CHAS field trip to Blacksburg / New River Valley - May 9th, 10th and 11th.
The group hotel will be the Holiday Inn Express, 1020 Plantation Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060. Contact phone number is 540-552-0900. At the present time, they have a lot of availability on that weekend. The hotel is an all suite hotel with full kitchens, so, you can have your dinner in your room if you please. There is free breakfast included. The General Manager is gifting us a big discount. The rooms are usually $227.00 per night. We will get a discount to $139.00 per night. Use the group booking link below and once you put in the dates, the discount should come up.
The Itinerary is as follows: Friday afternoon there will be a trip to nearby Pandapas Pond and possibly a short trip to Alpine Road to look for a Kentucky Warbler.
Saturday there will be a trip to Glen Alton and possibly nearby Kelly Flats in the morning. In the afternoon, we will visit Mountain Lake, with a possible Golden Wing Warbler on the road up to the hotel and possible Chestnut Sided Warbler and Canada Warbler up under the Rhododendrons on the mountain. We may try again for the Kentucky Warbler on Alpine Road.
Sunday morning, there will be a trip to Deerfield Trail in Blacksburg.
More details to come regarding destination directions.
For any questions or concerns, please contact Saundra Winstead, 757-513-7994.
Recent Field Trip Reports
Great Dismal Swamp field trips
The Great Dismal Swamp NWR was not able to host its annual Birding Festival this year, so CHAS and the Hampton Roads Bird Club organized 7 bird walks there April 26 and 27 as a way to make up for the festival. There were over 145 attendees from Hampton Roads, Richmond, North Carolina, Michigan and NYC! The folks from NYC were a bachelorette party of botanists! Thank you to our walk leaders: Elisa, Judy, Tracy, Morocco, Saundra, Dave, Mary Jane, Lori and James. And Special thanks to Laura Mae for setting this up and being there every day to make sure things went smoothly.
Great Dismal Swamp Trillium Walk at Jericho Ditch - March 20, 2025
Led by Elisa Flanders: 18 participants found saw and heard 42 species of birds, including 5 woodpecker species, wood ducks, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, a harrier, and 9 warbler species. The full list can be viewed at https://ebird.org/mychecklists?subID=UzIyMTg1MDM4NA..&s=t.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel & Lower Eastern Shore - January 12, 2025
A very successful day led by Morrocco St. Andre, with 74 avian species seen. Highlights included Harlequin Duck, Common Eider, Great Cormorant, Purple Sandpiper, and Greater White-fronted Goose. For a complete list of species observed, click here.
Chippokes State Park - October 12, 2024
Birders enjoyed a beautiful day, tallying 45 species for the morning. For a full report and the complete list of species seen, click here.
Pleasure House Point - September 22,2024
9 Birders enjoyed a pleasan morning searching for birds along the trails at Pleasure House Point. We encountered 46 species, with an especially good showing from various members of the heron family. For the full list of species seen, go to CHAS Pleasure House Point Field Trip September 22, 2024 - eBird Trip Report.
Blue Ridge Mountains - May 4 and 5, 2024
A dozen CHAS members braved the questionable weather forecast and headed to Harrisonburg for two days of mountain birding. The rain held off and we had an excellent weekend, enjoying such beauties as Blackburnian, Cerulean, and Kentucky Warblers along with Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breased Grosbeak and others. The group encountered more than 70 species during the weekend. For a full narative and complete sightings list, click here.
Great Dismal Swamp - Jericho Ditch March 30, 2024
2 dozen birders enjoyed a beautiful morning in the swamp, with a good variety of birds observed, including Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, Winter Wren and White-eyed Vireo. Quite a few butterflies were about including Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Eastern Tailed Blue, Henry's Elfin and others. We also were successful in finding several patches of Dwar Trillium, thanks to the youngest member of our group and her excellent spotting skills! For a full list of birds seen, click here.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and lower Eastern Shore - February 24, 2024
We had a very successful field trip in February. Our trip started with stop at the north island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. From there we continued on to Box Tree Marsh on the Eastern Shore to look for a long-billed curlew (unfortunately with no success). After a delicious lunch at the Machipongo Trading Company we concluded the trip with a visit to the Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve. A beautiful day, with excellent views of sea ducks including close-in views of Harlequin Ducks, plus at least 8 Harbor Seals bobbing around. For a full list of birds seen click here.
Blackwater NWR /Ocean City MD /Chincoteague NWR - January 26-28, 2024
A dozen birders enjoyed a memorable trip. Highlights include American White Pelican, White-fronted Goose, American Bittern, plus thousands and thousands of waterfowl including amazing close up views of Canvasbacks and others within ten feet of us. For a detailed write-up of the adventure and the 89 species recorded, click HERE.
Northwest River Park - December 2, 2023
10 Birders enjoyed a pleasant morning walk on a relatively warm December day. The bulk of the bird activity took place at the start of the walk, with numerous small birds flitting in the tree tops in the vicinity of the visitor center, including several sapsuckers and both kinglet species. Although our species total was a modest 26, it was nevertheless an enjoyable morning. For the full species list, click here.
York River State Park - November 11, 2023
A small group of CHAS birders enjoyed a beautiful fall morning at the park. Birds were plentiful and the scenery was spectacular, with the fall foliage at its peak. We were treated to awesome views of at least 7 Bald Eagles, with multiple eagles within view at all times, some flying within 10 yards of us! A flyover American White Pelican provided another highlight. For a full list of the 43 species seen, click here.
Saturday October 28 - New Quarter Park, Williamsburg
A joint field trip with Williamsburg Bird Club on a beautiful fall day. HIghlights include a beautiful adult male Northern Harrier hunting over the marsh within view for over 20 minutes and 2 Nelson's Sparrows. For the full list of 41 species seen, click here.
Eastern Shore - October 7, 2023
On October 7, 2023 a group of 11 CHAS members traveled to the Eastern shore for a birding trip led by David Clark. The first stop was the beautiful Butterfly Trail at the Refuge Visitor Center, where the air was still and the birds mostly quiet; but the group was happy to encounter a group of about 10 white ibis, plus a quick visit from a cooper's hawk, and a merlin. The group also stopped at the Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve where they viewed huge numbers of seabirds and shorebirds, including snowy egrets, little blue herons, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, and a little pied-billed grebe all by itself. the final stop was the hawk platform at Kiptopeke State Park, where they spotted northern harriers and American kestrels overhead and identified various warblers flitting among the branches. For a complete list of species seen click here: CHAS - Eastern Shore Field Trip October 7, 2023 - eBird Trip Report
Swifts at Sunset - May 16 2023
11 people observed the spectacular sight of 600+ Chimney Swifts flying to one chimney just after sunset. Click here for details.
Great Dismal Swamp (Washington Ditch) - April 22, 2023
20 birders enjoyed a joing Cape Henry Audubon / Virginia Beach Audubon trip to the Great Dismal Swamp. Highlights include: beautiful views of Red-headed Woodpeckers and Prothonotary Warblers and a variety of singing warblers including Black-and-White, Black-throated Green, Yellow-throated, Hooded, Yellow-rumped, Ovenbird, Northern Parula and of course numerous Prothonotary Warblers. For a full narrative report and list of species seen, click HERE
Dwarf Trillium trip to Great Dismal Swamp - March 25, 2023
16 birders enjoyed a very successful morning in the swamp. Highlights include: Peregrine Falcon; Blue-headed Vireo; Black-throated Green Warbler; Yellow-throated Warbler; Rusty Blackbird; Spotted Turtle; and a half-dozen butterfly species. For a full narrative report and list of the 43 species seen, click HERE.
New Quarter Park - February 25, 2023
Six CHAS members joined the Williamsburg Bird Club for a walk at New Quarter Park on Queens Creek. Very pretty place. Lots of bluebirds and eagles, nesting great blue herons. Lots of water birds.
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve - January 14, 2023
On a cold winter morning we had 21 to show up at Hoffler; however, only 8 hardy birders made it all the way to the end at 10:15. See Saundra and Morocco's list of the 32 species seen by clicking here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S126109958
Back Bay NWR Field Trip - December 3, 2022
A hardy group of nine birdwatchers arrived at Back Bay NWR around 8 am with a light rain falling. The bay behind the visitor’s center had a nice variety of waterbirds including Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, a few swans, a group of coots, some Gadwall, and a Pied-billed Grebe. A walk around the parking lot and along the boardwalks produced some White-throated Sparrows, a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, a hunting Northern Harrier, more swans flying over, a Marsh Wren, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Wilson’s Snipe.
Moving south along the road we passed two Great-blue Herons and heard a few Swamp and Song Sparrows. At that point Tracy Tate spotted a pale sparrow that was something unusual and became the bird-of-the-day. After careful study the group concluded the bird was a Le Conte’s Sparrow, a rare wintering bird to our area that breeds in the upper Midwest. The group continued south to the blind where Mallard, Black Ducks, and a Northern Pintail were added to the trip list.
Returning toward the visitor’s center we walked over the dunes to the beach where we spotted many fishing Northern Gannets plunge-diving among the large group of cormorants that were also fishing. Both Common and Red-throated Loons were seen as well as gulls, Forster’s Terns, and a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers.
The species checklist totaling 49 species can be viewed by clicking here.
NC Outer Banks Field Trip - November 26, 2022
Highlights: A large variety of waterfowl including Eurasian Wigeon; Common Gallinule; American Avocet; Marbled Godwit; and a brief appearance by a Lapland Longspur. For a complete report click CHAS OBX Field Trip - November 26, 2022.
Lone Star Lakes Park Field Trip - October 8, 2022
Highlights included: Scarlet Tanager, a variety of warblers including an adult male American Redstart, and several newly arriving winter residents such as White-throated Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. For a complete report, click here: CHAS Field Trip - Lone Star Lakes October 8, 2022 eBird Trip Report
Chimney Swifts at Sunset - September 25, 2022
17 people witnessed the spectacle of hundreds of Chimney Swifts rallying at sunset and entering their night roost. The chimney is located on Alson Drive across from St. Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk. It is a few stories high, and might be the largest known roosting site of Chimney Swifts in Norfolk. For a complete report, click here: CHAS Field Trip - Chimney Swifts at Sunset September 25, 2022 eBird Trip Report.
13 birders showed up on a beautiful late summer morning at Mackay Island NWR in North Carolina on Sept. 5, 2022. The caravan of cars spent 4 hours at the refuge. Highlights included great views of King Rail, Prairie Warbler, Summer Tanager, Blue grossbeaks, Red-headed woodpeckers; also, hundreds of shorebirds including plovers and sandpipers, tricolored heron, dowitcher and yellowlegs. A few ducks were seen. Complete list can be seen here:
Greensprings Interpretive Trail Field Trip - May 14, 2022
Highlights included: Blue-winged Warbler, close-up views of many Prothonotary Warblers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and sightings of a wide variety of other birds, with a total of 61 species seen. For a complete report, click here: CHAS Field Trip - Greensprings Trail May 14, 2022 eBird report
Highlights included: Rusty Blackbird; early returning migrants such as Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush; early butterflies including Tiger Swallowtail and Zebra Swallowtail; and a successful search for Dwarf Trillium. For a complete report, click here: CHAS Field Trip - Dismal Swamp NWR Mar. 26, 2022 eBird Trip Report
CBBT and Eastern Shore Field Trip - February 12, 2022
52 Species total - Highlights included excellent views of King Rail & Merlin, hundreds of Tundra Swans, Orange-crowned Warbler, and out-of-season Prairie Warbler and, for those who opted to continue with an impromptu addition to the outing, a cooperative Western Kingbird.