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2025 Winter Meeting

02/14/2025 - 02/17/2025

Description

2025 GOS Winter Meeting

The Georgia Ornithological Society’s Winter Meeting
February 14-17, 2025
Hotel Tybee, Tybee Island


Meeting Hotel Details

Hotel Tybee

1401 Strand Ave.

Tybee Island, GA 31328

Call (912) 786-7777 for reservations

Use the group code “GAO25” to receive discounted rates:

$125.00/night for an inland room and $199.00/night for an ocean view. Fees & taxes not included

Rooms are not being held for our group, just the discounted rate. Please book as soon as your plans are confirmed to ensure room availability.

http://www.hoteltybee.com/ 

 


SATURDAY NIGHT’S KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

 

"20+ Years of eBird: The Past, Present and Future"

 

Christopher Wood

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Chris Wood is the Program Director for the Center of Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He co-founded eBird and has led the project in various roles for the last 20 years. In this time, eBird has become one of the largest sources of biodiversity data in the world and engaged more than 1 million people from every country on earth to collect semi-structured data on birds. These data are now used in a variety of conservation applications including land protection, land restoration, to improve decision-making, and to reduce negative impacts to biodiversity with energy, and food production. eBird also provides the birding community with an increasingly valuable suite of tools to help enjoy birds and birding.

 

 

FRIDAY NIGHT’S PRESENTATION

 

"Building Connections for Shorebird Protection"

 

Allie Hayser

Manomet Conservation Sciences

Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative

 

Allie Hayser, shorebird biologist with Manomet Conservation Sciences with the Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative, is working to expand ongoing shorebird programs in outreach, education, and conservation. She is focused on projects that work to manage disturbance of migrating shorebirds and seabirds, understanding horseshoe crab populations, education and ethics for ecotourism, and developing stewardship programs.
She is a Georgia coast native who has worked with sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, educational programming, research, and conservation projects across the United States. She worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a technician to study shorebird populations through surveys and projects primarily with American Oystercatchers, Whimbrels, and Red Knots. Working with Manomet, she brings her knowledge in engaging with local beach communities and experience in conservation together to create lasting changes on the southeast coast.

 

 


SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

 

Friday, 14 February 2025

 

6:45 AM - First Field Trip Meet in the Field

 

5:30 to 6:30 PM - Dinner on Your Own

 

6:30 to 7:30 PM - Registration in the Garden Room and Flocking (w/cash bar)

 

7:30 to 8:30 PM - Speaker: Allie Hayser

 

" Building Connections for Shorebird Protection "

 

8:30 to 8:45 PM - Discussion of Saturday Field Trips

 

Saturday, 15 February 2025

 

Breakfast on Your Own

 

7:00 AM - First Field Trip Departs

 

5:30 to 6:45 PM - Flocking (w/cash bar in the Garden Room).

 

6:45 to 7:45 PM - President’s Address, Announcements, and Banquet Dinner

 

7:45 to 8:45 PM - Keynote Speaker: Chris Wood

 

" 20+ Years of eBird: The Past, Present and Future"

 

8:45 to 9:15 PM - Discussion of Sunday Field Trips and Species Countdown

 

Sunday, 16 February 2025

 

Breakfast on Your Own

 

7:30 AM - First Field Trip Departs

 

5:30 to 6:30 PM - Flocking (location TBD) and Discussion of Monday Field Trips

 

6:30 PM - Dinner on Your Own

 

Monday, 17 February 2025

 

Breakfast on Your Own

 

7:00 AM - First Field Trip Departs


FIELD TRIP INFORMATION

Unless otherwise noted, all times are departure/return times to Hotel Tybee.

*For all Friday field trips, please meet your Field Trip Leader at the birding location at the designated start time.

*For all Monday field trips, there will be no return trips to the hotel.

*For your personal comfort, safety, and enjoyment, always bring your binoculars, spotting scope, sturdy walking shoes, layers of clothing, rain gear, insect repellent, sun screen, water, and a sack lunch or snacks on all field trips. Be advised that most trip destinations do not have bathroom facilities.

 

FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2025

 

FORT PULASKI NATIONAL MONUMENT

Leader: Pam Smith. Depart: 9:00 AM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $10.00/person entry fee (unless you have an annual pass).

Join Pam at historic Fort Pulaski, a 5400-acre National Monument situated on the Savannah River. Meet at 9:30 AM at the Visitor Center/Fort parking lot. Fort Pulaski is a great place to find scoters, other ducks, shorebirds and the occasional brown creeper. Trip rigor: Moderate with quite a bit of walking.

 

FORT STEWART

Leader: Larry Carlile. Start time: 6:30 AM. Return: 12:30 PM. Limit: 15 people in 5 SUV-type vehicles with good clearance. Cost: $0.00

Meet Fort Stewart Wildlife Biologist Larry Carlile at the Love’s Truck Stop in Richmond Hill (SW corner of I-95 Exit 90) at 6:30 AM. You’ll leave Love’s promptly at 6:45 AM and travel to a Fort Stewart Red-cockaded Woodpecker cluster as the woodpecker family group exits their cavities at sunrise. We’ll explore longleaf pine forests and also visit bottomland hardwoods associated with the Canoochee River. Trip rigor: Moderate with some walking over uneven ground.

 

LITTLE TYBEE ISLAND BOAT TRIP

Leaders: Rene Heidt and Ed Maioriello. Depart 7:00 AM. Return 11:00 AM. Limit: minimum 4, maximum 12. Cost: $90.00

Join us on a boat tour of our saltmarshes and Little Tybee Island, a 6500 acre uninhabited State Natural Heritage Preserve barrier island accessible only by boat. Land on Little Tybee to scope out large mixed flocks of shorebirds. Little Tybee hosts lots of wintering shorebirds, gulls, and terns. You should also see sparrows, wrens, loons, gannets, grebes, ducks and pelicans. Trip rigor: Moderate, be prepared for any weather in an open boat. Note: The boat will depart at 7:00 AM from the Back River Fishing Pier (GPS coordinates 31.992, -80.853). This will be a beach landing. Please provide your email and you will be sent a set of instructions.

 

SATURDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2025

 

FIFE PLANTATION, JASPER COUNTY, SC

Leader: Steve Wagner. Depart: 7:15 AM. Return: 2:00 PM. Limit: 10 people. Cost: $0.00

Meet Steve at 8:00 AM at the parking area for the Tupelo Trail at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, across from the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive exit (GPS coordinates 32.173, -81.097). This private property is adjacent to the refuge and consists of a mix of woodlands, pastures, and flooded fields. Trip rigor: Moderate, with a lot of walking (up to 3 miles).

 

LITTLE TYBEE ISLAND BOAT TRIP

Leaders: Rene Heidt and Larry Carlile. Depart 8:00 AM. Return 12:00 PM. Limit: minimum 4, maximum 12. Cost: $90.00

Join us on a boat tour of our saltmarshes and Little Tybee Island, a 6500 acre uninhabited State Natural Heritage Preserve barrier island accessible only by boat. Land on Little Tybee to scope out large mixed flocks of shorebirds. Little Tybee hosts lots of wintering shorebirds, gulls, and terns. You should also see sparrows, wrens, loons, gannets, grebes, ducks and pelicans. Trip rigor: Moderate, be prepared for any weather in an open boat. Note: The boat will depart at 8:00 AM from the Back River Fishing Pier (GPS coordinates 31.992, -80.853). This will be a beach landing. Please provide your email and you will be sent a set of instructions.

 

OFFSHORE BOAT TRIP

Leaders: Bob Zaremba. Depart 7:00 AM. Return 11:00 AM. Limit: 6 people. Cost: $135.00

We will depart the dock on Tybee Island for a 4-5 hour pelagic trip aboard Elizabeth II in search of winter pelagic birds. We will search for Northern Gannets, Red and Common Loons, Bonapartes Gulls, all three scoter species as well as the harder to find species like Razorbill, Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, Manx Shearwaters, Common Eiders and Red Phalaropes.  In February of 2022, the first record of Atlantic Puffin was recorded aboard the Elizabeth II, so you never know what other rarities we might run into! We will venture between 15 and 20 miles offshore and  Captain Kyle and Captain Bennett will do their very best to make sure everyone has a safe and exciting trip. Note: Be prepared for potentially rough seas, so seasick medication can be a good idea, as well as snack food and beverages. The Elizabeth II has a head onboard and is a very comfortable boat. Parking information and directions will be provided to participants before the trip.

 

RICHMOND HILL WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

Leader: Pam Smith. Depart: 7:00 AM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00

Meet Pam at the Richmond Hill Wastewater Treatment Facility at 8:00 AM. The publicly accessible wetlands bordering the Richmond Hill Wastewater Treatment Facility are now called Sterling Creek Park (Elbow Swamp Road, Richmond Hill, GA, 31324). Using Google maps, navigate to ‘Sterling Creek Park’, Richmond Hill. Meet in the parking lot at the end of the gravel driveway leading into the park (near the white restroom building). This is a great site for ducks, rails, wintering warblers, sparrows, wrens (including Sedge Wren) and raptors. Trip rigor: Moderate with quite a bit of walking.

 

SAVANNAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, JASPER COUNTY, SC

Leader: Diana Churchill. Depart: 7:15 AM. Return: 2:00 PM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00

Meet Diana at 8:00 AM at the beginning of the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive (GPS 32.166, -81.115), which travels along levee tops and affords great views of impoundments within the refuge. Savannah NWR is a premier spot for wintering waterfowl, waders, rails, raptors, and sparrows. Trip rigor: Easy.

 

 

SUNDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2025

 

HARRIS NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Leader: Ed Maioriello.  Depart 7:30 AM.  Return: 1:30 PM.  Limit: 20 people.  Cost: $0.00 

Meet Ed at the Harris Neck NWR gate at 9:00 AM (GPS 31.625, -81.288).  Harris Neck’s 2,762 acres consists of saltwater marsh, grassland, and mixed deciduous woods. Because of this great variety of habitats, many different species of birds are attracted to the refuge throughout the year. Large concentrations of ducks gather in the marshland and freshwater pools. Over 15 miles of paved roads and trails provide easy access to the many different habitats. Chosen for its accessibility and bird diversity, Harris Neck is one of 18 sites forming the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, inaugurated in 2000.  Trip rigor: Easy. 

 

LITTLE TYBEE ISLAND BOAT TRIP

Leaders: Rene Heidt and Adam Betuel. Depart 8:00 AM. Return 12:00 PM. Limit: minimum 4, maximum 12. Cost: $90.00

Join us on a boat tour of our saltmarshes and Little Tybee Island, a 6500 acre uninhabited State Natural Heritage Preserve barrier island accessible only by boat. Land on Little Tybee to scope out large mixed flocks of shorebirds. Little Tybee hosts lots of wintering shorebirds, gulls, and terns. You should also see sparrows, wrens, loons, gannets, grebes, ducks and pelicans. Trip rigor: Moderate, be prepared for any weather in an open boat. Note: The boat will depart at 8:00 AM from the Back River Fishing Pier (GPS coordinates 31.992, -80.853). This will be a beach landing. Please provide your email and you will be sent a set of instructions.

 

OFFSHORE BOAT TRIP (AM)

Leaders: Bob Zaremba. Depart 7:00 AM. Return 11:00 AM. Limit: 6 people. Cost: $135.00

We will depart the dock on Tybee Island for a 4-5 hour pelagic trip aboard Elizabeth II in search of winter pelagic birds. We will search for Northern Gannets, Red and Common Loons, Bonapartes Gulls, all three scoter species as well as the harder to find species like Razorbill, Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, Manx Shearwaters, Common Eiders and Red Phalaropes. In February of 2022, the first record of Atlantic Puffin was recorded aboard the Elizabeth II, so you never know what other rarities we might run into! We will venture between 15 and 20 miles offshore and Captain Kyle and Captain Bennett will do their very best to make sure everyone has a safe and exciting trip. Note: Be prepared for potentially rough seas, so seasick medication can be a good idea, as well as snack food and beverages. The Elizabeth II has a head onboard and is a very comfortable boat. Parking information and directions will be provided to participants before the trip.

 

OFFSHORE BOAT TRIP (PM)

Leaders: Bob Zaremba. Depart 1:00 PM. Return 5:00 PM. Limit: 6 people. Cost: $135.00

We will depart the dock on Tybee Island for a 4-5 hour pelagic trip aboard Elizabeth II in search of winter pelagic birds. We will search for Northern Gannets, Red and Common Loons, Bonapartes Gulls, all three scoter species as well as the harder to find species like Razorbill, Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, Manx Shearwaters, Common Eiders and Red Phalaropes. In February of 2022, the first record of Atlantic Puffin was recorded aboard the Elizabeth II, so you never know what other rarities we might run into! We will venture between 15 and 20 miles offshore and Captain Kyle and Captain Bennett will do their very best to make sure everyone has a safe and exciting trip. Note: Be prepared for potentially rough seas, so seasick medication can be a good idea, as well as snack food and beverages. The Elizabeth II has a head onboard and is a very comfortable boat. Parking information and directions will be provided to participants before the trip.

 

SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leader: Stan Gray. Depart: 1:00 PM. Return 5:00 PM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00

1599 Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31408

Meet Stan Gray at 2:00 PM at this highly reliable wintering site for Rusty Blackbirds (GPS 32.074, -81.161). Stan has been observing and recording the winter presence of Rusty Blackbirds at this site since 2011, and will share his observations with you during an overview of the site in preparation for observing typically large congregations of Rusties as sunset approaches. Meet Stan just inside the entrance to the school property, where we will move to a parking area that is in close proximity to the late afternoon foraging location of these precipitously declining blackbirds. Typically, the school property has harbored the largest wintering Rusty populations in the entire southeast coast, as per eBird records. Observe and discuss the environmental conditions that make this site so attractive to these blackbirds, as well as winter foraging patterns, so that it may lead to discovering other sites throughout the state that could positively inform the monitoring of the Rusty Blackbird. Trip Rigor: Easy

 

SAVANNAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SOLOMON TRACT, CHATHAM COUNTY, GA

Leader: Steve Wagner. Depart: 7:15 AM. Return: 1:30 PM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00

Meet Steve at the Solomon Tract at 8:00 AM (GPS 32.20, -81.17). This Chatham County portion of the Savannah NWR is a heavily wooded site with upland and bottomland hardwoods, a Ducks Unlimited impoundment, and a couple of open fields. Target species include rails, bitterns, sparrows, wintering warblers, and ducks. Trip rigor: Moderate, with a lot of walking (up to 4 miles).

 

 

MONDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 2025

 

HUTCHINSON ISLAND

Leader: Mark Woodruff. Depart: 7:30 AM. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00.

Meet Mark in The Reserve on Hutchinson Island at 8:00 AM (GPS 32.094, -81.082). This is a great site for rails, wintering warblers and sparrows, and an occasional Western Kingbird. Trip rigor: Easy.

 

LITTLE TYBEE ISLAND BOAT TRIP

Leaders: Rene Heidt and Allie Hayser. Depart 8:00 AM. Return 12:00 PM. Limit: minimum 4, maximum 12. Cost: $90.00

Join us on a boat tour of our saltmarshes and Little Tybee Island, a 6500 acre uninhabited State Natural Heritage Preserve barrier island accessible only by boat. Land on Little Tybee to scope out large mixed flocks of shorebirds. Little Tybee hosts lots of wintering shorebirds, gulls, and terns. You should also see sparrows, wrens, loons, gannets, grebes, ducks and pelicans. Trip rigor: Moderate, be prepared for any weather in an open boat. Note: The boat will depart at 8:00 AM from the Back River Fishing Pier (GPS coordinates 31.992, -80.853). This will be a beach landing. Please provide your email and you will be sent a set of instructions.

 

TYBEE ISLAND HOTSPOTS

Leader: Diana Churchill. Depart: 7:30 AM. No return trip to hotel. Limit: 20 people. Cost: $0.00, but be prepared to pay the Tybee Island parking meters.

Diana will lead you to the best birding spots on Tybee Island. Expect to find shorebirds (including purple sandpiper), gannets, ducks, and more. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking on the beach.

 

 

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