Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
MORNING TRIPS
Morris Arboretum (WALKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person (the entrance fee for Morris Arboretum is waived for this field trip)
Meeting Location: 19 W Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Just past the entrance kiosk you will see a cleared (but NOT paved) parking area to the left. Meet your guides in this parking lot. GPS coordinates for the lot: 40.090876, -75.223456
Morris Arboretum’s natural areas include wetlands, meadows, and the woodlands along the Wissahickon Creek. These areas provide a great habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and birds year-round. There are resident birds, as well as migrating raptors and warblers to see. Additionally, Out on a Limb gives you a chance to look for birds on the tree canopy: a great vantage point for viewing birds at treetop level. 106 species have been recorded here during the month of October.
Event sponsor Unique Photo will present a unique opportunity to trial lenses and binoculars during the excursion.
Paddling at the Discovery Center (CANOEING)
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cost: $45/person
Meeting Location: 3401 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121. Park in the visitor lot, opposite the disc golf course and meet our trip leader at the green Discovery Center sign on the water’s edge just inside the main gates of the center. GPS coordinates: 39.981706, -75.191262
Over 130 species of birds have visited the Strawberry Mansion reservoir since it was decommissioned. Now that nature has taken over the space, we’ll be going out in the canoes to find out exactly what draws them to this special place. We will be fitting everyone with paddles, Personal Floatation Device (PFD), and binoculars. Join us for the search for flora and fauna that call the reservoir home. No canoeing experience or bird/plant knowledge required! Participants will learn tips and proper canoe technique from Outward Bound Instructors. 94 species have been recorded here during the month of October.
Please note: 2-person canoes are available. If you register without a paddling partner, we will pair you with another solo guest or a field trip leader.
FDR Park (WALKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: 1500 Pattison Avenue &, S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19145. There are two entrances to FDR park along Pattison Ave. The westernmost entrance leads directly to the parking lot in front of the golf course entrance. Meet your trip leader at the parking lot in front of the entrance to the park’s golf course. GPS coordinates: 39.904739, -75.182935
FDR Park is South Philadelphia’s largest park and one of its most important public institutions, reflecting the remarkable racial, cultural, and economic diversity of South Philadelphia. Its lakes, architecture, athletic fields, and nature trails create a civic commons where Philadelphians of all backgrounds can recreate, experience nature, and enjoy the cultural expressions of South Philadelphia. Restrooms unavailable at this site. 154 species have been recorded here during the month of October.
AFTERNOON TRIPS
Laurel Hill Cemetery (WALKING)
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: $40/person
Meeting Location: 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132. Meet your guide outside of the gift shop off of Ridge Avenue. You can park in the lot (if spots are available) or along Ridge Avenue. GPS coordinates: 40.004197, -75.187484
Laurel Hill Cemetery is an historic garden cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is 74 acres in size and overlooks the Schuylkill River. 45 species have been recorded here during the month of October.
Whitby Meadows (WALKING)
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: Southwest corner of Whitby Ave and Cobbs Creek Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19143. The best street parking is along Whitby Ave or Cobbs Creek Parkway (Northbound side). Meet your trip leader on the corner of Whitby Ave and Cobbs Creek Parkway at the park’s entrance near the stone steps. GPS coordinates: 39.940370, -75.236772
Whitby Meadows, located in Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek Park, is a broad conservation partnership effort to protect the Darby/Cobbs and Lower Schuylkill sub-watersheds. This project will improve ecological conditions for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife by increasing native plants that provide a natural food source and habitat, improving plantings in the riparian buffer zone to reduce erosion and restore creek health, and reducing plastic pollution and trash.
Cobbs Creek Park features meandering paths along the rocky creek, and trails through the forest and meadows. 81 species have been recorded here throughout the year.
Awbury Arboretum (WALKING)
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: 1 Awbury Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19138. We will be meeting on the “education side” of Awbury Arboretum. Meet your guide at the corner of Ardleigh Street and East Duval Street. Parking is available along Ardleigh street. GPS coordinates: 40.055561, -75.170178
Tucked away in the historic Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia, Awbury Arboretum is a vibrant landscape with a rich history. Once the private enclave of an extended Quaker family, Awbury Arboretum has been open to the public free of charge as a public park and arboretum for over 100 years. Its 56-acre historic landscape now stands as a green oasis in a densely populated urban environment. Restrooms unavailable at this site. 88 species have been recorded here during the month of October
TALLY RALLY
Tally Rally at the Discovery Center (SOCIAL)
Time: 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: 3401 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121. Meet us in the Multipurpose room on the left side after the main entrance. GPS coordinates: 39.981706, -75.191262
Audubon’s Philly Birding Weekend is more than a great opportunity to see unique local birds…it is also a time to meet unique local birders! Birders will enjoy great food and craft beer at the Discovery Center.
See what birds have been tallied on the Friday and Saturday field trips, and learn about local birding hotspots from our Philly Birding Weekend guides. Join us to swap birding stories and add to the species checklist for the weekend.
Event sponsor Jeffrey A. Miller Catering will provide a sumptuous spread for our birders, including the Harvest Table (cured meats, local cheese, olives, grilled vegetables, rosemary flatbreads, sourdough bread), the Mediterranean Harvest Table (grilled, raw, and marinated vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, baba ghanoush, flatbreads) and Southwestern Display (tortilla chips, black bean salsa, tomatillo salsa, guacamole). Beverages include Jasmine Unsweetened Iced Tea, Hibiscus Lime Lemonade, and Sweet Mint Iced Tea. Beer and wine will be available also.
Event sponsor Unique Photo will have lenses and binoculars to trial during the Tally Rally so that you can extend you birdwatching!
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO TO AUDUBON’S PHILLY BIRDING WEEKEND PHOTO CONTEST!
Unique Photo and Audubon Mid-Atlantic will be running a photo contest and awarding 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards totalling $1,000 in prizes as well as featuring selected entries in a gallery show. Click here for more info!
Please note:
- No cancellations are accepted after October 1, 2022.
- Trips will go rain or shine. If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, a full refund will be provided.
- Please read our waiver and photo release form prior to registering for field trips.