Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, February 2, 2019 to Sunday, February 3, 2019:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, February 2, 2019, 8:00am - 1:00pm
Explore Greenwich Point with Naturalist Tait Johansson
Brant, Long-tailed Ducks, scoters, goldeneyes, loons, and other waterbirds expected, along with interesting landbirds, and sometimes owls.
Depart Bylane at 7am, or meet in the lot on the right after the gatehouse by 8am.
Cost: Free.
Level of difficulty: Easy.
Dress warm. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or at 914.302.9713.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, February 2, 2019, 8:45am - 12:00pm
Groundhog Day at Coney Island
Meet 8:45 am at Dunkin Donuts outside the Stillwell Ave train terminus, located at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Ave. https://goo.gl/maps/heGDfBBAEuu
Leader: Sean Zimmer
Focus: Waterfowl species mainly, gulls, some winter passerines and shorebirds.
Note: If rain or heavy snow threatens, please see the Prospect Park Sightings Blog and BBC Facebook page for updates

Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Prospect Park: Birdwatching for Beginners
Leader: Cyrus Baty
Birdwatching for Beginners meets at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at The Boathouse at 12 noon.
Bring binoculars if you have them; otherwise, binoculars are available for loan.

Sunday, February 3, 2019, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Prospect Park First Sunday Walk
Meets at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at The Boathouse, the first Sunday of every month except July and August. Leaders are members of the Brooklyn Bird Club.
Bring binoculars.

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Eastern Long Island Audubon Society
Saturday, February 2, 2019, meet 8:30am
Annual Trek to Montauk
Leader: Eileen Schwinn

We will be meeting at the Point – and what’s the Point?? The Montauk Lighthouse Parking Lot! Meeting time: 8:30 am, to view (hopefully) the hundreds – or thousands – of sea ducks! With luck, Razorbills and other alcids will be present, and perhaps, wintering gulls and terns. Moving on to Camp Hero, we will also view the southern shore and ocean, and continue the day with visits to The Ranch, Lake Montauk, Ditch Plains, and various great birding spots which make up the Must Do List of the Winter in Montauk Birding Experience! The itinerary may change if any rare or noteworthy birds are reported in the area. Dress for the weather – which will be cold, windy, and downright nasty! There are heated restrooms at The Point, and various other spots, and be sure to bring snacks and water. There are some local restaurants and delis which are open, but you may want to pack a lunch. We will spend the morning birding. Contact Eileen Schwinn, beachmed@optonline.net, for more information. (And since it’s Groundhog Day, we might be forced to do the same thing on the following Day!!)

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Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, February 2, 2019, 8:30am
Jones Beach West End
Leader(s): Mike Cooper (516-523-2369, Bob Grover (516-318-8536)
Meet in the parking lot near the Coast Guard Station at West End.

(Nature walks will be cancelled if it is raining or snowing.)

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, February 3, 2019, 9:00am
North Shore Ducks
Long Island can be one of the best places in the country to watch winter waterfowl. Join us for a fun day to see as many of these species as possible and learn about their interesting life histories.
Registration: (631) 885-1881
Directions: Meet at St. John’s Pond by the church behind the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, February 2, 2019 (rain date Feb. 3rd)
Coney Island Pier to Coney Island Creek
Leader: Rob Jett
Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper — marybeth@nyc.rr.com
Registration opens: Monday, January 21
Public transportation

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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New York City Audubon
Saturday, February 2, 2019, 9:20am – 4:00pm
Winter Eagles on the Hudson
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join NYC Audubon in seeking out one of the most incredible avian spectacles in New York: Bald Eagles wintering along the frozen Hudson River by the dozens or even hundreds. We will travel in comfort by Metro-North to Croton Point Park, where we will look for eagles before hiking up to Croton Point to seek out wintering Short-eared and Snowy Owls, Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and other cold-weather specialties. Limited to 20.
Round-trip Metro-North fare ($20.50) not included in trip price. $53 (37)
Click here to register

Sunday, February 3, 2019, 9am – 3pm
Winter Waterfowl of the Brooklyn Coast
Guide: Kellye Rosenheim
Join Kellye Rosenheim on a tour of Brooklyn’s most productive coastal winter waterfowl sites. We’ll visit Bush Terminal Piers Park, Gravesend, and Calvert Vaux in search of saltwater species such as Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, and Common Loon, as well as Horned and Red-necked Grebe.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $87 (61)
Click here to register

Sunday, February 3, 2019, 11am – 6pm
Soaring Raptors: Eagles and Owls of the Hudson River Valley
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
You don’t have to travel to Alaska to see our country’s emblem, the Bald Eagle. Thanks to one of the most successful reintroduction programs on record, many eagles now soar over the nearby Hudson Valley. Travel with us to see this spectacular raptor and try to spot the secretive Short-eared Owl.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $94 (66)
Click here to register

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New York City WILD!
Saturday, February 2, 2019, 9:30am
Winter Wonderland! Bald Eagles! Croton Point Park, Westchester County

Sunday, February 3, 2019, 11:00am
Winter Wonderland! Staten Island: Fort Wadsworth to South Beach Photography and Nature Walk

For the full information about each walk click HERE to take you to the Eventbrite Profile page where you will find all details (scroll down to the thumbnails) for each of the outings and how to SIGN UP

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, February 3, 2019, 9:45am-2:00pm
The Richard Buegler Winter 10-Mile Greenbelt Walk
Greenbelt Nature Center
The Winter 10-miler begins at the Greenbelt Nature Center, winds its way through LaTourette Park before returning to the Nature Center. Participants will explore the heart of Staten Island while enjoying Superbowl Sunday with an invigorating loop hike in the Greenbelt with Protectors. A winter walk through the snowcapped slopes of the Greenbelt with Protectors allows inquisitive visitors to experience local wildlife while gaining knowledge of the natural world. We will meet in the Nature Center parking lot at the corner of Rockland and Brielle Avenues.
For more information call Dominick Durso at 917-478-7607.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Point Lookout Town Park (and Lido Preserve afterwards)

From the Southern State Parkway, exit onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway south. Exit from the Meadowbrook at Loop Parkway (just before the Jones Beach toll booths) toward Point Lookout. The Loop Parkway ends west of Point Lookout at Lido Boulevard. Continue straight across Lido Boulevard into Point Lookout Park. Travel past the ticket booths and curve left into the very large parking lot on the south side of the park. Park in the southeast corner, closest to the private homes of the village of Point Lookout and the beach. We will walk east along the beach toward Jones Inlet. After returning to the parking lot, we will drive west on Lido Boulevard to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve on the north side of Lido Boulevard to walk through the bay marsh.
Directions to Point Lookout Park via Google Maps
Directions to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Ecosystem Explorers: Pond Ecology at Blue Heron Nature Center (in Blue Heron Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Whether it is summer or winter, ponds welcome a variety of flora and fauna to the environment.
Free!