For: Summer Residents

Place: 28 Moores Road, Elverson, PA, 7:00 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 Paypal or donations at the door. Note that the time has been shifted an hour earlier this month.
 
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: Bicknell’s Thrush, Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, coastal alcids, and (hopefully) pelagics.

Place: TBD

Leaders: Michael Blust (802-345-8612, mhblust@gmail.com)

Note1:  The primary target for this trip is the Bicknell’s Thrush. We will join banders from The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) atop Mt. Mansfield on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning to hopefully see this thrush in the wild and in the hand. Following this we head to the northeast area of Vermont, known as the Northeast Kingdom, to try for any boreal specialties that may still be evident despite it being mid-breeding season when they tend to be quieter. Moose Bog will be our place of focus. Finally we head to the coast of Maine for breeding birds such as Common Eider and Black Guillemot . If the schedule works out we will do a whale-watch/pelagic trip with the possibility of seeing Atlantic Puffins, shearwaters, and other near-coastal pelagics.

Note2: This trip will be limited to 10 participants. Early registration with the leader is important. If you are interested in doing this trip, even if you are not sure, please let the leader know as soon as possible so we save the correct number and mix of rooms before they sell out. There is time to cancel the reservations if you change your mind, but may not be a chance to add any if you decide to go last minute.

Directions: TBD

Bicknell's Thrush
Moose Bog
Maine Birding Trail: Pelagics and Whales

For: Summer Residents

Place: 953 Black Rock Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460, 6:00 p.m.

Leader: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com), Patty & John Werth (pattyww@comcast.net)

Note: The Chester County Parks system has seven wonderful parks which provide excellent birdwatching opportunities.  Join us as we explore all seven of the parks, one per month, in 2023.
 
Visiting the 6th park in the series, Black Rock Sanctuary, in the evening gives us the opportunity not only to observe birds that are settling in for the night, but also to watch for those that are just getting started. For example, this is the time of the year that common nighthawks can often be seen swooping through the skies at dusk, and young eastern screech owls are learning to sing. Our partnership with Chester County Parks and Preservation allows us to be in the park beyond closing time for this field trip, much of which will take place on the paved loop trail which is fully accessible to those with mobility challenges.
 
This outing will cover about a mile on paved and natural surface trails and will last approximately 2 hours. A portable restroom is available on site.
 
Black Rock Sanctuary

For: Migrating Nighthawks

Place: Bucktoe Preserve parking lot, Kennett Square, PA, 5:00 p.m.

Leader: Larry Lewis - Early Bird Tours (484-340-7672, earlybirdtours@comcast.net)

Note: The Bucktoe Common Nighthawk watch goes from Aug 23 to September 3 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Bring picnic dinner and drinks and enjoy the show.

Directions: From Kennett Square, take Union Street south of town. This becomes Kaolin Road. Make a right onto Hillendale Road. Proceed about 1.5 miles to Sharp Road and make a left. The entrance is on the left at 432 Sharp Road. Look for the “BCP” sign. Upon entering driveway, make a right on gravel road opposite first driveway you see. Follow gravel road to the pavilion and parking area.

Bucktoe Preserve