Winter Waterfowl of RI – Up Close!
Class | Registration opens 7/27/2026 9:00 AM
Note the class schedule: Nov 10 & 17 (In-person at the Shriners Center: 10 AM-12 PM)
Nov 24, Dec 1 & 8 (In the field: 1-3 PM)
Our field sessions require participants to walk up to a mile and a half on trails in two National Wildlife Refuges (Trustom Pond and Sachuest Point). We will also visit salt and fresh water ponds in the South County area, depending on where e-Bird tells us the birding hot spots are. Late fall trails can be treacherous, so appropriate footwear is essential. Enrollees are strongly encouraged to attend every class.
Before enrolling, please check your calendar for any potential conflict of interest. There is usually a long waiting list of folks for this popular course.
Often the public thinks of nature as something that happens elsewhere, but here in Rhode Island, our southern shores and local ponds are a birding paradise in late fall and winter. Join me to learn more about loons, buffleheads, goldeneyes, mergansers, grebes and harlequin ducks, to name just a few. Participants will provide their own transportation (they are encouraged to carpool to sites in South County, Jamestown and Middletown, as comfort levels allow).
Format: Field trips and discussions. Presentations are not required. There are 5 classes: 2 days in-person at the Shriners Center (10 AM-12 PM) on Nov 10 and 17, and 3 days in the field (1-3 PM) on Nov 24, Dec 1 and 8. Rain date Dec 15.
Resources/Expenses: Binoculars are essential for a good experience. No other expenses.
Coordinator: Bill Carpenter is a birding enthusiast who enjoys sharing the benefits of this outdoor activity.
William Carpenter
Bill Carpenter is a widely published poet and author of two collections of poetry, Templates and Imperfect Mirrors, Indelible Myths. Two animated versions of his poems were selected for the REELpoetry Film Festival in 2021 and 2022