Reports on Previous Events

Midwinter Star Gazing - Saturday, January 16, 6:00 pm - cancelled due to overcast skies

Fall Color Hike - Saturday, October 10 - 10:00 am

Seven hikers, led by Rob Pendygraft, hiked the newly reopened Waterfall Trail, Yellow Trail, a good portion of Circle Trail, and Cross Trail. In addition to a variety of colorful late fall wildflowers, mushrooms, and lichens, Rob pointed out many of the changes on and near those trails as a result of the January ice storm, some of which are still occurring. For example, we encountered a large tree that had finally fallen across Cross Trail on Friday night after the heavy rains earlier that day.

Night Sounds Hike - Saturday, August 8 - 8:30 pm

Twelve people, from teenagers to senior citizens, got to see many bats leaving their daytime perch behind the Education Center, enjoyed a tour of the meadow east of Island Pond noticing several interesting plants with the help of Rob Pendygraft, our guide for the evening, and stood for a good while on the Island Pond dam listening to crickets, frogs, feeding fish, and watching for the beaver that has taken up residence in the pond this summer. After awhile, a smaller group returned to the meadow for some constellation identification on a beautiful, starry night.

Summer Solstice Star Gazing - Saturday, June 20 - 9:00 pm

Four observers, guided by Tom Bryant and his telescope, enjoyed an intermittently overcast evening and were able to see Saturn and its rings, the globular cluster M-13, the red super-giant Antares, and two double stars: Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper and Albireo, a yellow and blue-green pair in the Northern Cross.

Spring Birding Hike - Saturday, April 18 - 9:00 am

5 hikers spent two hours in the Refuge and sighted 21 species, the most exciting of which were three pair of Blue-winged Teal on Green Heron Pond and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Other species were Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch, Canada Goose, Common Grackle, Blue Jay, Belted Kingfisher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Phoebe, American Robin, White-throated Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Spring Wildflower Walk - Saturday, April 11 - 10:00 am

24 guests enjoyed a cool, clear morning on the Martha Clay Wildflower Trail. Led by Dr. Anne Lubbers, the group saw 23 species of wildflowers: Bloodroot, Blue Phlox, Common Blue Violet, Cream Violet, Cutleaf Toothwort, Downy Violet, Dutchman's-Breeches, False Rue Anemone, Hepatica, Jacob's Ladder, Larkspur, May Apple, Ramp (Wild Leek), Rue Anemone, Spring Beauty, Squirrel Corn, Toadshade Trillium, Trout Lily, Twinleaf, Virginia Bluebells, Walking Fern, Wild Ginger, and Wood  Poppy .

Birding in the Blind - Saturday, March 21 - 9:00 am

Four participants joined Jane Brantley, enjoyed a crisp, mostly clear morning, and saw 16 species: Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, Carolina Chickadee, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskin, White-throated Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Great Backyard Bird Count 2009 - February 13-16

Friday, February 13 - 14 species, including 3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (at once!)

Saturday, February 14 - 21 species, including 75(!) American Goldfinches and a side-by-side view of a male House Finch and a male Purple Finch.

Sunday, February 15 - 12 species, including 30(!) Mourning Doves

Monday, February 16 - 16 species, including a Carolina Wren (the only one seen during the four days)