Red-Cockaded Woodpecker/Longleaf Pine Tour

350 Independence Boulevard,Virginia Beach VA 23462

13 May, 2023

Description

A staff member from The Nature Conservancy, and our experienced naturalist guide, James Abbott, will take us into the preserve to the nesting trees. We will visit cluster locations that are not open to the public, with a knowledgeable TNC person who regularly conducts nest checks and will know how old the chicks are! Early morning is the perfect timing to view the birds being very active. We “hope” to see parents feeding 1-3 day old chicks in their nest cavities. Besides the RCW, migration will be going on at this time, so it is an opportunity to spot other birds as well. Visit Piney Grove Preserve, home to Virginia’s rarest bird, the red-cockaded woodpecker. Once numbering in the hundreds of thousands, these birds have been drastically reduced due to loss of their exclusive old-growth pine tree habitat. Due to pine forest restoration efforts at Piney Grove, in 2019 18 breeding groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers were documented. Our naturalist guide will be the very knowledgeable and respected James Abbott! Bring your binoculars in hopes of viewing the elusive red-cockaded woodpecker.