Dear Maryland Birders,

I'd like to tell you about a Birding opportunity with Elderhostel in Cape Charles, Virginia, October 8-13, 2006.  The College of William and Mary Elderhostel 
program is offering a 6-day, 5-night program called "Making the Most of Migration: Fall Birding on Virginia's Eastern Shore."

This program will be led by expert staff from William and Mary's Center for Conservation Biology.  It will include birding excursions to Kiptopeke State 
Park, the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, and other sites of interest, plus lectures and discussions in the Elderhostel 
tradition.  Participants will be staying at the Sunset Beach Resort hotel, directly on the Chesapeake bay at the southern tip of the Delmarva 
peninsula.  Here's the "official" program description from the Elderhostel catalogue:

Program #11641: Follow the annual autumn migration as millions of songbirds, birds of prey, butterflies, and dragonflies travel along Virginia's Atlantic coast heading to winter climes. Actively observe migration research that has taken place on the lower Delmarva peninsula since 1963. During field trips to Kiptopeke State Park, the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, and Brownsville, learn first-hand the intricacies of bird and insect migrations. Experience songbird and hawk banding, butterfly tagging, and diurnal counting of migrating birds of prey. There is nothing like examining "a bird in hand" that you thought you knew. Wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels will enjoy this fascinating learning adventure.

Elderhostel is an international, non-profit, lifelong-learning and travel program for adults aged 55+.  All programs are overnight, all-inclusive--  
that is, hotel, all meals, tips, and transportation during the program are included in the cost, as well as the educational components -- lectures, 
materials, and expertly guided excursions.  Cost is $778.00 per person (for double occupancy).  Participants are responsible for getting themselves to 
and from Cape Charles, but we handle the rest!  If you've never been on an Elderhostel program before, now's the time to try one out!  It's a great way 
to meet people from all over the country who share your interest in birds (we already have participants enrolled coming from as far away as California 
and Oregon.)

Please note that this program is immediately following the Eastern Shore Birding Festival, Oct. 6-8, also being housed at the Sunset Beach Resort. 
If you're coming down for the festival, you can easily make it a weeklong adventure by staying for our program.

Register by calling Elderhostel headquarters at 1-877-454-5768 (toll free). For more information, you can also call William and Mary Elderhostel at 
757-221-3649, or visit our web site, www.wm.edu/elderhostel.  Learn more about the Center for Conservation Biology at http://ccb.wm.edu/.

Enrollment is limited to 30 people, so make your plans soon!  Hope to see you in October.

Diane Nolan
Assistant Director, W&M Elderhostel
Williamsburg, Virginia