Field Trip: Bird Walk at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary with Pete Givan

Photo credit: Wiki Commons

Join us for a birding field trip at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary with Pete Givan! Jug Bay consists of 1,700 acres of open water, tidal freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, upland and riparian forest, creeks, meadows, pine and sand barrens, and fields along the eastern shore of the Patuxent River. Since we are doing this walk at the end of August there is no telling what we can get. There have been some anomalies over the years such as a Roseate Spoonbill and a Glossy Ibis. It can also yield an early migration of warblers. We should see a variety of hawks, rails, and shorebirds. Either way trails through all of these habitats offer great birding year round!

What to bring: Bring your field guides, binoculars, sunscreen, and water bottles.

Due to the sanctuary’s additional $6 vehicle entrance fee we encourage carpooling. Please email Emily at eglaeser@marylandnature.org and she can put you in contact with others who would like to carpool.

About our leader: Mr. Givan began to take an interest in birding when he was growing up. His mother was an amateur birder and that affinity was passed on to him. He casually identified birds in his youth and then came college and the military where he moved away from that activity. It wasn’t until his forties when he began birding again. In 1997 he began working for the Wild Bird Centers which focus on backyard birding. He took it a step further and began leading local bird walks. His birding circle which consists of around 60 people has birded not only locally, but along the Eastern Shore, Cape May, and Western Maryland. Now that Mr. Givan has retired from running a Wild Bird Center storefront he hopes to expand his birding areas to include many more states throughout the country.

One of Mr. Givan’s goals while running his store was to get young folks interested in birding. One young man (Cameron) has birded with him for the last 5 years. He is now 17 and a birding phenom. Mr. Givan has sponsored him to go to a couple of birding summer camps to learn more about bird behavior and bird habitat which are just as  important in making a proper identification. Needless to say, Mr. Givan is a valuable asset to the birding community and we can’t wait to get out in the field with him!

Mr. Givan, like most of the other people who lead NHSM field trips, is a volunteer, so your money will go directly to support the programs, the nature collections, and the building that make this kind of nature education possible. Donate or become a member of the Natural History Society of Maryland by visiting https://marylandnature.org/support-maryland-nature/.