Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 32nd Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk

Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025

Leader: Tom Stephenson
Transportation: Carpool Trip – Drivers willing to provide rides are encouraged to attend. The Registrar will work with participants without a vehicle to organize rides and share the suggested carpool fee for the driver. This usually works out, but we can not guarentee a ride unless there are enough enough volunteer drivers.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
Schedule: This is a full day trip.
Relative Difficulty: The terrain will be flat but may be slippery in spots. There can be mosquitoes. Please wear mud boots.

Trip Description: This annual memorial walk honors Tom Davis, who was, by many accounts, from the birders who knew him, an incredible observer of wildlife especially interested in shorebirds. He was also well known for imparting his knowledge to others and ensuring that others would see the unique birds he sighted. This year’s walk, led by Tom Stephenson, will also be guided by those principles.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge includes over 12,600 acres of salt marshes, freshwater and brackish-water ponds, upland fields and woods, an open bay, and islands. It is one of the largest bird habitats in the northeastern United States and a great place to observe seasonal bird migration and resident species. This walk is scheduled for peak shorebird concentrations at Jamaica Bay and will likely include a visit to the East Pond, which may require mud boots to navigate comfortably.

Please read The Linnaean Society of New York COVID-19 Field Trip Guidelines before registering.

Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, August 11. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Wednesday, August 20. Members (and those who have applied for membership) will be prioritized over non-members.

Please read the About Our Trips page, if you’re going on a field trip for the first time. It details our field trip policies, recommends what to bring on a trip, and offers other useful information, pro tips, and tricks.

If after visiting the About Our Trips page, you still have questions, feel free to contact the Registrar via email.