Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of June 14, 2014 to June 15, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 10 a.m.
Family Bird Watching Tour
Free
Geared towards families with children ages 8 and older, the Prospect Park Alliance will help young naturalists learn how to observe and identify some of the 200 species of birds that pass through Prospect Park or make it their home.

Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturdays, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.

Pop-Up Audubon
Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 – October 19, 12 – 5 p.m. / November – December, 12 – 4 p.m.
Free
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, June 15, 2014
Pop-Up Audubon
Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 – October 19, 12 – 5 p.m. / November – December, 12 – 4 p.m.
Free
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Nickerson Beach and Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area
Leader: Steve Nanz
Focus: Breeding Terns and Shorebirds. Emphasis on photography and extended observation
Car fee: $15.00
Registrar: Heidi Steiner-Nanz, email heidi.steiner@verizon.net
Registration Period: June 3rd-June 12th Leader's Note: Pre-dawn start to get to Nickerson Beach at dawn. Mar 4 - Mar 13

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk (spring)
Guide: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Saturday, June 14, 2014, 8:30am – 10:00am
Willow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Guide: Jeff Kollbrunner Meet at Park Drive East and 73rd Terrace. Explore on of the City's last freshwater wetlands. Observe the great avian diversity of this park from strategic points along Willow Lake Trail, including looks from a wildlife blind. In addition to songbirds, swallows and swifts, and herons and other waterbirds, keep a lookout for hovering osprey on the hunt. We may even see the immature bald eagle known to haunt nearby Meadow Lake, soaring overhead!
Limited to 15. $39 (27)
Click here to register

Saturday, June 14, 2014, 9:00am – 4:30pm
Birding by Canoe in Constitution Marsh
Guide: Gabriel Willow, Constitution Marsh Naturalist With Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary Join Gabriel willow and a Constitution Marsh naturalist to explore Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary—a spectacular 271-acre tidal marsh just outside of Cold Spring, NY. Observe marsh birds up close as you paddle through this pristine fresh water habitat by canoe--possible sightings include Virginia rails, spotted sandpipers, and Louisiana waterthrushes, as well as resident breeding bald eagles. Then look for warblers and other spring migrants on the sanctuary's trails. Finally, enjoy a picnic lunch while learning more about the marsh's ecology.
Bring lunch. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $122 (85)
Click here to register.

Sunday, June 15, 2014, 11am – 4pm
Community Saltmarsh Grass Planting
With American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers Join us for a community-led planting and restoration day on Ruler’s Bar and Blackwall marsh islands in Jamaica Bay. For the second year, we are teaming up with the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers to organize a day of planting plugs of Spartina alterniflora (saltmarsh grass), repairing fencing, and clearing debris as part of our Marsh Restoration Initiative, the first-ever community led marsh restoration project in a National Park.
NYC Audubon is providing transportation from Manhattan; to reserve a seat and register for this event please RSVP to volunteer@nycaudubon.org. Limited to 40

Sunday, June 15, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Sunset EcoCruise to the Harbor Heron Islands: Bridges and Birds
Guide: Gabriel Willow With New York Water Taxi Meet at South Street Seaport's Pier 16. We're excited about this summer's ecocruises; we’ve expanded our explorations of the City's island rookeries to three different locations! Depending on which weekend you choose, cruises may visit the fascinating Brother Islands, the large egret and cormorant colonies on Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, or the great expanses of Jamaica Bay. Whichever your destination, you'll experience the wonders of New York's famous harbor at sunset and see some of the three thousand herons, egrets, and ibis nesting on these urban island treasures.
To learn about specific cruise dates and register, visit New York Water Taxi online or by phone at 212-742-1969. Limited to 140. Pricing varies by destination.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Old Mill Road
Park at the end of Old Mill Road, behind the church. We’ll stroll along the multi-use trail next to Fresh Kills, below the hills of LaTourette Golf Course and return along the Blue Trail. From the remains of colonial structures to the Hessian Spring and the remains of Ketchum’s Mill we will take a look into the influence of man and nature on the ecosystems bordering the Fresh Kills estuary.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Saturday, June 15, 2014, 10:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
Clay Pits Ponds State Park Preserve
Join Mike Shanley as he explores Clay Pits Ponds State Park Preserve as he searches for signs of NYC’s only population of Eastern Fence Lizard. Also known as the Northern Fence Lizard, the Prairie Lizard, the Pine Swift, and the Fence Swift, it reaches the northeastern extremity of its range in southeastern New York. The range of the species extends as far south as Florida and as far west as Mexico and Texas. Despite the fact that there is no record of a native New York City population, thanks to an intentional release of 29 individuals in 1942 by the herpetologist Carl F. Kauffeld they have managed to survive in the parks sandy barren habitat. We will be meeting in the parking lot at 83 Nielson Ave.
This walk has an attendance cap, so please send an e-mail with your name and # of participants to falecore@yahoo.com.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 7am – 12pm
Nickerson Beach and Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area
Leader: Corey Finger 518-445-5829

Saturday, June 14, 2014, 9am – 11am
Ridgewood Reservoir micro walk
The Queens County Bird Club and the NYC Parks Dept are co-hosting a walk to the Ridgewood Reservoir, which sits on the Queens/Brooklyn border. Over 148 species have been seen in this area, and although late for peak migration, this area has some good breeding species that we should be able to see. The highlight of this trip is the opportunity to walk along the transverse trail between reservoirs 2 and 3, which is currently available to the public by permission only.
This is a mini-walk from 9-11am. Meet at the parking lot in upper Highland Park near the picnic area 8:45am.
Leader: Jean Loscalzo
If coming by Jackie Robinson Pkwy, get off Exit 2, CYPRUS AVE/VERMONT PLACE. Take VT Place approx 1/4 mi and the parking lot will be on your right.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Bird Walk at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.
NYC Audubon experts lead the way as we marvel at quirky but logical bird behavior and delicate feathers in exquisite patterns. Bring binoculars if you have them and wear sturdy…
Free!

Birds of the Highland Park Ridgewood Reservoir at Ridgewood Reservoir
9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
The Queens County Bird Club will lead a nature walk around the Reservoir in search of birds. Binoculars recommended.
Free!

Family Bird Watching Tour at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Learn how to observe and identify some of the 200 species of birds that pass through Prospect Park.
Free!

Pop-Up Audubon: Incredible Invertebrates at Entrance to the Ravine, downhill from the Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join the Alliance to learn about the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, June 15, 2014
Pop-Up Audubon: Incredible Invertebrates at Entrance to the Ravine, downhill from the Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.
Free!