The Ocean State Bird Club follows the ABA Code of Ethic and encourages all its members to do the same. To learn more about the code of ethics, please click here.
Saturday, October 6, 8:00 am morning trip
Aquidneck Island Migrant Traps
Various Locations, Newport & Middletown
Come celebrate eBird's official "big day" with the Ocean State Bird Club! Fall migration is still in full swing and in Rhode Island that means migrant songbirds are drawn to several coastal sites, many of which are found on Aquidneck Island. We will caravan across the southern portion of the island searching several well know migrant traps including Brenton Point State Park and Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. This trip should provide a robust mix of common waterbirds and songbirds along the way as we search for the generally uncommon and downright rare species these sites are known for.
Parking: Brenton Point State Park (parking near the office building).
Leader: Matt Schenck (mschenckee@gmail.com)
Wednesday, October 10, 6:30-8:00 pm (6:30-7:00 social)
Talk: An Accidental Big List with Patty O'Niell
ASRI Nature Center & Aquarium, Bristol
A trip to the San Diego River bed while visiting friends many years ago started Patty O'Neill's birding career. She saw godwits, stilts, and avocets and was hooked. From there She continued south into Mexico and saw colorful parrots and motmots and even magpie jays. She had no binoculars, no field guide guide and no idea what she was looking at but she liked it. When she returned she started law school and went on to a career as a public defender but found herself out birding whenever she could. Nurtured by the South Shore Bird Club south of Boston, when they put together a trip to Peru in 1979 Patty was the first to sign on.
Patty has been a traveler before she became a birder and the two fit together very well. She started doing more birding trips and saw more and more of the world, Patty never set out to build a big bird list it just seemed to happen and keeps happening.
Patty's travels have taken her to many exotic places where she has had many adventures, let her tell you about some of them in this talk.
Saturday, October 13 All Day, rain date on the 14th
Bird Watcher’s Digest Big Sit!
Beavertail State Park, Jamestown
Join Ocean State Bird Club members as we see how many species we can record from within a 17ft circle (birders are in the circle, birds can be outside). If you want to be gung-ho, you can come predawn to help record land birds as they fly over head or try to redirect themselves and head north instead of flying out over the ocean. Or come at sunrise to look for warblers and sparrows in the thickets. Maybe stop by around noon for a picnic, hawk watch and sea watch. Visit any time during the day to hang out with other birders and help us rack up the species! This is a world-wide event, and the fifth year OSBC is doing an official count, so stop by anytime to help us make a good impression.
The circle will be located near Lot #3
Compiler: Dan Berard - DJBerard84@gmail.com
Saturday, October 20, 8:00 am morning trip
Big River Sandpits
Big River Management Area, West Greenwich
At over 8,000 acres Big River Management Area hosts a diversity of habitats, including the unique sandpits along Division Street in West Greenwich. These gravel pits have dense pine scrub mixed with open grasslands and are hot spots for migrating sparrows. Additionally with a winter finch irruption in the forecast we will check the abundant pine stands for siskins and other finches. Participants should expect to walk at least a mile on sandy trails.
Additional Information: All participants are required to wear 200 inches of fluorescent orange (either a vest of hat) per RIDEM regulations.
Meeting Location: Parking is along the Division St. at the corner of Hopkins Hill Rd. (Click here for google maps directions)
Leader: Dylan Pedro- pedrodyl@yahoo.com
Aquidneck Island Migrant Traps
Various Locations, Newport & Middletown
Come celebrate eBird's official "big day" with the Ocean State Bird Club! Fall migration is still in full swing and in Rhode Island that means migrant songbirds are drawn to several coastal sites, many of which are found on Aquidneck Island. We will caravan across the southern portion of the island searching several well know migrant traps including Brenton Point State Park and Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. This trip should provide a robust mix of common waterbirds and songbirds along the way as we search for the generally uncommon and downright rare species these sites are known for.
Parking: Brenton Point State Park (parking near the office building).
Leader: Matt Schenck (mschenckee@gmail.com)
Wednesday, October 10, 6:30-8:00 pm (6:30-7:00 social)
Talk: An Accidental Big List with Patty O'Niell
ASRI Nature Center & Aquarium, Bristol
A trip to the San Diego River bed while visiting friends many years ago started Patty O'Neill's birding career. She saw godwits, stilts, and avocets and was hooked. From there She continued south into Mexico and saw colorful parrots and motmots and even magpie jays. She had no binoculars, no field guide guide and no idea what she was looking at but she liked it. When she returned she started law school and went on to a career as a public defender but found herself out birding whenever she could. Nurtured by the South Shore Bird Club south of Boston, when they put together a trip to Peru in 1979 Patty was the first to sign on.
Patty has been a traveler before she became a birder and the two fit together very well. She started doing more birding trips and saw more and more of the world, Patty never set out to build a big bird list it just seemed to happen and keeps happening.
Patty's travels have taken her to many exotic places where she has had many adventures, let her tell you about some of them in this talk.
Saturday, October 13 All Day, rain date on the 14th
Bird Watcher’s Digest Big Sit!
Beavertail State Park, Jamestown
Join Ocean State Bird Club members as we see how many species we can record from within a 17ft circle (birders are in the circle, birds can be outside). If you want to be gung-ho, you can come predawn to help record land birds as they fly over head or try to redirect themselves and head north instead of flying out over the ocean. Or come at sunrise to look for warblers and sparrows in the thickets. Maybe stop by around noon for a picnic, hawk watch and sea watch. Visit any time during the day to hang out with other birders and help us rack up the species! This is a world-wide event, and the fifth year OSBC is doing an official count, so stop by anytime to help us make a good impression.
The circle will be located near Lot #3
Compiler: Dan Berard - DJBerard84@gmail.com
Saturday, October 20, 8:00 am morning trip
Big River Sandpits
Big River Management Area, West Greenwich
At over 8,000 acres Big River Management Area hosts a diversity of habitats, including the unique sandpits along Division Street in West Greenwich. These gravel pits have dense pine scrub mixed with open grasslands and are hot spots for migrating sparrows. Additionally with a winter finch irruption in the forecast we will check the abundant pine stands for siskins and other finches. Participants should expect to walk at least a mile on sandy trails.
Additional Information: All participants are required to wear 200 inches of fluorescent orange (either a vest of hat) per RIDEM regulations.
Meeting Location: Parking is along the Division St. at the corner of Hopkins Hill Rd. (Click here for google maps directions)
Leader: Dylan Pedro- pedrodyl@yahoo.com