For: Seasonal Birds
Place: Crow's Nest Preserve, 201 Piersol Road, Elverson, PA, 19520, 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Rhoda McNitt (610-213-0713, rhodamcnitt@verizon.com) and Dan Barringer (484-368-9950, dbarringer@natlands.org)
Note: We will explore the Creek and Chief's Grove Trail. This will be a 2.5-mile trip with moderate walking. We will be looking for seasonal birds.
Directions: Park at the Visitor's Center.
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: Fall migrants
Place: The South side of Chambers Lake, 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Larry Lewis - Early Bird Tours (484-340-7672, earlybirdtours@comcast.net)
Note: A Big Sit is an all-day affair, but everyone is welcome to come and go as they please. It is usually a fun time to see how many birds can be spotted while not moving out of a 15 foot circle. Great fun, with plenty of food and camaraderie, like tailgating.
Directions: From Coatesville, PA (in western Chester County): From the Rt. 30 By-pass north of Coatesville, take Rt. 82 exit north. Turn left at the 4-way stop sign (Rt.340) and go 1.3 miles to Wagontown Rd. Turn right on Wagontown Rd. and continue on this winding hill for 1.5 miles (you will pass the Hibernia Park entrance on your right). Continue up the hill and the lake will become visible on the right. If attending the "Big Sit", continue a couple of tenths of a mile further along Wagontown Rd. past the lake parking lot and to the western dike of the lake. Carefully pull off the road and park in the grass near the dike. You will see us sitting on the dike near the road.
Faridah Dahlan & Ingred Rochon
Did you know that molecular and microscopic identification of feathers plays a key role in aviation safety? The Smithsonian’s Feather Identification Lab processes over 11,000 wildlife strike cases each year to determine which species of birds are involved in collisions with aircraft – the first step to implementing preventative measures to keep both birds and people safe. Learn how the lab identifies both whole feathers and fragmentary bird remains (aka “snarge”) using the Smithsonian’s collection of 600,000 bird specimens, as well as the resources of the museum’s Laboratories of Analytical Biology.
Presenter Faridah Dahlan is a molecular specialist who has worked for the Feather Lab since 2008. Ingrid Rochon began working at the Smithsonian in 2016 as a museum technician, joining the Feather Lab in 2023 as an apprentice microscopist under Dr. Carla Dove.
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: Fall migrants and resident birds
Place: : 1 Park Rd. Coatesville, PA
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 2024 & 2025.
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: Migrants, local fall birds and sparrows
Place: Waterloo Mills Preserve, Devon, PA, 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Kevin Fryberger (Natural Resource Manager for Brandywine Conservancy) and Luc Jacobs (484-706-1999, jacobsluc52@yahoo.com)
Note: Kevin will give a brief introduction about the property and lead us around this beautiful private preserve of 170 acres in the heart of the Main Line. It contains wildflower meadows, marshes, mature woods and over a mile of the meandering Darby Creek. The preserve is owned by the Brandywine Conservancy. It will be an easy 2 mile walk and we'll be especially looking for late fall migrants and sparrows, with a possible chance for Lincoln's Sparrow.
Directions: GPS coordinates of the entrance on South Waterloo Road: (40.0248571, -75.4186609). From the intersection of route 3 and route 252 in Newtown Square, go north on 252. After crossing Goshen Road and passing Liseter housing development on the left, continue straight on N. Newtown Street Road (don't bear left on rt 252 where it goes from 4 lanes to 2 lanes, but go straight). At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on Newtown Street Road and then take the 3rd street on the right, which is South Waterloo Road. About 1000 ft after crossing the Darby Creek, you will see the preserve entrance on the right, between two large rocks. Drive carefully down the narrow gravel road for about 1000 feet and you will reach the parking lot.
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.
Club Member Sheila Martin
This is a continuation from last last spring. Jump on board with WCBC member Sheila Martin as we pictorially explore untamed Patagonia - where some of the world’s most stunning landscapes are filled with wildlife to the max! Moment by moment the experience of hiking the walkways around Iguazu Falls is simply nature at its finest. And, for Sheila, when Plush-crested Jay & Chestnut-eared Aracari appeared on the parking lot, she knew it would be days of incomparable sighting thrills, including up to two dozen dizzying endemics to follow, just in that pre-tour locale! Atlantic coastal Argentina in November offers exceptional close-up wildlife observation, straight down to the straits of Tierra del Fuego - with Red Knots ready to migrate, and Austral Negrito & “Loica” ever-present. Farther inland, we find the best puma-viewing on the planet! It was southern-hemisphere springtime ’22 - and all the breeding birds were showing off their best. While in Chile, the quaint atmosphere, friendly locals and Patagonia Sierra-finch, Tufted Tit-tyrant plus Magellanic Woodpecker further enriched her experience. Relive with Sheila her outrageously memorable jaunt through a stark & jaw-dropping part of the globe, full of scenery, wild mammals, and birds, birds, 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.
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: Shorebirds & herons
Place: Forsythe NWR Headquarters, 8:30 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. Carpooling will be from Painter's Crossing. We will leave at 7:00 a.m.
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.