Field Trips
IMPORTANT Change: Call the field trip leader to register for a trip. Also, call at least one day before the trip to ensure that trip is still on schedule.
March 13, 2010 - Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park. The SNHS will travel to Scotland Neck for a full day trip to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park — the world’s largest collection of endangered waterfowl in the world. Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center is dedicated to educating people about the importance of conservation and research, focusing on breeding waterfowl and wetland Coastal South Carolina habitats.
The Park consists of a series of natural walk-through outdoor aviaries for viewing over a thousand birds from six continents. Birders and photographers are given unobstructed views of species they typically see only at a great distance, or only if they have the opportunity to travel the world birding. We will have the opportunity to see species from North and South America, Eurasia, Australia, and Africa.
This is also a wonderful place for members interested in bird photography. At the Carolina Bird Club Winter meeting in 2009, several of us had the opportunity to visit Sylvan Heights as one of the field trips offered during that meeting. We are looking forward to a return trip to view and photograph waterfowl that are very often so far away that we can’t easily observe field mark details. For more information about the park, go to www.shwpark.com.
We have arranged a special guided tour of the park which takes approximately an hour and a half. Following the tour, we will enjoy a bag lunch in the picnic area. Individual admission tickets are $7 per person, $5 for 62 years old or older. Meet at the Harris Teeter parking lot. We will drive en caravan, leaving the area at promptly at 7:30 a.m. Expect to return late that afternoon, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wear comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, and bring lunch. Scotland Neck is approx. 3 hours drive time, each way. Please email Cassie Willis at cwillis740@aol.com or Linda Jones at candljones@msn.com to sign up for this trip.
March 27, 2010 - Palustris Festival. The 2010 Palustris Festival is a new community event that will celebrate the arts in and around Moore County. The inaugural Festival will be presented on March 25–28 and showcase to local residents and visitors what makes Moore County unique and special. On Saturday, Weymouth Woods will sponsor an all-day event starting at 8 a.m. The agenda is not yet finalized, but will include a bird walk, wildflower hike, talks, several hikes to the oldest known Longleaf Pine in the world (~462 years old), and a birthday cake in the tree’s honor. Contact park staff for a schedule of events. Visit http://www.palustrisfestival.com/ for more information.
April 17, 2010 - Pee Dee Gabbro Slopes. Bruce Sorrie will lead a trip to look for wildflowers along the rich slopes and floodplain by the Pee Dee River in Richmond County. It lies just north of the US 74 bridge. We will meet at the Town & Country shopping area behind the Japanese restaurant to carpool. We will leave promptly at 8:00 a.m. Contact Bruce at bruce.sorrie@ncdenr.gov for details.
May 8, 2010 - Eno River State Park. Join us for a day of birding, bugging, and botanizing. This is wonderful time to visit the park. Spring migration can be great and a good variety of neotropical migrants breed there. We will visit the Few’s Ford Access first for a fairly easy two-mile hike along the Eno looking for birds, plants, and other wildlife. We will have lunch at the picnic area and then visit the Pump Station Access. This area is rich in wildflowers and many should be in bloom. Bring lunch and bug spray. Meet at Weymouth Woods at 6:00 a.m. for the 1.5 hour drive. Contact Scott at picoides@windstream.net for more information.
May 13-27, 2010 - Scotland. Cassie Willis will lead the first SNHS international field trip—a two-week natural history tour of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. This trip was announced earlier to the SNHS in very detailed form. Because of complicated logistics, the trip will have a strictly limited number of participants, and presently, the trip is full. If you wish to be placed on a waiting list, please contact Cassie at cwillis740@aol.com.
June 11-13, 2010 - Joyce Kilmer & Synchronous Fireflies. See one of the last remaining stands of old growth cove hardwoods in the eastern US, (hopefully) the only species of fireflies that flash synchronously, breeding warblers and other tropical breeders, wildflowers, salamanders, and much more on a weekend trip to North Carolina’s far southwestern Mountains. We will probably stay in the Robbinsville, NC area and visit Joyce Kilmer and Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday. Saturday night we will spend a few hours at Joyce Kilmer to look for the fireflies. Sunday we will explore the parkway north to Asheville for high elevation birds, plants, etc. Expect some moderate hiking on Saturday. Contact Scott Hartley at 910-638-5225 or 910-692-2167 or picoides@windstream.net for more information and to sign up for this weekend trip.
Field Trip Ideas
Listed below are locations that have been suggested for future field trips. You don’t have to be an expert to lead a trip. You just need to be the willing to schedule, meet and do the logistics.If you have other field trip ideas or would be willing to lead one, please contact Scott Hartley at 692-2167 or 944-9337.
Falls Lake-Triangle Lakes for waterfowl.
Eno River State Park – Wildflowers in spring, birding in spring, hiking anytime.
Uhwarrie National Forest.
Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center.
Canoe/Kayak – Black River/Lumber River, etc.
Bay Lakes.
Bog Turtle Search.
