Yeah, Kiptopeke! These are the words of the Kiptopeke sage Walter Smith; these are the sentiments of many. In just six short weeks the birds and people will begin to flock to the magical "land of big waters."
Much is predictable. The largest variety of warblers will be in the first two weeks of September; peak hawk observations are likely the last week in September. Volunteers will be conducting field studies and interpretive programs from August 30th until well into November The largest visitor concentration will be during the Eastern Shore Birding Festival, October 9-11. Based on recent trends, we expect more of our people visitors will be long-range migrants, coming from the mid-west and throughout the east coast as well as Virginia.
Many faces will be familiar. Bill Williams, Don Schwab and Earl Hodnet will continue to direct the field studies. And, Walter Smith will return for his 35th year as a volunteer bander.
But, this season will bring improvements to our operations, too. A Hawk banding intern will provide continuity to that operation. With the addition of three new songbird banders, the station will operate for an additional two weeks until November 28th. This will allow us to monitor the flight of sparrows and the other late season migrants.
We hope to see many of you during the Fall, and if you are visiting for the first time the following information may help:
Groups fewer than six people are welcome anytime from September 1st through November 28th (and even later for hawk observation). First-time visitors may want to schedule a trip to coincide with the Birding Festival. However, if you come another time, particularly during the week, you will encounter few people and accommodations are likely to be inexpensive. Groups of six or more should schedule trips several weeks in advance with the Kiptopeke Park office.
Visitors are always welcome to join the experts on the observation platform to watch the raptors flying. We are also pleased that we can make the songbird banding station open to the public. However, we do ask visitors to understand that the birds come first. When there is a big flight day, we will need to work rapidly to band and release the birds and may not be able to give people attention as promptly as we would like.
Accommodations in southern Northampton County are varied and inexpensive. There are several motels and B&Bs nearby. If you identify yourself as a Kiptopeke visitor, you may obtain a discount on lodging. There is also RV and tent camping right at the park.
There are no costs for visiting K.E.ST.R.E.L sites, though we will gladly take donations. The park has a modest entry fee and fees also modest, for group tours. To learn more call the park office or Mary Arginteanu at (804) 320-0138.
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