Where: Meet in the parking lot of the Skidaway Island Methodist Church at 8:30 a.m. to carpool to Skidaway Island State Park. After the state park, there will be an option to continue to Priests Landing.

What: We will look for Painted Buntings, as well as summer nesting songbirds and wading birds. At Priests landing, we may see Roseate Spoonbills .

Rigor: Medium with 1-2 miles of walking on flat trails.

Leader: Rachel Green (delgreen@comcast.net)

Where: Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, Hardeeville, SC 29927. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive entrance off Alligator Alley.

What: Summer specialties such as Least Bitterns, Purple Gallinules, Common Nighthawks, and Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites.

Rigor: Easy

Leader: Leader: Matt Tozer (mctozer@yahoo.com)

Our speaker will be Clöe Lemaire, an environmental scientist for Savannah Riverkeeper. The project manager responsible for phasing out single-use packaging in Savannah by working with local and national nonprofits to introduce a city-wide reusable foodware system as an upstream solution to pollution, Lemaire joined the organization in 2024. With the goals of reducing litter and raising public awareness for alternative solutions, Savannah Riverkeeper has launched two programs to stop litter before and after it enters the environment. Lemaire received a B.S. in Coastal Biology from the University of North Florida and an M.S. in Marine Sciences from Savannah State University, where she studied estuarine water chemistry and how it impacts Eastern oyster growth. All meetings are held at the First Presbyterian Church (520 Washington Avenue, Savannah, Ga. 31404)

When: Saturday, June 7, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at the entrance at 8:30 a.m.

What: Yearly wading birds nesting spectacle as well as breeding summer birds such as Painted and Indigo Buntings, Great Crested Flycatchers, and more.

Rigor: Easy, with some walking.

Leader: Larry Carlile (larry.carlile259@gmail.com)

When: Sunday, March 30 (5:00–7:00 p.m.)

Where: Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 1599 Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

What: Ogeechee Audubon continues to monitor use of this

site as a pre-roost staging area for Rusty Blackbirds. This

restricted access site is likely the most reliable location in the

area for observing these birds, which have undergone massive

population declines over the past half century. If you would like

to join the survey team, please contact Stan Gray ahead of

time. To attend, please meet a team member at the front gate

of the school at the start time.

Rigor: Easy.

Leaders: Stan Gray (grayirisgarden@comcast.net • 912-659-

5020) and Pam Smith (pavercel@gmail.com • 717-201-9756)

Where: Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 1599 Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

What: Ogeechee Audubon continues to monitor use of this

site as a pre-roost staging area for Rusty Blackbirds. This

restricted access site is likely the most reliable location in the

area for observing these birds, which have undergone massive

population declines over the past half century. If you would like

to join the survey team, please contact Stan Gray ahead of

time. To attend, please meet a team member at the front gate

of the school at the start time.

Rigor: Easy.

Leaders: Stan Gray (grayirisgarden@comcast.net • 912-659-5020) and Pam Smith (pavercel@gmail.com • 717-201-9756)

When: Sunday, February 23

Where: Bear Island Wildlife Management Area. From Savannah

or Bluffton, take either South Carolina Highway 170 or

Interstate 95 to U.S. Highway 17 heading east toward

Charleston. Turn right onto Bennetts Point Road (if familiar

with Donnelley WMA, this turn-off is a few miles past it).

Continue on Bennetts Point Road for 13 miles. The entrance is

on the left, on Titi Road, about a mile after crossing the

Ashepoo River.

What: Wintering waterfowl, swans, American White Pelicans,

American Avocets, wading birds, and more! Meet at 8:30 a.m.

at the entrance on Titi Road, which faces Mary House Pond.

Rigor: Easy to moderate with a mix of walking and driving to

explore a habitat that includes brackish water marshes,

maritime forest, upland fields, and water-controlled lagoons

and impoundments.

Notes: There are no facilities once you turn onto Bennetts Point

Road. The last chance for gas, snacks, and bathrooms is a

small gas station/store on U.S. Highway 17, shortly after the

entrance to Donnelley WMA. Cell service is scarce and often

nonexistent at Bear Island, so please notify those who might

worry about you! Also, after the Bear Island excursion, trip

leader Lynn Hodgson will continue to Donnelley WMA for an

unofficial afternoon of birding — participants are welcome to

join! If interested, bring a lunch and plan to be out until at least

3 p.m.

Leader: Lynn Hodgson (hodgson.lynn@aol.com • 808-282-

5218)

When: Sunday, February 2, 2:00–5:00 p.m.

Where: Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 1599

Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

What: Ogeechee Audubon continues to monitor use of this

site as a pre-roost staging area for Rusty Blackbirds. Thisrestricted access site is likely the most reliable location in the area for observing these birds, which have undergone massive

population declines over the past half century. If you would like

to join the survey team, please contact Stan Gray ahead of

time. To attend, please meet a team member at the front gate

of the school at 3:00 p.m. sharp.

Rigor: Easy.

Bring: Water.

Leaders: Stan Gray (grayirisgarden@comcast.net • 912-659-

5020) and Pam Smith (pavercel@gmail.com • 717-201-9756)

When: Sunday, February 2, 3:00–5:00 p.m.

Where: Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 1599

Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

What: Ogeechee Audubon continues to monitor use of this

site as a pre-roost staging area for Rusty Blackbirds. Thisrestricted access site is likely the most reliable location in the area for observing these birds, which have undergone massive

population declines over the past half century. If you would like

to join the survey team, please contact Stan Gray ahead of

time. To attend, please meet a team member at the front gate

of the school at 3:00 p.m. sharp.

Rigor: Easy.

Bring: Water.

Leaders: Stan Gray (grayirisgarden@comcast.net • 912-659-

5020) and Pam Smith (pavercel@gmail.com • 717-201-9756)

When: Saturday, February 1, 9:15–11:15 a.m.

Where: Tybee Island North Beach. Meet at the end of Polk

Street at 9:15 a.m. Be prepared to pay for parking with the Park

TYB app.

Rigor: Moderate with 1–2 miles of walking on sand.

Bring: Water.

Leader: Diana Churchill (dichurchbirds@gmail.com • 912-604-

7539)

When: Saturday, January 25, 8:00–10:00 a.m.

Where: Lake Mayer Park, 1850 East Montgomery Cross Road,

Savannah, GA 31406

What: Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the right side of the main parking

lot on East Montgomery Cross Road. We’ll search for wintering

songbirds, waterfowl, wading birds, and more around the

diverse habitat of Lake Mayer.

Rigor: Easy. Roughly two miles of walking on level ground.

Bring: Water.

Leader: Larry Carlile (l.carlile259@comcast.net • 912-224-

1796)

Where: Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 1599

Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

What: Ogeechee Audubon continues to monitor use of this

site as a pre-roost staging area for Rusty Blackbirds. This

restricted access site is likely the most reliable location in the

area for observing these birds, which have undergone massive

population declines over the past half century. If you would like

to join the survey team, please contact Stan Gray ahead of

time. To attend, please meet a team member at the front gate

of the school at 3:00 p.m. sharp.

Rigor: Easy.

Bring: Water.

Leaders: Stan Gray (grayirisgarden@comcast.net • 912-659-

5020) and Pam Smith (pavercel@gmail.com • 717-201-9756)