Schedule:

8:00-11:30 am - Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge South Pond and Beach Birding,  WOW Encore. ALERT - When registering for this trip please note the date is in December. The first hour will be spent ocean-watching and searching for and identifying ocean and beach birds. The rest of the trip will be spent birding the impoundments, dikes, and marshes of South Pond. Expect a variety of waterfowl, herons, egrets, wrens and sparrows. American Bitterns are possible. If we have good weather, there is also a chance for an assortment of raptors. With any luck we might find some warbler species in addition to all of the Yellow-rumps! Meet: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center parking lot, 14500 NC Hwy 12,  app 4 miles south of the Oregon Inlet Bridge, on the west side of NC Hwy 12.
Cost: $25.00

8:00-11:30 am - Oregon Inlet Old Coast Guard Station Birding  WOW Encore.   ALERT: When registering for this trip please note the date is in December. Where the ocean meets the sound you will find an interesting selection of birds. Around the historic Oregon Inlet old Coast Guard Station look for land birds and whatever else may fly through the often volatile Oregon Inlet corridor. Walk sand flats to find terns, shorebirds, and Piping Plover (might see). Explore the rock jetty for Purple Sandpiper and view the inlet and ocean for waterbirds. App. 1 mile walk. Meet: Oregon Inlet Bridge south parking lot. From the north, this is immediately on the east after crossing south on NC Hwy 12.
Cost: $25.00

8:00 am-3:00 pm - Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and Oregon Inlet Birding  WOW Encore.  ALERT: When registering for this trip please note the date is in December. This trip will start at Pea Island and then move northward Oregon Inlet. The group will start with surveying the impoundments at Pea Island. Then they will drive up to the north end of the island to Oregon Inlet and the bridge.  Time will be spent checking the inlet out to the rock groin, looking for species that may include Great Cormorant, Common Eider, Purple Sandpiper, Piping plover (might see), “Ipswich” Sparrow and more. The group will also spend time ocean watching at multiple locations along the way. Northern Gannet, Red-throated Loon and an assortment of gull species, as well as scoters should be visible from the beach. Meet: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center parking lot, 14500 NC Hwy 12,  app. 4 miles south of the Oregon Inlet Bridge on west side of NC Hwy 12.  Leader/Field Expert:  Steve Shultz.
Cost: $25.00

10:00 am-6:00 pm - Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Birding  WOW Encore.   ALERT: When registering for this trip please note the date is in December. Pocosin Lakes is famous for huge flocks of wintering Snow Geese.  Mixed in may be Ross’s, Greater White-fronted or Cackling Geese.  Red-winged Blackbirds can number in the thousands, a spectacle in itself.  Yellow-headed Blackbird might be found.  Also raptors abound with the possibility of a Golden Eagle overhead.  Farm field and edge species may include a variety of sparrows as well as American Pipits and Horned Larks. Meet:  Pettigrew State Park office parking lot. 2252 Lake Shore Road  Creswell, NC 27928. From this meeting location we will either carpool or caravan following the leader to various birding hotspots around the refuge. Leader/Field Expert: Ed Corey, Jeff Beane and Stephanie Horton.
Cost: $25.00

1-4 pm - Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Birding  WOW Encore. ALERT: When registering for this trip please note the date is in December. Explore Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in areas open year-'round and others normally closed to the public. Look for waterfowl and shorebirds in the impoundments. Raptors, including Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons may be seen over farm fields and songbirds in roadside vegetation. Rare species such as, Golden Eagle, Western Kingbird and Ash-throated Flycatcher have been found during previous festivals.  Black Bear often seen. Red Wolf, Bobcat and River Otter are possibilities. Meet: Creef Cut Wildlife Trail parking lot, Milltail Road and Hwy 64, app. 5.5 miles west of Roanoke Island bridge (Virginia Dare Bridge).
Cost: $25.00