Description
August marks the peak shorebird migration in Massachusetts—and there's no better guide to the mudflats than Wayne Petersen, one of the region's foremost shorebird experts and author.
This full-day workshop begins at Joppa Flats Education Center with an indoor slide presentation covering identification tips, life history, and the remarkable migration strategies of New England shorebirds. From there, travel to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, where extensive mudflats, salt marshes, and salt pannes provide ideal feeding and roosting habitat for long-range migrants at the height of the season.
We hope to see Black-bellied and Semipalmated plovers, Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, Semipalmated and Least sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, and more. You will also gain an understanding of how climate change is affecting shorebird breeding conditions on their high Arctic nesting grounds.
When
- Tue, Aug 11, 2026 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Who
Adults
Cost
- Adult Members $70
- Adult Nonmembers $85
Where
Location: Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport
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Questions? Contact us:
- 978-462-9998 [email protected]
Instructors
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Wayne Petersen - well-known shorebird expert and author
Instructions
Meet at Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA. From there, participants travel by Mass Audubon van and carpool to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
Bring lunch, binoculars, a field guide to birds, and a spotting scope if you have one. Wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather. Expect to walk trails with moderate terrain changes at a slow pace, for a mile or more.