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  • Westtown Lake, PA

    For: Wildflowers and migrating and resident birds

    Google MapPlace: Westtown School cabin parking lot, 8:30am.

    Leaders: Tim and Janny Sterrett (484-678-8528, timsterrett@gmail.com)

    Note: This is a half-day trip. This is a walk that will cover about 2 miles over some hilly areas and take around 3 hours.

    Directions: From West Chester, follow Route 3 east to Westtown Way road, turn right. Take the next left, follow Walnut Hill Road until you see Westtown School entrance. Turn right then park in first parking lot on the right.

    Westtown School

  • Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    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.

    Exton Park

  • Struble Lake and Marsh Creek State Park, PA

    For: Waterfowl, snipe

    Google MapPlace: 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.

    Struble Lake

    Marsh Creek State Park

  • Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    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.

    Exton Park

  • History and Birds – Rapp’s Dam Trailhead, Chester County, PA

    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 for 1/4 mile to the trail head or email or call leader for directions or use the link below.

    East Pikeland Township Building 

  • John McFarland

    John McFarland

    TBD

     

    TBD

     

    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.

  • Stroud Preserve, Chester County, PA

    For: Spring migrants, butterflies, etc.

    Place: Stroud Preserve parking lot, 8:00 a.m.

    Leaders: Barry Blust (610-996-7913, barryblust@comcast.net)

    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.

    Stroud Preserve

  • Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    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.

    Exton Park

  • ChesLen Preserve (formerly Embreeville County Park), PA

    For: Early migrants

    Place: Newlin Township Maintenance Building, 8:00 a.m.

    Leaders: Judy Ford (484-682-7748, 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.

    Cheslen Preserve

    Newlin Township Building map

  • Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

    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.

    Exton Park

  • White Clay Creek, Newark, DE

    For: Migrants and resident birds

    Place: Wedgewood Rd. parking lot, 7:45 a.m.

    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.

    White Clay Creek

  • The Purple Martins of Southeast PA: Where Do They Come From, Where Do They Go?

    Will Krohn

    Purple Martins are the largest species of swallow in North America and, in the east, they nest almost entirely in human-constructed nesting colonies. Southeastern PA is one of two strongholds for Purple Martins in the state, and some of the largest colonies in Pennsylvania are in Chester and Delaware Counties. Purple Martins are a model organism for studying the migration and movement of songbirds due to their large size, conspicuous nature, and proximity to humans. They’re also a strong indicator of overall ecosystem health. Will's research seeks to uncover the rates at which young Purple Martins return to and disperse from the natal colony after hatching. Understanding how far Purple Martins travel from the natal colony is especially important since humans must construct all nesting colonies for the species. Purple Martins have declined by approximately 38% since 1970, so quantifying the rates and distances at which martins disperse will be a key tool for the conservation and management of the species. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and potentially other agencies will be able to use the information he collects in determining where they can best construct new colonies to bolster populations and connectivity, helping steer the recovery of this beloved bird.

     

    Will Krohn is an M.S. student in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, studying dispersal in Purple Martins for his thesis. Will received his B.A. from Colgate University in 2023, where he double-majored in Biology and Environmental Studies. Since graduating, Will has worked as a technician on numerous avian research and conservation projects around the country, and in 2025, Will started his Master's at UD. Will is originally from Bucks County, PA, and he is an avid PA birder. In his free time, Will also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and anything else that gets him out in nature.

     

    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.