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. Go to https://tangiercruise.com/tangier-cruises/chesapeake-breeze/ or call 804-453-2628. The website states that round-trip tickets are $30.00.
For cancellations and additional information about the Northern Neck Audubon Society and activities, visit the website at northernneckaudubon.org.