TOUR NAME: Eastern Shore Birding + Lunch
DATE: Saturday, February 4, 2023
DEPARTURE LOCATION: Bayside Recreation Center 4500 First Ct Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
DURATION – approximately 7 hours (ROUND TRIP): 9:30 – 4:30 (ish)
PRICE: $60 per person Register and get your tickets at this link:
DESCRIPTION: Cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, an engineering marvel from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore; they have a slogan over there “You’ll Love Our Nature!” The Eastern Shore of Virginia plays host to tens of thousands of waterfowl every winter season. This provides opportunities to observe truly spectacular congregations of birds on the water and in farm fields. In early February, in particular, large flocks of snow geese and other waterfowl congregate on the eastern shore as they make their way back north. We will be visiting several protected areas. Join the heated Nature Bus and bird expert James Abbott for a trip through the birding hotspots of Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We will be mostly on the heated bus, driving the majority of the time, hopping on and off of the bus to view birds at a variety of locations, and with a 1.5 hour break for lunch. Although there is never a guarantee as to which birds we will actually spot, we will go on a search to see and photograph species such as Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, and Brant. We may even have a chance to see regionally rare species such as Ross’s Goose, Cackling Goose, Greater-white fronted Goose, and Trumpeter Swan. We will visit the beautiful town of Cape Charles for 1.5 hours for lunch (bring $ for your lunch/drinks). In town, there are several dining choices you can walk to along Main Street. There will be time for window shopping and a perhaps you’ll decide to stop at the candy shop. Visit TheNatureBus.con for more trip details; be sure to click the green button for important information!
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
– Expert pre-planning services
– Air conditioned/heated new vehicle
– Transportation: Departure from: : Bayside Recreation Center 4500 First Ct Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 > travel to 2198 Stone Road, Cape Charles, VA 23310 (we will be mostly on the heated bus, driving a lot of the time, hopping on and off of the bus to view birds = approximately 4 hours total driving time on the bus )
– All fees (including gasoline, CBBT tolls, permits/admission fee to all locations, donation to facility, when applicable)
– Loaner binoculars (in exchange for your driver’s license for the duration of the tour). We will also bring a birding scope for this tour.
– (excluding food/drink; bring $ for your lunch/drinks)
– Your “guided tour” includes an expert birding guide. The “National Park Service, Excellence in Education Award” was given to James Abbott a couple of months ago! The naturalist will be showing an awesome educational power point presentation on board the bus during travel to the location.
–MEET YOUR NATURALIST GUIDE: https://thenaturebus.com/our-team/
THINGS TO BRING:
– Your binoculars, of course! If you do not have a pair of bins, we can loan them to you in exchange for your driver’s license for the duration of the tour.
– Bring $ for your lunch and drink to eat in Cape Charles. Also, pack simple snacks in your backpack – a sandwich, power bars, or something else that is very EASY to snack on while walking outdoors. Some folks might bring a thermos of hot coffee or soup to stay warm on the inside. Eating, drinking, chewing gum is not permitted on the bus, however there are many bathroom and snack stops we will make along the way. The tour is long, we want to give you the opportunity to stretch your legs and nourish periodically. Bring water to stay hydrated. Of course, water is allowed on the bus.
– Dress for the weather and trail conditions; warm layers, hat, rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes; air-activated heat packs/inserts for your socks and gloves
– Your proof of registration from the Winter Wildlife Festival portal www.vbgov.com
– Printed/signed waiver (If you forget yours we will have one you can sign on the bus, but it saves a lot of time when everyone prints theirs at home and brings it with them.) Here is the link to the required form: https://thenaturebus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/NB_Waiver1.pdf
– CASH (it is customary to tip 15% to the guides)
– $20 cash if you’d like to purchase a Nature Bus t-shirt (available on board)
Important NOTES “Know before you go” ~
*We go “light rain” or shine. Please dress for the weather. In the case of light rain, we simply take cover and wait it out. In the case of very heavy rain, extreme wind or temperatures, we will cancel this tour and refund all participants. ALL SALES FINAL/NO REFUNDS for any other reasons, including sickness/covid. In this case, please sell/gift your ticket with someone you know.
*PLEASE: Eating, drinking, chewing gum is not permitted on the bus. Please arrive 15-30 min before departure. Save time at check-in by bringing your signed waiver. No restroom on board the bus; arrive early enough to use the rr at Bayside Rec Center before boarding the bus. We cannot wait for latecomers because we must adhere to our planned itinerary. Therefore we must pull away at the exact departure time. We cannot receive telephone/text calls to let us know you are running late because we will driving and using the phone as a GPS.
*ALL OUR TOURS INVOLVE WALKING; GUESTS SHOULD EXPECT VARYING DEGREES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. There are 3 large steps to climb to enter the bus. We apologize, but there is no room on board to accommodate wheel chairs or walkers. Our tours require participants to be ambulatory and in reasonably good physical health to manage our nature excursions.
COVID SAFETY MEASURES: We care about the health and safety of those participating in our nature experiences. The bus is sanitized between each tour. Feel free to crack open your window if you prefer. Please stay home if you are not feeling well or have a fever. Federal Law no longer “requires” masks be worn on airplanes, trains and buses, however we recommend them in the closed in space. It is optional and encouraged to wear your mask while inside of the bus; of course it can be removed when outdoors.
-
- We look forward to seeing you on the tour! Check out all of the 5-star reviews, so you will be super confident that you will have an amazing experience! You can read these reviews at TheNatureBus.com > click the REVIEWS tab or click this link: https://thenaturebus.com/reviews/
- Please help fill up this tour! Share on your social media and with everyone you know! We need a minimum of 10 seats, maximum of 16 seats for each tour to go. Spread the word! See you soon!
- If you have any questions, please text/call the owner. Suzanne 757-288-9595
-
February 4, 2023
9:30 am - 4:30 pm