The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Sanctuary and Audubon Center recently hosted birders who were attending the Wings Over Water annual festival. 

The Sanctuary staff was excited to partner with Wings Over Water to offer festivalgoers an intimate nature experience through guided tours led by Center Director Robbie Fearn. The intimate group included Lou Morrell, Board Chair of the American Birding Association, who is a dear friend of the Sanctuary. For two hours, these avid birders explored the many diverse habitats of the Sanctuary from maritime forest, to uplands to marsh. During the morning bird walk, visitors spotted a range of wildlife including a flock of thousands of tree swallows rising and falling over the marsh as they fed on the abundant mosquitoes brought out by October’s storms.

So far, species experts have documented more than 600 distinct types of flora and fauna on site with many more yet to be discovered.

The Nature Trail of the Audubon Sanctuary is open to the public although other sanctuary areas are only open to private research and program groups or by appointment. Visit the website to learn about more opportunities to explore the birds and wildlife of the region.

The Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival offers over 100 birding, paddling, photography, art and natural history trips, tours and programs - something to interest everyone.