Virginia Beach 2026 Field Trips

 

Virginia Beach Audubon and Cape Henry Audubon are hosting shared Field Trips for this year.  To sign up for field trips please email the Field Trip Coordinator, Karen Lasley, at fieldtrips@vbaudubon.org, unless other wide noted in the remarks. Please leave your name and a contact number if we must contact you due to changes. The Field Trip Leadership Team is Cindy Hamilton (VBAS) and David Clark (CHAS)

Sunday, March 29, 2026,  7:30 AM Hog Island Wildlife Management Area 5570 Hog Island Rd Surry, Va 23883 Trip Leaders: Donna McAdams and Debra Swinford Hog Island is actually a 3,908-acre peninsula that juts into the brackish waters of the James River, creating a mosaic of tidewater habitats that include marsh, tidal channels, swamp, and beach. Agricultural fields and loblolly pine forests surround freshwater sources such as Lawnes Neck and Lower Chippokes Creek. This diversity of habitats, including the large shallow impoundments of Fishhouse Bay and Homewood Creek, attract a vast number of birds, and an exploration of the area will produce a large number of species at any time of the year. Birding the area effectively requires leaving the main road and striking off on foot along the trails that separate the peninsula’s major impoundments. Over 30 species of waterfowl and 35 species of shorebirds have been recorded at Hog Island, largely from the wetlands at the northern end of the peninsula. Birding the Carlisle Tract, south of the power plants, gives access to upland communities absent further north. Winter, perhaps the most interesting time to bird this site, brings an assortment of different birds including snow buntings, flocks of snow geese, bufflehead, mergansers, ring-necked and ruddy ducks, and large numbers of bald eagles. All participants will need a valid ID, i.e. driver's license, state ID, etc. Please stress this. Some folks left their ID behind because they were riding in someone else's car. Participants will also need one of the following to access the property: -valid hunting or fishing license -DWR day pass -Restore the Wild annual pass Licenses can be purchased online at dwr.virginia.gov/licenses We can meet in the parking lot in front of the guard house and carpool from there. The address to the parking lot is 5570 Hog Island Rd., Surry, 23883. I seem to recall there wasn't an issue of needing to consolidate vehicles too much. Note: all vehicles going through the gate will be inspected by armed guards, since we pass through Dominion's Nuclear Power Plant. The plant office has the only restrooms on the property. I was told there were portajons at select boat ramp areas, but I have never seen one. The access road is 2 miles long with views of the James River. We can stop along the route and bird. Parking is allowed in designated areas only. There are impoundments we can walk around. It's not a difficult out and back walk.   Saturday, April 4, 2026 7:00 or 7:15 AM Great Dismal Swamp - Washington Ditch 3076 White Marsh Rd, Suffolk, VA Trip Leader: Laura Mae The Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) National Wildlife Refuge is a local treasure, yet many locals have never visited it! Here’s your chance! The refuge gates are on timers set to lift around sunrise, which is around 6:45 AM in early April. Washington Ditch’s address is 3076 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA. From this White Marsh Road entrance, take the dirt road for one mile to the parking lot where we will meet at 7AM. (There are two vault toilets there, too.) From the parking lot, we plan to take the 3/4 mile boardwalk through the forested wetland and then walk less than a half mile to the area damaged by an August 2020 tornado from Hurricane Isaia. In recent years, this particular area hosted a wonderful variety of birds. For those who like to study beforehand, here are some links: Refuge map and brochure, Seasonal Observations Submitted to eBird and ebird hotspot data.  April is a favorite month to visit because of the many birds that breed here - particularly warblers and both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. Barred Owls can frequently be heard and sometimes seen at Washington Ditch. The GDS provides critical habitat to about 200 species of birds, nearly 100 species of butterflies and skippers, many turtles, other reptiles and amphibians, white-tailed deer, otters and bobcats.  It also hosts one of the largest black bear populations on the East Coast.  Unlike Shenandoah's black bears, who have become habituated to humans, the GDS bears run away from us - often before we ever see them.  The mission of the GDS is to protect and preserve the swamp's unique ecosystem and biodiversity.  The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Saturday, May 16, 2026 8:00 AM   West Neck Natural Area  2249 N Landing Rd, VA Beach, 23456 Trip Leader: Elena Bersani (Note: this trip will be kid-friendly)   We’ll walk along the Foxfire trail looking for migrating songbirds. This is a new out-and-back mixed-use paved trail. Once back, we can walk along the paved trail and the Warbler trail to the Whitehurst-Buffington house. The clearing around the house is always a good birding spot. The total walking distance will be approximately 2.5 miles. This is a map of the West Neck Natural Area.  This will be a child-friendly field trip.  Children 7 and up are welcome to join us.  We'll have a bird scavenger hunt for them! Logistics:  There are no restrooms or water at the Natural Area.  There is a coffee shop that opens at 8 am.  We can meet at the coffee shop afterwards to tally up our findings.  Don't forget bug spray and sunscreen. Locally, additional birding trips are sponsored by the following organizations.  Check their websites to find trips and requirements. Lynnhaven River Now https://www.lynnhavenrivernow.org Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve https://www.hofflercreek.org City of Chesapeake Parks & Rec https:www.cityofchesapeake.net Hampton Roads Bird Club  http://www.hamptonroadsbirdclub.org/field-trips