Audubon Bird Walk Set for Monday, October 8 On Tangier Island
On Monday, October 8, the public is invited to join the Northern Neck Audubon
Society on a bird walk on Tangier Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.
This will be a great opportunity to see some of the birds that fly over the bay
as well as on the island. Following are some of the birds that have been
sighted on Tangier or on the ferry ride in early fall: boat-tailed grackles,
brown pelicans, marsh wrens, palm and prairie warblers, American
oystercatchers, tri-colored and green herons, yellow-crowned and black-crowned
night herons, glossy Ibises, great black-backed gulls, Wilson’s storm petrels
and ruddy turnstones. Some of these birds are rarely, if ever, seen on the
Northern Neck and the Middle Peninsula.
The Chesapeake Breeze ferry departs from Buzzard Point Marina, 468 Buzzard
Point Road, Reedville. Departing at 10:00 a.m., the ferry docks at Tangier
Island after a 90-minute narrated cruise. The Breeze departs Tangier at 2:15
p.m. and returns to Reedville about 4:15 p.m.
During the 2 hour and 45 minutes visit to the island, there will be
opportunities to bird, have lunch, take a tour, visit the museum, rent a bike
or golf cart, or just stroll around the island. Tangier Island is only about a
mile wide and three miles long. Several of last year’s participants suggested
that it would be nice to spend the night at one of the B&Bs on the island and
return the next day, giving the opportunity to really enjoy this unique island
first settled in the 1770s.
You can bring your own food and drinks with you on the ferry or you can enjoy
one of Tangier’s famous restaurants. Individuals will be responsible for
purchasing their own tickets for the trip on the day of the trip or in advance
online where there may be discounts. Google Chesapeake Breeze Ferry Boat to
Tangier Island or call 804-453-2628. The website states that round-trip tickets
are $30.00.
For cancelations and additional information about the Northern Neck Audubon
Society and activities, visit the website at northernneckaudubon.org.
