a bio aide for the PA Game Commission. Since 2019 he has been the Mosquito Disease Control Coordinator for Centre, Clinton, and Clearfield Counties conducting WNV surveillance. Wayne also bands owls and hummingbirds in his spare time.
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: 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 & 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.
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.
Ross Gallardy
Ross Gallardy grew up in Pennsylvania but has travelled the world extensively searching for birds. He specializes in self-guided expeditions on a reasonable budget, and will share with us some of his most memorable birding experiences as well as his strategies for planning his expeditions. Traveling to far-flung corners of the globe with a backpack and strong determination, Ross has seen more than 7,600 of the world’s 10,625 bird species, including a new species he discovered in Tanzania in 2021.
Ross lives in Chester County with his wife and birding companion Melissa, and their new little baby birder born last fall.
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: 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.