Brooks Bird Club
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Headquarters (Wheeling) Chapter ​​
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The Brooks Bird Club Headquarters (Wheeling) Chapter, Wheeling WV. 
​The BBC originated in Wheeling and for many years all of the meetings and events were held and planned here in Wheeling, hence the name 'Headquarters'.  As it's been the case for many years now, the Brooks Bird Club no longer runs its 'operations' from Wheeling, the BBC 'Entity' (Officers and Board of Trustee members) currently have two business meetings per year at various locations in WV. 

 All interested in nature are invited to join our local Wheeling chapter members for any of our activities. 
Keep tabs of events here and on our
Calendar of Events page.​

Most Wheeling Chapter meetings are held at the Schrader Enviromental Education Center (SEEC)

Future Club Meetings/Events

Upcoming Outings

BBC Fall Retreat at Chief Logan State Park!
October 20th - 22nd
.2023
The Brooks Bird Club's Fall Retreat will be held this fall at Chief Logan State Park. 
Details are on our BBC Fall Retreat Page.

November 7, 2023
6:00:  At the SEEC, speaker to be arranged. 

December 5, 2023
6:00: At the SEEC.  Christmas party.  Bring an inexpensive bird related gift if you want to participate in the annual gift exchange.

SEEC ~ Seeking help!
SEEC needs our assistance. 
Help is also needed to install an overhead projector that was purchased with BCC funds but never installed.  Help is also needed with a bird camera that has yet to be purchased. 
Please contact the acting SEEC Director Joelle Bensie jbensie@oionline.com or 304-242-6855 for further information, and to offer your help.

Past Special Events

Outing Barkcamp State Park ~ OH
September 16, 2023 
​​​Our next meeting is scheduled at Barkcamp State Park.  Meet at 10 am at the first parking lot after you go over the bridge in the park.  After walking around, we can convene for a sack lunch.

Picnic/Outing Beatty/Runyan Farm
August 6, 2023  
(Sunday) Bill Beatty and Jan Runyan are hosting a walk-through Bill's arboretum at 10AM at their home in Wellsburg.  (540 Genteel Ridge Road -- be sure to come via WV Rt. 27 / Washington Pike, not WV Rt 67) Bring something to share for lunch.  Then stay to cool off, swim, or just sit around the pool.

Picnic/Outing McKay Farm
July 15, 2023 
Paul and Debbie McKay are hosting Birds and Breakfast at their farm.  Pastries and coffee will be provided.  Check with them about exact time.... but it will be "breakfast" time.

Breakfast and Birds 
June 3rd, 2023 ~ 
The fourth annual Breakfast & Birds (formally called the Bobolink Bonanza). 
Hosted by Belmont Soil and Water Conservation 7:00am - 11:00am. Held just outside Barnesville OH.
Final bird species list from event (58 species - a new record).


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​WOTH found on nest along the South Fork of Ten Mile Creek during our outing.


We are always looking for ways to get younger bird & nature enthusiasts interested in joining the club. Let us know if you have any suggestions!

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Meeting at the SEEC
October 5th, 2023 
Please note: This events date has been changed to the 5th.
Thursday, 6:00 is a meeting at the SEEC.  Debbie McKay will be presenting a talk on her recent trip to Chile as a member of a select group to visit various observatories. She will explain what she did and the birds she saw.  
​Bring a dish to share, your plate and place setting.

A record 58 bird species were reported on the Breakfast and Birds outing on June 3rd, 2023!  Event Bird List

​Please consider donating a bag of black oil sunflower seeds to the SEEC.  Those birds consume a lot of seed.

Local Dues: $10.00 a year for our local Wheeling Chapter.  This money will be used to buy bird seed for the SEEC.
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​Past Special Events ~ continued

Ralph K. Bell Farm Memorial Walk
May 27th 2023 ~ Saturday outing ~ 9:00am
Ralph Bell had led this annual walk for more than 50 years before his passing in May of 2014 at the age of 99!
The Ralph Bell Bird Club of Greene County continues to lead the walk every May, along with Bell family members, in honor of Ralph and his love of birds.
The walk starts at the Bell family farm in Jefferson PA with Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, and Bluebirds, then continues down a back country paved road for one mile to the iron bridge that crosses the South Fork of Tenmile Creek. Warblers, vireos, swallows, sparrows and more can be seen and heard along this leisurely walk to the bridge.
Bring a pack lunch and a chair and enjoy lunch with the group under the shade trees back at the farm after the morning walk!

Enlow Fork Total Ecology Extravaganza
April 30th, 2023 ~ Sunday outing ~ 8:ooam & 10:00am
Enlow Fork is the headwaters of Big Wheeling Creek. 
Come and enjoy spring wildflowers and spring migrants in this hidden area of Greene County PA. 
This long running event features an 8:00am early morning bird walk and a 10:00am flower & bird walk.
The birds and flowers are always fantastic here! 
Food will be available. Bring a chair and enjoy a day of nature!

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2nd Annual Earth Day Block Party Wheeling:
April 22nd. Wheeling Heritage Port from 1pm-10pm. We have a variety of games, exhibitors, and vendors from 1pm-6pm. Additionally, we will have live music from 1pm-8pm, and a star watch from 8pm-10pm.

 June

This past June 3rd, 2023 was the fourth annual Breakfast & Birds (formally called the Bobolink Bonanza).  Hosted by the Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District.  7:00am - 11:00am
Held just outside Barnesville OH.
This event was open to the public and served breakfast throughout the morning.
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HESP
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SAVS

WV Butterfly House at the SEEC

​​The Schrader Environmental Education Center (SEEC) is constructing a premier butterfly enclosure in WV next to the SEEC in Oglebay Park, Wheeling. 

If you are interested in helping with funding, or being involved on this wonderful project, please contact the acting SEEC Director Joelle Bensie jbensie@oionline.com or 304-242-6855

Butterflies' native to WV will be raised and released within the enclosure.  After the construction is completed Lepidoptera programs geared to all ages will ensue.
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​Gardeners Wanted! The SEEC is looking for volunteer gardeners of all ages and skill levels to help with the plantings in the butterfly garden 304-242-6855.

Friends of the SEEC
I have scheduled another garden clean-up workday at the Schrader Center Wednesday, April 26, 10:30am-12:30pm, and will be inviting the Ohio County Master Gardeners as well.
We will continue cleaning up the dead growth from last year’s plants.  Please let me know if you can make it!
 
Molly Haywood
Director, Schrader Environmental Education Center
Oglebay Institute
304-242-6855
www.oionline.com/schrader
Native plants for caterpillars and butterflies of West Virginia.

2023 Past events 

​Picnic/Outing Campbell Farm - June 17, 2023

SEEC Bird Walk - 
May 6th, 2023

7:30am. Meet at the SEEC for an early morning bird walk!  Dress for the weather, bring binoculars, and a sack lunch. 

Saturday Outing – Raccoon Creek State Park: April 22nd, 2023
This is combination bird and wildflower walk with the Three Rivers Birding Club. Contact Ryan Tomazin 412-220-9726 or wvwarblers@hotmail.com for further information.
Meet at the Roadside Picnic Area West at 9:15 AM, located on Raccoon Park Road. 

April meeting: SATURDAY, APRIL 1st, 10:30, at the SEEC. 
It was suggested that the meeting date be changed to a weekend day for a couple of reasons.  One being we may be able to attract younger members or others who are visiting the SEEC.
There will not be speaker.  We will enjoy a walk and talk.  Bring your own sack lunch.

Falconry Outing: March 3rd - 5th.  Hollaway OH, dawn to dusk.  Contact Mick Brown for more information 740-359-1341

​March meeting: Tuesday, March 7th at 6:00 at the SEEC.
Bring a covered dish, meeting and speaker to follow dinner.  Speaker: Scott Pendleton ~ Program: Birds of Hawaii. 

February meeting: Tuesday, February 7th, at 6:00 at the SEEC. 
​Bring a covered dish.  We will eat at 6:30, with the meeting and speaker to follow. 
​Our speaker will be Ryan Tomazin.  His topic is "Seeing without Seeing, Hearing without Hearing".
We also are looking for ways to get younger bird enthusiast interested in joining the club.

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2019 Winter Field Trip Short-eared Owl
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2019 Winter Field Trip Long-tailed Duck
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​2019 Winter Field Trip Bald Eagle

2023 Headquarters (Wheeling) Chapter Schedule of Meetings (PDF) and Field Trips (PDF)
Sorry, these schedules are unavailable at this time.
Contact information:
BBC Webmaster
​brooksbirdclubweb@gmail.com
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