July
Tuesday, July 29 - Bird Safe/Lights Out presentation - 6:00 pm at Norfolk Botanical Gardens
Bird Safe/Lights Out presentation at Norfolk Botanical Garden by Liz Paiste with Citizens for Responsible Lighting and Pat Scanlon with Cape Henry Audubon Society. Come out and learn about the Bird Safe/Lights Out Hampton Roads initiative that encourages high rise building managers and home owners to turn off or dim their lights during migration spring and fall. Solutions to mitigate bird strikes at home and at the office will be discussed. Citizens for Responsible Lighting will review the impact of outdoor artificial lights, specifically high-intensity LED lights, on our health and ecosystem when improperly implemented. We will also review lighting solutions for a healthier and safer environment. $10 if not Norfolk Botanical Garden member. Register at https://norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/events/led-and-birds-class/
August
Friday, August 15 - Lights Out Hampton Roads - 11 pm to 6 am thru November 15
Lights Out is a voluntary program that involves turning off and/or blocking as many external and internal building lights at workplaces as possible at night to help prevent injury and death of birds migrating through the Hampton Roads area during the spring and fall bird migrations. Join the effort! Learn more at https://www.birdsafehr.org/
September
Wednesday, September 17 - Monthly Membership Meeting - 7:30 PM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 201 St. Paul's Blvd., Norfolk, VA.
Details TBA
Saturday, September 20, 8:00am - Regular monthly bird walk - Weyanoke Sanctuary
The sanctuary is open once a month for a guided bird walk, except during our summer break (June, July, August). The sanctuary is located at 1509 Armistead Bridge Road in the West Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk. From Hampton Blvd. turn west onto Gates Avenue. Follow to the end of Gates, turn right onto Armistead Bridge Road and follow a short distance. The Sanctuary gate is on the left. There is plenty of parking by the field on the right.
To check out recent and past sightings at the sanctuary go to its eBird Hotspot site at https://ebird.org/hotspot/L469614
Saturday, September 27, 2025 -Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge (ESVNWR)Meet at 7:00 AM in the parking lot on the south side of Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and form carpools.
This will be a joint filed trip with the Virginia Beach Audubon Society. It will be a walking excursion of trails and roadways within the Refuge. Target species include fall migrating warblers, raptors and the full complement of east coast waders. Habitat includes forested trails, marsh overlook, and paved roadway with both brushy grasses and wood clearings on the side. There are significant chances of flyover species to include Bobolink.
The walk is approximately 3.2 miles roundtrip. As an option, we can go up to the observation deck above Battery Winslow, which requires climbing about 50 steps. A 24-hour restroom is available at Hwy 13 rest stop just before you turn on Seaside Road to NWR. A Porta-potti is available in NWR parking lot at the start of the walk before the Visitor Center opens. The Butterfly Trail portion is grassy so expect morning dew on your feet. Bug spray and sunscreen are always advised. After the walk, consider driving 4 miles to Kiptopeke State Park and visit the hawk watch. Mid to late morning thermals tend to be peak times for raptor movements if the winds cooperate.
Trip Leader: David Clark
