Smith Island is an island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland . It is inhabited by several hundred people who live in three villages. It makes for a great birding trip because the boat you take to get to the island passes by a huge area of marsh that contains every species of heron , egret , and ibis found in the area and gulls , terns , various passerine birds. Once on the island there is a free bus tour that takes you around the island and you get to see even more marsh up close and often see shorebirds. Part of the island is a Federal Wildlife Refuge and the refuge has a visitors center . The island also has a visitor center. Bring a picnic lunch in a cooler or bring some money and eat lunch in one of the three restaurants on the island. Someone may have connections to have a Nature Conservancy , Chesapeake Bay Foundation, MD. Dept. of Natural Resources or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service naturalist meet us at the island. The boat leaves a place near Reedville .VA at 10:30 am and leaves Smith Island at 3:30 Pm The cost is 24.50 per person. The boat runs Monday through Saturday on a regular schedule but reservations are required as the boat only carries 60 people but is big enough that you will not get sea sick After conferring with Betsy Saunders, Saturday August 7th or August 14th would be best. Migration will have started. This is the time the Laughing Gulls start to migrate to the Caribbean and Latin America. Please respond on the list-serve or email me if interested. If at least 6 people commit to going I will pick a date and give driving directions to the boat dock . Sincerely , Tyler Turpin e-mail :tylerturpin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.