Friends of Missisquoi Calendar
All day Saturday and Sunday, May 21st and 2nd – Missisquoi’s World Migratory Bird Day “Big Weekend Challenge”
Because last year was such a success, we are bringing back our Big Weekend Challenge. We invite you to come and independently help us document the birds present on the refuge. Here’s how to participate:
- Register for our weekend of birding here : https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/world-migratory-bird-day-weekend-347639
- Visit the refuge trails and/or waterways anytime from sunrise to sunset on Saturday and Sunday. For a map of trails and water access points please visit https://www.fws.gov/media/missisquoi-trailspdf ***Please note the Jeep Trail will be closed at this time of year, but Mac’s Bend Road will be open for walking.
- Record all your bird sightings via eBird to any of the refuge’s hotspots and share your lists with our eBird account (MNWRBirdDay) which allows us to have a record of your data.
The more you bird and contribute, the better our data will be. To get you motivated, the Friends of Missisquoi NWR will be awarding a number of prizes for different categories of participation, so the more time you spend looking and recording (and the more data you collect for WMBD), the more chances you have to win. Don’t forget to bring your camera along to qualify you for some of the photography prizes! Our goal will be to see if we can beat our record of 113 species for WMBD.
If you are unfamiliar with eBird, please visit this video for a great tutorial on how to submit your sightings right from your smartphone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvYYeDd05TQ
Come out and enjoy Missisquoi NWR as the birds return to the refuge and help make this a successful weekend of data collection. As you participate, as a community scientist for the refuge, please be sure to follow any current COVID-19 guidelines, stay on the open trails and waterways, and be careful not to venture into any of the restricted areas.
Join the Friends of Missisquoi NWR as they hold a daybreak bird walk on the Maquam and Black Creek trails.
It will commence at 4:00am from the parking area. During the 1-mile hike into Lookout Point in the dark, participants will be listening for owls and other nocturnal birds. Daylight birding will take place on the return trip out. Please bring a headlamp or flashlight.
For more details, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/world-migratory-bird-day-weekend-347639
Please join us for our monthly bird monitoring walks on the refuge. Ken Copenhaver and Julie Filiberti lead the walks on various refuge trails on the third Saturday of each month. The purpose of the walks is to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Observations are entered into the Vermont eBird database where data is stored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. These walks are appropriate for birders of all skill levels and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds throughout the seasons.
Our May walk each year is part of our World Migratory Bird Day weekend! This will be one of several walks held over the weekend. Join us on Saturday, May 21st from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at the Stephen Young Marsh Trail. Meet at the parking lot on Tabor Rd, about 1 mile south of the refuge Visitor Center.
COVID Notice: We will be following Vermont state COVID-19 protocols for outdoor activities. We ask that you stay home if you are feeling ill and to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated and when you can’t maintain a safe social distance.
If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com
The Friends of Missisquoi NWR will be holding a group birding paddle as part of their World Migratory Bird Day celebration. You must bring your own canoe or kayak, paddles, and life jackets. We’ll meet at Mac’s Bend boat launch.
Please register in advance for this event through this link.
As part of our World Migratory Bird Day events, the Friends of Missisquoi NWR will be hosting two beginners guided bird walks on the Mac’s Bend Road on Sunday, May 22nd at 8:00am and 10:00am.
If you are a beginning birder and would like to join one of these events, please register in advance at this link.
As part of our World Migratory Bird Day events, the Friends of Missisquoi NWR will be hosting two beginners guided bird walks on the Mac’s Bend Road on Sunday, May 22nd at 8:00am and 10:00am.
If you are a beginning birder and would like to join one of these events, please register in advance at this link.
The Friends of Missisquoi and the Memphremagog Watershed Association are hosting a bird walk at Eagle Point WMA in Derby.
The walk is on Saturday, June 4th. We’ll meet at the loop road parking area at 8:00 AM. We typically spend 2-3 hours on the walk.
Eagle Point Wildlife Management Area (WMA) at Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge is a 420 acre parcel located along the eastern shore of Lake Memphremagog on the United States-Canada border, in Derby Vermont. The WMA is located approximately five miles north of Newport City on Eagle Point Road. It is owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and managed by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in partnership.
Please join us for our monthly bird monitoring walks on the refuge. Ken Copenhaver and Julie Filiberti lead the walks on various refuge trails on the third Saturday of each month. The purpose of the walks is to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Observations are entered into the Vermont eBird database where data is stored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. These walks are appropriate for birders of all skill levels and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds throughout the seasons.
Our walk this month will be on Saturday, June 18th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at the Old Railroad Passage Trail. Meet at the parking lot on Tabor Rd, about 1 mile south of the refuge Visitor Center and across the road from Stephen Young Marsh.
COVID Notice: We will be following Vermont state COVID-19 protocols for outdoor activities. We ask that you stay home if you are feeling ill and to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated and when you can’t maintain a safe social distance.
If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com
Please join us for our monthly bird monitoring walks on the refuge. Ken Copenhaver and Julie Filiberti lead the walks on various refuge trails on the third Saturday of each month. The purpose of the walks is to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Observations are entered into the Vermont eBird database where data is stored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. These walks are appropriate for birders of all skill levels and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds throughout the seasons.
Our walk this month will be on Saturday, August 20th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at the Jeep Trail. Meet at the Louie’s Landing parking lot on Rte 78, about 3.5 miles west of Swanton village. We will then drive back to Mac’s Bend to the trailhead.
COVID Notice: We will be following Vermont state COVID-19 protocols for outdoor activities. We ask that you stay home if you are feeling ill and to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated and when you can’t maintain a safe social distance.
If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com
Please join us for our monthly bird monitoring walks on the refuge. Ken Copenhaver and Julie Filiberti lead the walks on various refuge trails on the third Saturday of each month. The purpose of the walks is to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Observations are entered into the Vermont eBird database where data is stored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. These walks are appropriate for birders of all skill levels and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds throughout the seasons.
Our walk this month will be on Saturday, October 15th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at the Old Railroad Passage Trail. Meet at the parking lot on Tabor Rd, about 1 mile south of the refuge Visitor Center and across the road from Stephen Young Marsh.
COVID Notice: We will be following Vermont state COVID-19 protocols for outdoor activities. We ask that you stay home if you are feeling ill and to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated and when you can’t maintain a safe social distance.
If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com
