Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 31st Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk

Date: Sunday, August 25, 2024

Leader: Tom Stephenson
Participants will be responsible for their own transportation. However, the registrar will help connect those in need of a ride with other participants who are able to offer one. (The exact meeting place and time will be shared with attendees after their registration is confirmed.)
Schedule: Timed with favorable tides, half-day trip.
Relative difficulty: The terrain will be flat, but may be slippery in spots.

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

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge includes over 12,600 acres of saltmarshes, 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 the seasonal bird migration as well as 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 opens at 9 am on Monday, August 12. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Wednesday, August 21.

Please read the About Our Trips page, especially 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.

If after visiting the About Our Trips page, you still have questions, feel free to contact the registrar via email (or phone, if listed) between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm.