In 1996, Bill Gette, Joppa Flats Education Center’s newly-minted sanctuary director, decided to offer a Wednesday Morning Birding program that took groups to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to find birds, learn about their behavior, and sharpen birding skills.
Gette originally planned to offer the program only for a month—but thanks to demand, Wednesday Morning Birding is still going strong 30 years later with almost 700 attendees in 2025 alone.
Over the decades, word of Wednesday Morning Birding has spread. Education Program Manager Scott Santino, who has led the program since 2024, says that attendees come across the Northeast and beyond.
What Makes Wednesday Morning Birding So Special?
The program explores one of Massachusetts’ premier birding locations, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport. Thanks to its diverse habitats and location along the Atlantic Flyway, birders can see remarkable species here in every season: songbirds in spring, shorebirds in summer, migratory raptors in fall, and plentiful sea ducks in winter. Sightings of rare birds and birds far outside their normal range (known as vagrants) add an extra thrill, like the Western Kingbird, Bohemian Waxwing, and Chestnut-Collared Longspur.
Wednesday Morning Birding is offered 11 months of the year, rain or shine—as is its sister program, Friday Morning Birding—and is aided by a team of volunteers who help the program run smoothly.
“It became successful because it's very engaging for beginner birders, and it’s also a relaxed, very comfortable environment,” said Gette, who retired in 2015.
While more experienced birders often start their birding day at sunrise, Wednesday Morning Birding starts at 9:30, making it more approachable and accessible to people regardless of their level.
“I see this program as a comfortable foot in the door for a new birdwatcher,” said Santino. “Wednesday Morning Birding is an opportunity for people to learn with other birders, share a similar interest, and enjoy a supportive atmosphere.”
Experience Wednesday Morning Birding
Participants meet at Joppa Flats Education Center on Wednesday mornings and take vans or carpool to Parker River Wildlife Refuge. Program leaders will bring spotting scopes to share, and limited binoculars will be available to borrow.
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