The Rockbridge Bird Club is sponsoring a talk and a bird outing in the coming days.
Mike Dye, forest gamebird biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, will give a talk on wild turkeys from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Maury River Middle School library on Tuesday, April 21.
In his position as a wildlife biologist for VDWR, Dye is responsible for statewide management of the wild turkey, a bird that has come back from near extinction. Last fall, DWR released the Virginia Wild Turkey Management Plan 2025-2034, outlining goals and strategies for regulated hunting and habitat management. As the technical lead, Dye coordinated DWR efforts to update the plan in collaboration with a committee of citizen stakeholders.
Dye’s presentation will cover basic turkey biology, history of the bird’s restoration, sustainable management practices, and what people can do to promote turkeys. Dye is himself an upland bird hunter and teaches archery through the Centershot outreach program at his church.
-The birding outing will be held this Saturday, April 18, along the ridge of North Mountain, led by Bird Club members John Pancake and Bob Epperson. The outing is open to all who are interested.
Birders will meet in the Tractor Supply parking lot at 7 am to carpool, then drive west on I-64 to the Goshen exit and up to the top of North Mountain. The caravan will make its way slowly along the ridge, stopping frequently to investigate. Ruffed Grouse have been heard at this location, and in mid-April birders are likely to find Blue-headed Vireos, Black-and-white Warblers, Ovenbirds and Eastern Towhees.
The group will return to Lexington by mid-day. Birders should dress for the high elevation (3,400 feet), bring binoculars, water and a snack. In the event of heavy rain, the trip will be canceled. For more information contact Wendy Richards at richardsw@ wlu.edu.
