For: Local birds and early migrants
Place: Okehocking Preserve parking lot, 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Bob Murray (610-644-5440, rmurraymmi@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 3 East. After passing Route 926, at the next light (DelChester Road) make a u-turn and come back to the Okehocking Parking lot.
Julie Brown
Julie will speak about the Hawk Migration Association’s work and the continental network of hawkwatching sites, why collecting spring and fall migration data is important and what we’ve learned about raptor movements and populations. She’ll dive into migration data from across the continent and what it’s showing us about the health of raptor populations.
Julie Brown is the Raptor Migration and Programs Director at the Hawk Migration Association. Before joining HMANA in 2009, she migrated throughout the US and tropics working as a field biologist primarily with raptors, focusing on human impact studies, migration research and behavioral studies. She received her BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and received her MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England where she studied Peregrine Falcon migration in Costa Rica for her thesis. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, whom she met hawkwatching, and her two bird-loving children, a flock of chickens, her dog and lots of fruit trees. She is a volunteer counter at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory each 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: Wildflowers and migrating and resident birds
Place: 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.
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: Spring migrants and resident birds
Place: 1 Park Rd, Coatesville, PA, 8:00 a.m.
Leader: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com), Patty & John Werth (pattyww@comcast.net)
Note: This outing will cover about 2 miles and will last approximately 2-3 hours. There is a modern restroom at the park office where we will meet. This field trip is a collaboration between WCBC and Valley Forge Audubon Society.
Directions: We will meet at the park office near the mansion off of Park Rd.
For: Spring Migrants
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 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: 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.