Go bird spotting in Nokesville

Birders, here's a local opportunity to see Ovenbirds, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Goldfinches and Great Blue Herons:

It's on July 19 at the Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area, beginning at 7:30 a.m., and it's being put on by the Prince William Conservation Alliance.

Participants will depart from the Stone House Nature Center and tour leader Harry Glasgow will guide them through a variety of habitats, including open fields, woodland edges and bottomland forest.

Everyone is welcome as this is a great opportunity for beginning birders to learn.

The activity will require dressing for the outdoors, though. Long pants, long socks, sturdy shoes and a hat are musts, as are binoculars, cameras and water to drink.

This program is free and open to the public. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled.

Merrimac is at 15020 Deepwood Lane in Nokesville, and the alliance's Web site is pwcon-serve.org.

E-mail or call 703-499-4954 for more.