monticello_bird_club_field trips charlottesville

Field Trips

Experienced birders and beginners are welcome on all of our field trips. Experienced birders will lead each trip to help you learn where to find and how to identify an exciting variety of bird species. Several trips are planned for each month. Some are local and usually last two to three hours, while others going farther away may be day long trips or even overnighters. They are always a good way to hone your skills and enjoy the company of other birders in the outdoors.
For more information about a field trip or to volunteer to lead a trip please contact our Field Trip organizer, John Zimmerman, jozimmva@embarqmail.com at 974-9293.

Special Note: Most trips require early departure times that will allow us to reach our destinations to observe the birds when they are most active during the early morning hours.

Upcoming Field Trips Roam Near and Far

May, 2008

First Saturday Bird Walks At Ivy Creek Natural Area - May 3
On the first Saturday of each month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek
Natural Area (ICNA) at 7:30 am. Join Peter Brask on the May 3rd walk. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA.

Albemarle Spring Count, Saturday, May 3
Contact Jim Childress at 434-823- 4462 or jim.childress@odcm.com for details.

Birding Before Work , Ivy Creek Natural Area, May 5 - 9
Enjoy the Spring migrants each morning before work on a bird walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area 7-8 am. Meet in the ICNA parking lot at 7 am. Leaders include May 5 - John Zimmerman, May 6 -
Dave Hogg, May 7 - Teresa Shaner, May 8 - Stauffer Miller, and May 9 - Jim Nix. Questions? Contact John at 434-974-9293 or jozimmva@ embarqmail.com

Southern Albemarle County, Saturday, May 10
Join Stauffer Miller at the Crossroads Store, North Garden, at the intersection of Route 29 south and Plank Rd. at 7:30 am. We’ll carpool over Sharon and Old Green Mountain roads, two of the better warbler roads in the county, and once there implement car shuttles so that we can walk, mostly downhill, stretches of these very pleasant roads. After finishing that, we may visit a few other areas, planning on returning to the store about noon. The Crossroads Store has restrooms, breakfast, and lunch food, and a diverse coffee selection. This should be a pleasant, nonrigorous outing. Questions? Contact Stauffer Miller, 434-296 -5505 or stauffer@seepub.com

Rt. 610 and Cowbane Prairie, Saturday, May 17
John Zimmerman will lead this trip along Rt. 610 and to Cowbane Prairie. Meet in the Giant
parking lot, Seminole Square at 6:15 am. We will stop in the Afton Inn parking lot at 6:45
am (Rockfish Gap) if you would like to meet us there. Short, easy walks wherever we stop
along the road. Rest stop in Stuarts Draft will be included. Then onto Cowbane which
hopefully could be wet. Questions? Contact John at 434-974- 9293 or jozimmva@embarqmail.com

VSO Annual Meeting and Mountain Lake Migratory Bird Festival - May 16-18, 2008
Giles County, Virginia
Register now for this year’s annual Virginia Society of Ornithology meeting, held in conjunction with the Mountain Lake Migratory Bird Festival in Giles County, Virginia at the Mountain Lake Hotel. This weekend promises to be an exciting experience. The keynote speaker will be Ian Sinclair, who will provide a view from the Eastern Hemisphere with his presentation“The Lighter Side of Birding Darkest Africa”. Also, Bill Hilton, Jr. will provide a view from the Western
Hemisphere with a review of his continuing work banding Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on both their breeding grounds in the United States and on their wintering grounds in Costa Rica.

There will be a rich variety of field trips and workshops to attend. All will be lead by birders or naturalists that are knowledgeable about their subject and enthusiastic about sharing their
knowledge. Also scheduled are guided rafting trips on the historic New River offering unique bird sightings. In addition to the many hikes and workshops around the Mountain Lake Hotel
and Jefferson National Forest, there will be activities for children in the conservancy at Mountain Lake.

Registration for field trips will be in advance. To make certain that everyone has an equal opportunity to sign up for the trips of their choice, the trips and their descriptions are posted on the festival website: www.mountainlakebirding.com.
Those wishing to receive information by mail may call Peggy Opengari at 540 921-4340 or email at gramby@pemtel.net. Registration can be done online or by mail.

April, 2008

First Saturday Bird Walks At Ivy Creek Natural Area - April 5
On the first Saturday of each month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek
Natural Area (ICNA) at 7:30 am. Join Stauffer Miller on the April 5th walk. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA.

James River Wildlife Management Area, Sunday, April 13
Join Stauffer Miller on this Sunday trip to visit the James River Wildlife Management Area east of Howardsville. Who knows what might be seen at this infrequently
visited and rather poorly known wetland and upland area along the James? So find out; join the trip!
Meet at the Corner Store, Rt. 29 south in North Garden at 8 am. The store has restrooms, breakfast items, and a noteworthy coffee selection. Leader – Stauffer Miller, 434-296-5505 and stauffer@seepub.com

Secluded Farm, Saturday, April 26
Dave Hogg and Jim Nix are offering an excellent opportunity to see a variety of warblers and other migrants. Moderately easy walking. Since the regular Kemper lot may be full, meet in the new Kemper Park overflow parking lot on the east side of Rt. 20 north, just north of the intersection with Rt. 53 at 7:00 am.
Questions? Contact Jim Nix at 434-973-7366 or jim-nix@comcast.net

March, 2008

First Saturday Bird Walks At Ivy Creek Natural Area - March 1
On the first Saturday of each month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek
Natural Area (ICNA) at 7:30 am. Join Jenny Gaden on the March 1st walk. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA.

Pen Park Nature Trail, Saturday, March 15
Join John Zimmerman on this easy hike on the Pen Park Nature Trail and the Dunlora bottoms. Meet at 7:45 am at the head of the nature trail by Shelter #2 in the
Pen Park picnic area. Easy hike but moderate in length. Questions? Contact John at 434-974-9293 or jozimmva@embarqmail.net

Humpback Rocks Visitor Center, Blue Ridge Parkway, Saturday, March 22
Join field trip leader Jenny Gaden as we look for American Woodcocks putting on their aerial display. Bring a strong flashlight to spot the woodcocks. Meet at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 6 pm. Questions? Contact Jenny Gaden at 434-293-6275 or jgaden@embarqmail.com

February, 2008

First Saturday Bird Walks At Ivy Creek Natural Area
On the first Saturday of each month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek
Natural Area (ICNA) at 7:30 am. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA.

Saturday, February 9 -Highland County Excursion
Cricket Barlow will be our leader on this exciting trip to Highland County. Meet at 6:00 am in the
Giant parking lot at Seminole Square. We will return around 5 pm. Plan on car pooling. If someone owns a 4WD vehicle, consider driving, since some of the best birding roads may be snow covered. Cricket has an SUV and can take 3-4 people. Dress warmly and be prepared to walk in the snow. We will stop in Monterey for provisions and restrooms. We will be looking especially for Golden Eagles, Roughlegged Hawks and Northern Finches. Bring food and drink, in addition to binoculars, a telescope would be helpful. Cricket has a pair of 2-way radios that
will keep the vehicles in touch. If you have similar equipment, please bring it. PLEASE CALL
Cricket Barlow at 434-823-5272 or e-mail at gwbarlow3@ earthlink.net if you are considering going. If the weather appears questionable or definitely unfavorable, we can be in touch
with each other. If you are curious about the weather in Highland Co., go to
http:// www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/

VSO Winter Field Trip North Carolina Outer Banks
February 15-17, 2008
Head south of the (Virginia) border to enjoy the hopefully milder climate and the amazing birds of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Lodging: The Clarion Inn at Nags Head Beach will be our headquarters. Special VSO room rates are $60 for oceanfront and $55 for streetside plus tax (currently 12%). Ocean front rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Phone: 252-441- 6333; fax 252-441-7779. Make reservations by Jan. 25 to get the special rate. Remember to say that you are with the VSO.
Program: When you check in at the hotel, pick up a program of events and announcements at the front desk.
Friday Night: An evening orientation and slide program will be presented. Check your program for the time and room location.
Saturday: We will have all day to visit the impoundments of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The generally milder climate and the
proximity of the Gulf Stream make for an interesting combination of wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, ocean birds and sometimes whales. We may divide into smaller groups, but every
group will visit all areas. Be sure to bring your lunch and we will dine at a convenient birding location and rest area.
Saturday Evening: There will be a tally at 6:00 pm in the VSO conference room at the hotel.
Sunday: There will be no organized trips on Sunday, unless there are some unusual species to chase. This will be your opportunity to watch birds from your room, or check out some of the
areas we visited on Saturday.
Come prepared for variable weather, lots of birds and a good time. If you have any questions, contact Bill Akers at 540-951-7692, Bill Akers at Bill.Akers@adelphia.net or Peggy Opengari at gramby@pemtel.net.

Tuesday, February 26 - Lake Anna Louisa County
Join Stauffer on a visit to the Louisa County side of Lake Anna. Meet in front of Starbucks in the line of stores adjacent to the Giant grocery in the Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center on U.S. 250 East at 8:30 am. We will check as much of Lake Anna as we can for waterfowl and other birds,
having lunch in either Mineral or Louisa and returning by midafternoon.
Questions? Contact Stauffer Miller at 434-296-5505 or stauffer@seepub.com.

January, 2008

Saturday, January 26, 2008 - Secluded Farms
Meet in the parking lot at the base of the boardwalk trail to Monticello (Kemper Park) at 7:30 am. Easy 2 hr or so hike. Questions? Contact John Zimmerman at 434-974-9293 or
jozimmva@embarqmail.com

December, 2007

Warren Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 30, 2007
The Warren Christmas Count will take place on Sunday, December 30. Questions? Contact
Allen Hale at 434-263-8671.

Charlottesville Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 16, 2007
Contact Jenny Gaden for the name of a leader with whom you might go. Compiling will
a pot-luck supper at 6 pm, location to be announced in the December newsletter along
with additional information. Questions? Contact Jenny Gaden at 434-293-6275 or
jgaden@embarqmail.com

December 8, 2007 Saturday Trip to be Announced
Meet at 8 am at Scottsville Town Park, just north of the sewage disposal plant. Turn right
off US 20 on the last road before the James River bridge and then turn left at the T-intersection. We will visit a few farm ponds near the James River for waterfowl and walk a semi-wooded area. We will probably be back to Scottsville before noon. Lunch there, if interested. Questions? Contact Stauffer Miller at 434- 296-5505 or stauffer@seepub.com.

VSO Virginia Beach Field Trip, December 7-9, 2007
The Virginia Society of Ornithology’s annual Virginia Beach Field Trip promises to be an exciting
weekend. This year’s trip features a Friday afternoon trip to the Whitehurst Tract, a visit to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on Saturday, and a trip to the Back Bay NWR/False Cape State Park on Sunday.
The Howard Johnson at 1601 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 will serve as the field trip headquarters. Make reservations by November 6, 2007, specifying that you are with VSO. Call 757 437- 9100 or 1 800 258-5878. For more information and to register contact
Clark White at 757-875-7649, cwbirds@cox.net , or see http:// www.virginiabirds.net/

Binocular Show and Tell Day, December 1st 9 am at Ivy Creek Education Building.
Bring your binoculars to share with members of the public who may never have had the opportunity to see the world with "new eyes" and open their awareness to the wonderful world of nature they may never have noticed. Please e-mail me, bsmooney8@earthlink.net, or
call at 434-293-6710 if you can attend or just show up on December 1st. This is the type of
outreach that will help bring more members to our club and more attention to the wonderful
joy of seeing birds up close. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Chincoteague NWR & Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, November 16-18, 2007
Join field trip leader , John Zimmerman on a visit to this birding hotspot. Meet at south end CBBT in administration parking lot at 9:45 am on Friday, November 16th. The visit to CBBT islands limited to 15 persons with prior submission of information sheet for security clearance.
Information sheet can be downloaded from the www.cbbt.com/birding.html or can
be obtained from John Zimmerman, but must be returned to John by November 2nd to be mailed to the CBBT. Depending upon the number of participants there will be a fee of
around $10/person payable at time of trip to the CBBT. You must also present a picture ID (e.g. driver’s license) to the security officer. If you do not choose to do the CBBT, meet at Visitors
Center, Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge between 12:30 - 1 pm. Reservations for Chincoteague for the nights of November 16 and 17 can be made at the Island Motor
Inn (757-336-3141), mention you are with the Monticello Bird Club for the group rate of $88/ night. 7 day prior cancellation limit.

Pen Park Nature Trail, Sunday, November 11, 2007
Join Jenny Gaden for an easy 3 mile hike on the Pen Park Nature Trail. NOTE: This is a
Sunday trip. Meet at 7:30 am by Shelter #2 in the Pen Park picnic area. Questions? Contact
Jenny Gaden at 434-293- 6275 or jgaden@embarqmail.com

Western Greene and Albemarle Counties, Tuesday, October 23, 2007
On this trip we’ll cover the western sections of Greene and Albemarle counties, including
areas such as Shady Grove, Mission Home, Boonesville, and Dyke. We’ll do as much walking
as we can. Meet at the courthouse area in Stanardsville at 8 am. The group should get
back to Stanardsville about noon, possibly having lunch there. Leader: Stauffer Miller.
Contact Stauffer at 434-296- 5505 or Stauffer@seepub.com for the latest information.

Sparrow Road, Saturday, October 20, 2007
John Zimmerman will lead this trip along Sparrow Road. This trip will include stops at Beaver Creek Reservoir and Mint Spring Valley Park. Meet at Seminole Square in the Giant parking lot at 7:00 am. It will be an easy walk, and we will return by noon. Questions? Contact
John at 434-974-9293 or jozimmva@embarqmail.com

James River at Scottsville Saturday, October 13, 2007
Jim Nix will lead this walk along the James River at Scottsville. The walk should be mostly level for ~ 2 miles, but it will be necessary to cross over the levy between the parking lot and the James River, and the river side of the levy is rocky. Meet at the parking lot behind the school in Scottesville at 7 am. Take Route 20 south to Scottsville and turn right at the last street before the bridge across the James River. Continue to a “T” intersection and turn left (toward the river). This street ends in a short distance; the parking lot will be on the right between the school and the river. Questions? Contact Jim Nix at 973- 7366 or jnix@cstone.net.

First Saturday in October Bird Walk At Ivy Creek Natural Area On the first Saturday of each
month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area (ICNA) at
7:30 am. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA. Join David Hogg on the October 6th walk and Lou Tanner on November 3rd.

Beagle Gap to Calf Mountain, Saturday, September 22, 2007
Peter Brask will lead this exciting 2-3 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail at Beagle Gap to Calf Mountain to observe hawk migration as well as the migrating passerines of the Blue Ridge forest. Meet at 9:00 am in the Afton Inn parking lot, Rockfish Gap. Bring a snack. Alternatively meet at Peter Brask’s home at 7:30-8:30 am for yard birds and coffee. Call Peter at 434-823-2360 for directions and information.

Heards Mountain and Howardsville areas, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Meet at Crossroads Store in North Garden (US29 south of Charlottesville) at 8 am. We will
walk stretches of roads at nearby Heard’s Mountain, and other roads near and around Howardsville looking for migrant songbirds. We will return to the Crossroads store
around noon. We may have lunch at the small, but very nice, restaurant in the store. Leader: Stauffer Miller. Contact Stauffer at 434-296-5505 or Stauffer@seepub.com for the latest information.

Scogo Lake Saturday, September 8, 2007
Join field trip leader John Zimmerman for easy hiking around the lake through fields, wetlands,
and forest edge. Meet in parking lot at Scogo Lake at 7:15 am. To reach the lake, go south
on US29 for 6.8 mi from I-64 interchange to Route710 (Taylor’s Gap Road.). Turn right on Route
710 and go 0.7 mi. to Route 696 (Edge Valley Rd). Turn left and travel ~2 mi. to the entrance to Scogo Lake on your left. Questions? Contact John Zimmerman at 434-974-9293 or
Jozimmva@ embarqmail.com

VSO Chincoteague Field Trip September 7-9, 2007
This Virginia Society of Ornithology trip provides an opportunity to visit this popular birding hotspot. The headquarters for trip is the Refuge Motor Inn (1-800-544-8469 or 757-336-5511). An evening program at the motel Friday night will feature a preview of birds in the area, and a synopsis of the field trips on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit the VSO web site, http:// www.virginiabirds.net/ or call or email Peggy Opengari Phone: 540- 921-4340
Email: gramby@pemtel.net

First Saturday in September Bird Walk At Ivy Creek Natural Area On the first Saturday of each month the Monticello Bird Club hosts a bird walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area (ICNA) at
7:30 am. The walks start in the parking lot of ICNA. Join John Zimmerman on the September
1st walk and David Hogg on the October 6th walk.