Virginia State Parks are for Birders!

Welcome to Birdginia
Do you know what the Atlantic Flyway is? How is a bird like a tourist in Virginia? 

Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory) 

Virginia Places.org says:  All birds don't fly into Virginia in the Spring and leave in the Fall - but that's pretty much what happens around Hudson Bay in Canada. When the weather gets tough, the tough get going... south. That's where there's food, unfrozen water, and warm sunshine.

What makes Virginia attractive to different species, at different times? There's a reason why the tourists go where they go, when they go, in Virginia. We know the tourists flock to places like Williamsburg in the summer because school is out of session then, and families can vacation together. The young folks who "hit the beach" in the summer are driven in part by the seasons; body surfing the waves or cruising the boardwalk in a bikini makes sense only between May and September. And the leaf-lookers crowding the highways to Shenandoah National Park in October are getting a peek at the peak Fall colors.

Just as different areas of Virginia attract different tourists during different seasons, the state offers a wide range of habitats for wildlife at different times of the year. The birds are as selective as a family with teenagers choosing where to vacation for a week. Some habitats that attract birds are natural, but others are man-made.

Read this article in its entirety from Virginia State Parks blog here on Virginiaoutdoors.com which includes some fantastic Virginia State Parks for Birders! 

Calling all citizen scientists and outdoor enthusiasts - The Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes Chapter(BRFAL) of Virginia Master Naturalist next basic training will be held at The Franklin Center in Downtown Rocky Mount beginning March 2012, feel free to email us for more details: contact@brfal.org or visit our website for the draft schedule of classes here and application form for this program! Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist program here.

Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalists basic training core objectives here.


We thank DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) for our state parks and sponsoring the VMN program!