Contents

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Best of the Fortnight

Below are my favorite photos from the past two weeks. This installment features several different pollinators:

Sachem skipper on Mountain Mint, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Cicada Killer wasp, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Corn Seed Moth, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Janet's Wildflower Meadow, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Common Yarrow, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Sachem skipper, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Lemon Beebalm, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Miner Wasp, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Golden Northern Bumblebee, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Red-bellied Woodpecker feeding fledgling, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


American Lady, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Miner Bee, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Slender Meadow Katydid, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Black and Yellow Mud Dauber Wasp, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Chimney Swift, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Female Blue Dasher, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Mating Droneflies, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


European Paper Wasp, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Great Blue Heron, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Blue Dasher on wild garlic, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Cicada Killer with prey, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Ball Thistle, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY


Great Blue Skimmer, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Monday, July 24, 2023

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of July 29 - July 30, 2023:

Brooklyn Bird Club

Beachcombing for Shorebirds: A Plumb Beach Watch
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Description: This is public transportation walk. Bring sun hat, plenty of water, portable chair, insect repellent, a spotting scope if you have one; and lunch, snacks etc. We will sit and watch for shorebirds during the dropping tide. Low tide is at 11:18 a.m.
Registration: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@gmail.com or Prosbird@aol.com
View Details


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Gateway National Parks

Fort Wadsworth Tour and Hike
Every week on Saturday, Sunday until August 27, 2023, 10:30am — 12:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a hike around Fort Wadsworth as we explore the forts and natural areas. Inclement weather will cancel this program. Dress appropriately and bring water.
Registration: Please call (718) 354-4500 to make a reservation.
View Details


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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society

Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve
Sunday, July 30, 2023 - 9:00am
Leader: _____
Description: This former cranberry farm in Riverhead is now home to a variety of rare plant and insect species that can be found on Long Island only in the Pine Barrens.
Registration: To register, call (585) 880-0915.
View Details


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New York City Audubon

Intro to Birding in Marine Park
Saturday, July 29, 2023, 9:00am - 10:30pm
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Description: Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest park, Marine Park. Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


Vulture Tour at New York Botanical Garden
Saturday, July 29, 2023, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: ______
Description: Join NYC Audubon and the New York Botanical Garden for a special bird tour series all about vultures! Check out the work of visual artist, Ebony G. Patterson, now on display at the Garden. Explore some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn about the vulture species we can spot around the City and how they're important for our ecosystem's health.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturdays, May 6 through October 28, 2023, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Binoculars are available to borrow.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Summer on the Hudson: Riverside Park Birding Club at 108th street and Riverside Drive
7:00am - 8:30am
Monthly walks through birding hotspots in Riverside Park. Learn and build a birding community.
Free

Birding By Canoe Excursion at Canoe and Kayak Launch (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
11:00am - 12:30pm
Explore the Orchard Beach Lagoon by canoe, as we look for birds that live in this estuarine habitat of the Long Island Sound. Registration begins on Wednesday, July 19.
Free

Monday, July 17, 2023

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of July 22 - July 23, 2023:

Freshkills Park Alliance

Kayak Tour
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 11:30am
Leader: Rangers
Description: Kayak along Freshkills Park’s waterways! This two mile round-trip paddle is a chance to explore the creeks and shorelines of Freshkills Park and experience the wildlife while the site is closed to the public. We know this program fills quickly and wish we could offer it more frequently, but we have a small staff and are generally limited to trips on the weekend during high tide.
Registration: Register via Eventbrite.
View Details


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Gabe Willow Tours

Jamaica Bay Summer Shorebirds & More
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 9:00am - 2:00pm
Leader: Gabe WIllow
Description: Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and search the mudflats and ponds of Jamaica Bay (the NYC locale with the most recorded species of birds) for breeding herons and egrets, Forster's and Common Terns, Clapper Rail, and American Oystercatcher, as well as the many migratory plovers and sandpipers that will already be headed south from their arctic breeding grounds. Learn the finer points of identifying these challenging species.
Registration: Register via Eventbrite
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The Hidden Ecology of Prospect Park After Dark - Bats, Fireflies, & More
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Leader: Gabe WIllow
Description: Balmy summer evenings are a beautiful time to stroll at night, but a closer look reveals a secret side of wildlife in the city that appears after dark. As the city lights meet the stars, bats, cicadas, katydids, fireflies and migratory birds emerge from their slumbers, giving new meaning to 'the city that never sleeps'!
Registration: Register via Eventbrite
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Grassland Birds of Croton Point Park
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 8:00am - 3:00pm
Leader: Gabe WIllow
Description: Travel in comfort aboard Metro North to visit Croton Point Park, a beautiful 500-acre park on a peninsula on the Hudson River, about one hour north of the city. The park is rich in natural and human history - it has the oldest native american oyster shell middens in the northeast, revealing that it was inhabited as long as 7,000 years ago; today, the park has a wonderful mix of forest, wetlands, and grassland. The grasslands are atop a hill formed by a former landfill, and are home to hard-to-find breeding bird species such as Indigo Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. The woodlands nearby are home to breeding Great Horned Owl, Willow Flycatcher, and Orchard Oriole, as well as the more expected common summer species.
Registration: Register via Eventbrite
View Details


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Gateway National Parks

Fort Wadsworth Tour and Hike
Every week on Saturday, Sunday until August 27, 2023, 10:30am — 12:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a hike around Fort Wadsworth as we explore the forts and natural areas. Inclement weather will cancel this program. Dress appropriately and bring water.
Registration: Please call (718) 354-4500 to make a reservation.
View Details


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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 6:00am - 7:30am
Description: In July we should see the offspring of our resident red-tailed hawk bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.
View Details


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New York City Audubon

Intro to Birding in Marine Park
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 9:00am - 10:30pm
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Description: Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest park, Marine Park. Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


New York Botanical Garden Tour
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Haley Scott
Description: Join NYC Audubon and the New York Botanical Garden for some summer birding! Get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. The tour will meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Native Plant Garden.
Registration: Registration not required. No limit. Free.
View Details


Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturdays, May 6 through October 28, 2023, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Binoculars are available to borrow.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


7th Annual Kingsland Wildflowers Festival
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Leader: Newtown Creek Alliance and NYC Audubon
Description: Join us for a summer evening of hands-on activities, art, entertainment, and fun at Kingsland Wildflowers! A native rooftop meadow on the roof of Broadway Stages in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, this thriving wildlife habitat and cultural center was created in partnership by the Newtown Creek Alliance and NYC Audubon. This annual festival aims to bring awareness to Greenpoint’s and the surrounding communities' long-standing environmental burdens; transition to a cleaner, healthier future; as well as the global climate crisis and the potential for local, community-based solutions. Come enjoy the native plantings and views, art exhibitions, a native plant sale, rooftop tours, and more!
Registration: Registration page
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods

Greenbelt Nature Center to Seaview
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Leader: Don Recklies
Description: Participants will meet in the Greenbelt Nature Center parking lot at Rockland Avenue and Brielle, (additional parking at the Recreation Center nearby). We will make a loop using the Blue, White, and Red trails to pass the Department of Parks and Recreation’s serpentine barrens restoration project, Paulo’s Peak (Moses’ Mountain), and the Bluebelt Dam at Rockland and Meisner Avenues.
Registration: For more information call Don Recklies at (718) 768-9036.
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Friday, July 14, 2023

Best of the Fortnight

Below are my favorite photos from the past two weeks:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Wild Turkey, Marine Park, Brooklyn, NY

Eastern Kingbird, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Orange-belted Bumble Bee, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Southern Magnolia flower, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Striped Skunk kitten, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Great Crested Flycatcher nestlings, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Immature Cooper's Hawk with prey, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Primrose and dronefly, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Wild Bergamot, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY

Buttonbush, Brooklyn, Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY

Chimney Swift, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

Fledgling Gray Catbird, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Common Tern, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Monarch butterfly, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Eastern Kingbird with nestlings, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Globe thistle, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of July 15 - July 16, 2023:

Brooklyn Bird Club

Summer Birds of the Jamaica Bay Watershed
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Description: Early season migrating and breeding shorebirds, water birds, marsh species, and coastal songbirds.
Registration: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@gmail.com or Prosbird@aol.com
View Details


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Gateway National Parks

Fort Wadsworth Tour and Hike
Every week on Saturday, Sunday until August 27, 2023, 10:30am — 12:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a hike around Fort Wadsworth as we explore the forts and natural areas. Inclement weather will cancel this program. Dress appropriately and bring water.
Registration: Please call (718) 354-4500 to make a reservation.
View Details


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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, July 16, 2023, 6:00am - 7:30am
Description: In July we should see the offspring of our resident red-tailed hawk bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.
View Details


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New York City Audubon

Intro to Birding in Marine Park
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 9:00am - 10:30pm
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Description: Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest park, Marine Park. Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


Vulture Tour at New York Botanical Garden
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: _____
Description: Join NYC Audubon and the New York Botanical Garden for a special bird tour series all about vultures! Check out the work of visual artist, Ebony G. Patterson, now on display at the Garden. Explore some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn about the vulture species we can spot around the City and how they're important for our ecosystem's health.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


NYCHA in Nature Birding in Bay View
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: NYC Audubon, the Public Housing Community Fund, and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy
Description: We will visit and bird along Canarsie Pier, located at Canarsie Veterans Circle, Brooklyn, NY 11236. Registration not required but encouraged (it helps know how many binoculars we should bring!).
Registration: Registration page
View Details


Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturdays, May 6 through October 28, 2023, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Binoculars are available to borrow.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


City of Water Day at Sherman Creek Park
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Leader: NYC Audubon and the New York Restoration Project
Description: NYC Audubon and the New York Restoration Project are teaming up to offer several activities at Sherman Creek Park this day, including birding. Meet just north of PS 5 (3703 10th Ave, New York, NY 10034) at the start of a woodchipped trail that leads into Sherman Creek Park.
Registration: Registration page
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NYCHA in Nature Birding at Beach 43rd Street
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Leader: NYC Audubon, the Public Housing Community Fund, and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy
Description: We will bird along the water's edge starting at 598A Beach 43rd St, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 and venture into nearby Bayswater Park. Registration not required but encouraged (it helps know how many binoculars we should bring!).
Registration: Registration page
View Details


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Queens County Bird Club

Plumb Beach
Saturday, July 15, 2023, 8:00am - 11:00am
Leader: Joe Schiavone (203) 640-2927
Description: This mini-trip will explore the marshy areas of Plumb Beach. Expecting to find Saltmarsh Sparrows, perhaps a Nelson's too, as well as Clapper Rails.
Registration: Please contact trip leader for meeting time and location.
View Details


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Saw Mill River Audubon Society

Marshlands Conservancy
Sunday, July 16, 2023, 7:00am
Leader: Members of SMRA
Description: Saw Mill River Audubon small group bird walks are limited to 25 people by registration.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Birding: Hawk Watch at Avenue A and St. Marks Place (in Tompkins Square Park), Manhattan
1:00pm - 2:00pm
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of July 8 - July 9, 2023:

Gateway National Parks

Fort Wadsworth Tour and Hike
Every week on Saturday, Sunday until August 27, 2023, 10:30am — 12:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a hike around Fort Wadsworth as we explore the forts and natural areas. Inclement weather will cancel this program. Dress appropriately and bring water.
Registration: Please call (718) 354-4500 to make a reservation.
View Details


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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 6:00am - 7:30am
Description: In July we should see the offspring of our resident red-tailed hawk bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.
View Details


Beetles, Bees, and Butterflies, Oh My! (Member-Only Tour)
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 10:30am - 12:030pm
Description: On this tour, naturalist Matthew Wills will take you on a journey to notice and appreciate some of Green-Wood’s smallest residents: bugs! Together we will explore some of Green-Wood’s gardens and meadows to observe a variety of insects and learn about their roles in our ecosystem. You’ll gain new insights into the importance of these often unnoticed and unappreciated creatures that surround us. Children are welcome on this tour!
View Details


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Linnaean Society of New York

Staten Island, Purple Martins Plus
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Leader: Howard Fischer
Description: On this summer trip to Staten Island, we will visit several areas with nesting birds. Possibilities include Bank Swallows at Great Kills Park, Purple Martins at Lemon Creek, and Boat-tailed Grackles, possible Clapper Rails, Little Blue Herons, and other marsh birds at Oakwood Beach Tidal Marsh. The exact itinerary will be determined by the leader based on current bird sightings. There will also be opportunities to observe a variety of butterflies and odonates.
Registration: Mary Beth Kooper - marybeth@nyc.rr.com
View Details


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New York City Audubon

Intro to Birding in Marine Park
Saturday, July 8, 2023, 9:00am - 10:30pm
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Description: Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest park, Marine Park. Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


Birding by Boat with the Bronx River Alliance
Saturday, July 8, 2023, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: _____
Description: This summer, join NYC Audubon and the Bronx River Alliance for a special birding by boat event! This guided tour takes paddlers through the lower saltwater portion of the Bronx River (to the river mouth and back), featuring a duality of estuarine and urban habitat. While on the way we will get the chance to look at a wide variety of shorebirds, as well as other wildlife. Binoculars and other equipment will be provided.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


New York Botanical Garden Bird Tour
Saturday, July 8, 2023, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Haley Scott
Description: Join NYC Audubon and the New York Botanical Garden for some summer birding! Get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. The tour will meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Native Plant Garden.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturdays, May 6 through October 28, 2023, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Binoculars are available to borrow.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
View Details


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North Fork Audubon Society

North Fork Pollinator Pathway Inaugural Garden Crawl
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 12:00pm - 4:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Public and private pesticide-free corridors of native plants that provide nutrition and habitat for pollinating insects and birds. Even the smallest green spaces, like flower boxes and curb strips, can be part of a pathway.
Registration: To pre-register, email: northforkpollinatorpathway@gmail.com
View Details


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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods

Salamanders at Field of Dreams
Saturday, July 8, 2023, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Matthew Cohen
Description: Join with Matthew Cohen as he shares his recent field work identifying and collecting data on Staten Island’s native salamanders. Participants will meet in the parking lot at the Field of Dreams along Forest Hill Road, across from Costco. Enjoy a short walk to a local stream; discuss the importance of clean streams and the Two-lined, dusky, and red salamanders that call them home here in Staten Island.
Registration: For more information e-mail Matthew Cohen at mattcohen1349@gmail.com.
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Dragonfly Talk and Walk
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Leader: Paul Lederer
Description: Join naturalist Paul Lederer explore the lives of dragonflies, insects that have inhabited our planet millions of years before dinosaurs walked the earth. Paul will discuss the biology, life histories, and identification of these creatures of wonder and then conduct a “dragonfly safari” to the shores of Lake Ohrbach. Bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately to the woods and trails of the great outdoors.
Registration: Spots are limited so call Paul Lederer at (718) 354-9200 to confirm your registration.
View Details


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Urban Park Rangers

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Summer Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30am - 11:00am
Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this summer! Explore the gardens and woodlands with birders Paul Keim or Gabriel Willow to look for resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season.
Free