Friday's Foto

The whistled song of the Olive-sided Flycatcher is often described by the phrase "quick-THREE-BEERS." A relatively large flycatcher they can frequently be found hawking for insects from a tall, exposed perch. Over 50% of the world's population of this bird nests in Canada's boreal forest. In New York State they are considered a "Species of Greatest Conservation Need".

Silly Groundhog

Late yesterday afternoon I met my friend Marge at Green-Wood Cemetery. We were planning to stay until sunset hoping to spot some Common Nighthawks soaring over the meadows. We were wandering around near Crescent and Dell Waters at approximately 5pm when I noticed something a little odd.

Unlike the other ponds in the cemetery, the Dell Water's clay liner leaks, so the water level ranges from overflowing the coping wall to a shallow puddle at the center of the impoundment. Right now the water level is very low, with a small patch of muddy shoreline at the rectangular pond's northeast corner. When the water level gets this low wading birds and Spotted Sandpipers can usually be seen in that corner. Yesterday, as I scanned from the opposite side of the water I noticed a Green Heron there. Several feet behind him was a small, brown furry animal slowly walking along the base of the stone retaining wall. It was one of the cemetery's resident groundhogs. I had no idea how he managed to get down into the pond, but it was pretty clear he couldn't climb the wall and would need some help.



My first plan was to find a thick tree branch from the woods and create a little inclined bridge for him to climb up. With a long section of wood in place I waited for him to figure it out. He didn't and, as I watched the young animal, it became clear that something was wrong. It was extremely hot, near 90 degrees, and the groundhog merely used the shadow from the branch as respite from the blazing sun. He also seemed to be having trouble with his balance. I wondered out loud how long he had been stuck in the pond. Perhaps he hadn't eaten in days and, with no shade in that spot, he could be suffering from heat stroke. I decided to lie down on the top of the wall and to try and pull him out.

He was much smaller than the potbellied, ground sweeping adult groundhogs I usually see around the cemetery. I assumed that this cat-sized individual was very young, which might explain how he ended up in the pond in the first place. He was small enough, I figured, that I could grab him by the scruff of his neck where (I hoped) he wouldn't be able to bite me. I started by lightly petting him on the nape, to see how he would react. He didn't seem to mind, so I dove in, grabbed him by the scruff and literally tossed him up over the wall and into the grass.

It took a moment for him to straighten out, but then immediately began eating grass, violet leaves and mugwort. This little guy was literally starving and didn't stop eating for the 10 minutes or so that we continued to monitor him. He eventually began to wander away towards the west end of the pond, stopping occasionally to rest in the shade and nibble some more. I left the little wooden "bridge" for him just in case he decides to go exploring below the wall again.


...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

A new documentary about saving the Earth's oceans features the work of scientist Sylvia Earle.

From mongaybay.com:

Sylvia Earle is one of the ocean's staunchest defenders. A National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence and former chief scientist with NOAA, Earle has spent a lifetime documenting the rapid decline of the world's oceans and calling for more action to defend the body of water that cradles the world's continents.

Her most recent undertaking, dubbed Mission Blue, is to set-up a global network of Marine Protected Areas to safeguard and restore much-degraded marine habitats. A new Netflix documentary, also titled Mission Blue, follows the life and work of Earle, culminating with her recent efforts to implement marine parks across the world's oceans, dubbed Hope Spots.

Long thought invulnerable to human kind's impacts, marine ecosystems have been plagued by overfishing, pollution, and poor management. Now, global warming and ocean acidification—both caused by burning fossil fuels—are threatening to upend whole ecosystems.

...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of August 30, 2014 to August 31, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, August 30, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, August 31, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Prospect Park
Meet: 7:30 am at Bartel Pritchard Square park entrance
Leader: Ed Crowne

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, August 30, 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, August 30, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
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.


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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 30, 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!

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! ...Read more

Hummingbirds and a Poem

Over the past week I've seen several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds moving through the area. The ruby-throated is the only regularly occurring species of hummingbird seen in New York and, by their pugnacious attitude, you'd think they were the top of the food chain. Right now showy stands of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) are flowering all over our parks attracting these tiny titans. At only around 3.2 grams, I've seen them buzz, poke and generally harass birds over tens times their size. More amazing is the thought that twice a year these trans-gulf migrants make the 600 mile trip across open water ... non-stop. Below is a poem I just came across by D.H. Lawrence about these avian gems:

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Humming-Bird
D.H. Lawrence (from Birds, Beasts and Flowers, 1923)

I can imagine, in some otherworld
Primeval-dumb, far back
In that most awful stillness, that only gasped and hummed,
Humming-birds raced down the avenues.

Before anything had a soul,
While life was a heave of Matter, half inanimate,
This little bit chipped off in brilliance
And went whizzing through the slow, vast, succulent stems.

I believe there were no flowers, then
In the world where the humming-bird flashed ahead of creation.
I believe he pierced the slow vegetable veins with his long beak.

Probably he was big
As mosses, and little lizards, they say were once big.
Probably he was a jabbing, terrifying monster.

We look at him through the wrong end of the long telescope of Time,
Luckily for us.

Fall Songbird Migration

I hadn't spent any time looking for songbirds in Prospect Park this month, opting to stick with shorebirds and terns along the coast. Reports coming out of the park of southbound migrants last week made it seem like warblers had begun to move through the area in earnest. I would normally expect to encounter a handful of these neotropic migrants, but during a trip into the park at the end of the week birders collectively found an astounding 16 species!

When Will Pollard tweeted at 8:50am, "South side of lookout mildly active. Blue-winged and chestnut-sided", I thought, "cool", but continued to work. At 10:50am he tweeted, "Male hooded warbler btwn nether mead arches and lower pool", and he piqued my interest, but I went back to what I was doing. When this tweet came in at 11:31am, "Golden-winged horse path near Quaker cemetery", I grabbed my bins, hopped on my bike and zipped up to the park.

Golden-winged Warbler populations have been declining over the past few decades and I've seen less and less of them in Brooklyn and other New York City locations. They are no longer an annual species for me. Fortunately I was able to chase this individual.

I met Will at the bridle path between Center Drive and the edge of the woods of Quaker Hill. He explained that he had been following a mixed flock of warblers feeding along the ridge from the Nethermead Arches, south, towards the Quaker Cemetery. I had only been there a few minutes when I spotted a pair of Blue-winged Warblers, a redstart, a couple of Black-and-whites and a Chestnut-sided. A Northern Parula joined the flock and sang a muted version of his spring song from a low branch in a spindly sapling. I tried briefly to "pish" in the golden-winged, but only managed to attract a Northern Waterthrush, who perched on a low fence, then dropped to the ground before disappearing onto the wooded hillside. Finally, Will spotted the golden-winged just above eye level foraging in a sapling only a short distance from the bridle path. I tweeted the news and received a call from our friend Bobbi a minute later. She was close by, but when I hung up the phone and looked back for the golden-winged, I couldn't find it.

Lady Luck (or Warbler) then struck again when Bobbi was about 100 yards down the path. Will and I were searching for the golden-winged, but when another bird popped up in the flock we were pleasantly surprised to focus our bins on a female Cerulean Warbler. My first instinct was to try and turn it into a Blackpoll Warbler, but the bird was too green on top, too yellow below, lacked the pronounced streaking and had a distinct, white supercillium. By the time Bobbi made it down to us the flock had dispersed.

Several more birders arrived in the area responding to the golden-winged and cerulean tweets. I spent a couple of hours trying to help them relocate the mixed flock with which these two birds were associating, but was unsuccessful. My friend Sean, who had remained near the entrance of the Quaker Cemetery eventually spotted the Cerulean Warbler, but the Golden-Winged Warbler vanished on the wind.

September is usually a good month for tracking down fall migrants, so it was really nice getting an early preview. Can't wait to see what's going to show up around Brooklyn next month.

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Date: Aug 15, 2014 - Aug 21, 2014
Locations: Coney Island Beach, Green-Wood Cemetery, Plumb Beach, Prospect Park Species: 89

Wood Duck (7.)
Black Scoter (2.)
Double-crested Cormorant (70.)
Great Blue Heron (1.)
Great Egret (3.)
Green Heron (2.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (1.)
Osprey (2.)
Red-tailed Hawk (6.)
Clapper Rail (1.)
American Oystercatcher (8.)
Black-bellied Plover (4.)
Semipalmated Plover (5.)
Spotted Sandpiper 2.)
Greater Yellowlegs (2.)
Ruddy Turnstone (1.)
Red Knot (3.)
Sanderling (1.)
Least Sandpiper (10.)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1.)
Short-billed Dowitcher (4.)
Laughing Gull
Common Tern (6.)
Forster's Tern (1.)
Black Skimmer (125.)
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (6.)
Northern Flicker (1.)
American Kestrel (1.)
Monk Parakeet
Eastern Wood-Pewee (1.)
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher) (3.)
Eastern Kingbird (1.)
Warbling Vireo (1.)
Red-eyed Vireo (3.)
Tree Swallow (4.)
Barn Swallow (19.)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch (3.)
House Wren (1.)
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (5.)
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird (4.)
Cedar Waxwing (7.)

Ovenbird (6.)
Worm-eating Warbler (1.)
Northern Waterthrush (4.)
Blue-winged Warbler (3.)
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (1.)
Black-and-white Warbler (17.)
Common Yellowthroat (1.)
American Redstart (11.)
CERULEAN WARBLER (1.)
Northern Parula (1.)
Yellow Warbler (3.)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (2.)
Prairie Warbler (1.)
Canada Warbler (1.)

Eastern Towhee (1.)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow (1.)
Saltmarsh Sparrow (3.)
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle (29.)
Brown-headed Cowbird (10.)
Baltimore Oriole (7.)

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull (4.), Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (1.), Downy Woodpecker (2.), Hairy Woodpecker (1.), Blue Jay, American Crow (1.), American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal (1.), Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow ...Read more

Friday's Foto

There are four species of terns that are listed as either threatened or endangered in New York State. They are Least Tern (Threatened), Black Tern (Endangered), Roseate Tern (Endangered) and Common Tern (Threatened). Despite being the most widespread and abundant of the tern species in NYS, Common Terns have suffered significant declines in populations primarily due to increased human use of beaches for recreation, predation and competition with both Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls. During the late 19th century their populations were decimated by the millinery trade. Common Terns primarily winter along the coasts of Central and South America as far south as Peru and Argentina with small numbers along the Gulf Coast from central Texas to western Florida. One of the more unusual local breeding colonies is on a disused section of the Yankee Pier on Governor's Island in Buttermilk Channel.

Treehugger Tuesday

Ned Barnard and Ken Chaya spent 2 years meticulously mapping every tree in Central Park creating Central Park Entire, The Definitive Illustrated Map, "the most detailed map of any urban park in the world".

In addition to the printed map, there is also an excellent app available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Videos from Coastal Brooklyn

Here are a few short videos I shot recently along Brooklyn's coast:


Short-billed Dowitchers at Plum Beach doing what they do best ... foraging like sewing machines.



Heydi, Joe, Sean and I were standing at the eastern edge of Plum Beach when these three Red Knots dropped onto the beach. One was banded and I'll post more information about it shortly. The trio only stayed for about 3 minutes before flying off across the bay.



In the summer, flocks of Black Skimmers are usually only seen at a breeding colony across the bay from Coney Island at Breezy Point. However, arround this time of year many can be seen beginning to stage for migration on the beach at Coney Island, like this flock at West 25th Street.

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of August 23, 2014 to August 24, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, August 23, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, August 24, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Littoral Society
Saturday, August 23rd, 2014, 7am-5pm
9th Annual Shorebird Festival
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY

Join NYC Audubon members and other birders at the annual festival during peak shorebird migration time in NYC. Meet at the Jamaica Bay Refuge visitor center at 7am (for early birders) to hike around the East Pond during the high tide when birds are in greatest numbers along the controlled shorelines. Others can join in at any time during the day. The event is free and open to the general public, however, a small donation would be appreciated to offset expenses.

Schedule of Events:

7:00 - 7:30 am - Coffee and doughnuts available in the picnic area
7:30 - 10:00am - Hike to East Pond (north and south areas) to observe shorebirds
10:00 - 10:20am - Coffee break, registration
10:30 - 11:15am - Introduction: Refuge Issues and Wildlife Management 2014 (Don Riepe)
11:15 - Noon - Shorebird Photography (Lloyd Spitalnik)
Noon - 1:00pm - Lunch (on own)
1:00 - 4:00pm - Hikes to Breezy Point, Plumb Beach, and other selected birding areas around Jamaica Bay
4:00 - 5:00pm - Shorebird Identification and Behavior (Kevin Karlson)

This event is a partnership program between the American Littoral Society, NYCA, and Gateway NRA.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, August 23, 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, August 23, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
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.


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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, August 24, 2014, 10 A.M. to Noon
Crooke’s Point, Great Kills Park
Join naturalist Mike Shanley as he explores Crooke’s Point at Great Kills Park. Crooke’s Point offers many types of habitat including pristine beach, woodlands, and coastal dunes. The point is an important site for many types of birds and butterfly, so bring binoculars! Mike will discuss the history of the Point and how its character has changed drastically over time. Meet near the restroom in the last public parking lot before the Crooke’s Point entrance.
For more information phone Mike at 917-753-7155.

Sunday, August 24, 2014, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Studies in the Greenbelt: Summer in the Greenbelt
We will explore the Greenbelt including parts of Pouch Camp to observe all the different plants and animals of a unique woodland and its meadows, streams and ponds. Be sure to bring beverage, binoculars and field guides. Meet at the Greta Moulton Gate at the top of Nevada Avenue. If it’s raining at the time of the walk, the event is postponed to Sunday, August 31.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, August 24, 2014
BioBlitz at Caumsett State Park
Allday trip
Leader: Rich Kelly -- 516-509-1094 7:30am
Event starts at 7:30am. note fee collection at Caumsett begins at 8am

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 23, 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!

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, August 24, 2014
Early Morning Bird Walk at Wave Hill, Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Join naturalist Gabriel Willow on a special early morning bird walk. You’ll be amazed by the diversity of birds that are active on the grounds before the gates open to the… ...Read more

Trans-Gulf Migration Film

Here's a really good video about birds that cross the Gulf of Mexico twice each year to and from their breeding grounds. There is plenty of great footage of our favorite birds included, as well as, very interesting information about the evolution of these neotropic migrants. Be sure to watch it full screen:


Gulf Crossing from Jackson Childs on Vimeo.

Friday's Foto

The "blue canary" looks like someone spray painted a sparrow brilliant blue. However, the vibrant Indigo Bunting is actually more closely related to the cardinal. As with other blue birds, they have no blue pigment in their feathers, but rather, microscopic structures that, like tiny prisms, reflect blue light. Wintering from south Florida through Central America and the Caribbean, this seed-eater nests in brushy habitat at the edges of fields. The bird I photographed likely nested within the "North 40" of Floyd Bennett Field.

Catbird Rescue

Working at home on Monday, it was around noon when a tweet came in from Will Pollard. He was birding in Prospect Park and spotted a Gray Catbird caught on discarded fishing line and hanging from a tree. I made a few suggestions for who to contact, then went back to work. Another message came through a short time later that he couldn't get in touch with anyone. I stopped what I was doing, grabbed my bike and headed up to the park.

Will tried to contact Martin Woess, who works for the Prospect Park Alliance in their forestry division. As an animal advocate he also frequently receives calls to rescue pets or wild animals in distress. He helped me back in spring of 2010 when a bat became snared in discarded fishing line. I stopped at the park offices in the Litchfield Villa thinking they could locate him. They called his office extension but, given his job, I wasn't optimistic he would be at his desk. He wasn't, so I decided to pedal around the park looking for landscape management vehicles. I eventually spotted a large truck parked next to the Nethermead Meadow and stopped to talk to the guy sitting behind the wheel. Explaining that I was looking for Martin to help with a bird rescue, he calmly replied, "Why don't I just give him a call on the radio".

Martin was tied up with a group of volunteers doing a phragmite mitigation project on Prospect Lake. He'd have to wait until a break to meet us. I told them the location of the bird then headed off to meet Will to give him the news and see if there was anything we could do in the meantime.

The catbird was on the north side of the Peninsula along a narrow stretch of water that flows out of the Lullwater. Lots of fishermen frequent the water's edge around this wooded promontory that juts into Prospect Lake. Unfortunately, when casting their lines they often catch overhanging branches, then just cut the lines leaving the hooks and lengths of monofiliment behind. The list of animals trapped by this deadly refuse that I've helped rescue (or been unable to) is too long: Mute Swan, Brant, Canada Goose, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Spotted Sandpiper, Herring Gull, American Crow, American Robin, Baltimore Oriole, Little Brown Bat and, now, Gray Catbird.

The bird was hanging pretty high up in a mature hackberry tree. The branch was out over the water, so it would have to be approached from above. Will and I looked on helplessly as the bird struggled. The lure had a pair of treble hooks, one of which was through the catbird's nostril. With no place to grab onto with his feet, the young bird was hanging from his bill. Blood was visible on its mouth. It was anyone's guess how long he had been there. Periodically his body would go limp and we worried it was too late to help. Within a few minutes Martin Woess and Peter Dorosh arrived to assess the situation. It was immediately clear that the situation was dire. Martin got on the radio and called in the park's professional tree climbers. Here is what happened next:



Update: Martin brought the catbird over to Sean Casey Animal Rescue. Sean looked it over and transported it to a vet. It is now with a wildlife rehabilitator recovering from a broken leg and mouth injuries. ...Read more

Birding Spot on BK Live

Yesterday Tom Stephenson and I were interviewed on the local public access television show "BK Live". It gave us an opportunity to talk about Brooklyn birds and birding, as well as, the plight of the Ridgewood Reservoir. Please note that I am not actually the president of the Brooklyn Bird Club, that would be Rob Bate. Too many birding Robs in Brooklyn, I suppose.

BK Live 8/13/14: Brooklyn Bird Club from Brooklyn Independent Media on Vimeo.

Tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir

From the Newtown Historical Society:

Newtown Historical Society Tour

Nature and history tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir Sunday 8/17

On Sunday, August 17, we will be offering a special nature and history tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir starting at 9am in the main parking lot on Vermont Place at Highland Park.  We will view the historic structures in the recently renovated park, observe the natural world and discuss its future.

You can take public transportation to Highland Park.  The B13 bus stops along Cypress Hills Street and the Q56 stops along Jamaica Avenue.  The Cleveland Street stop on the J train is 3 blocks from the park.  Or, you can drive or bike.

This tour will be led by special guest Rob Jett, author of The City Birder.

This tour is 100% FREE and will be a great experience for children and adults alike.  For more info or to RSVP, write to NewtownHistory@gmail.com or call 718-366-3715.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you on the 17th.  Please watch the video below for more information about the historical and environmental importance of the Ridgewood Reservoir.

Shorebird Festival

9th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, August 23, 2014, 7am-5pm
A partnership program among NYC Audubon, Gateway National Recreation Area and the American Littoral Society

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is internationally renowned for its fall shorebird migration, when thousands of birds representing over 35 species regularly stop at the East and West Ponds during their southward flight. Peak numbers usually occur in August. Join the 9th Annual Festival to learn about shorebird biology, behavior, and how to identify these species out in the field.

Bring water, lunch, and binoculars, and wear sensible shoes. For more information, please contact NYC at 212-691-7483 x306, the American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896, or Don Riepe at donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 35

Click here for members-only transportation to the Shorebird Festival from Manhattan.

Program Schedule

7am:

Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for registration, coffee, and donuts

7:15-10:15am:

Hike to the East Pond to view shorebirds during the high tide (Kevin Karlson, Lloyd Spitalnik, Tom Burke, et al.)

10:15-11am
:
Welcome presentations on Jamaica Bay: Past, Present, and Future (National Park Service, Don Riepe)

11-11:30am
:
NYC Audubon update on shorebird research (NYC Audubon)

11:30am-12:15pm
:
Shorebird Photography (Lloyd Spitalnik)

12:15-1:15pm
:
Lunch (bring lunch or visit nearby delicatessens)

1:15-3:15pm
:
Hike around the West Pond and gardens to look for shorebirds, waders, and early migrating warblers (National Park Service rangers and festival guides)

3:15-4:30pm
:
Shorebirds Identification (Kevin Karlson)

4:30-5pm:
Questions, Social

Treehugger Tuesday

Internationally Important Wetland Receives Protection

The following story was recently published on the World Wildlife Fund website:

Star of Colombia receives international protection

Posted on 04 August 2014
Colombia: One of the most important wetlands in the world will now be protected from mining threats after it was declared internationally valued following an announcement by the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos.

The Inirida Fluvial Star located in eastern Colombia is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world and will now benefit from international protection after it was declared Colombia’s sixth RAMSAR site.

The protection of this area, home to the third most important river system on the planet, has taken a decade to come and will prevent extractive industries moving in to mine for potential gold and cobalt reserves.

“This is a significant achievement for both Colombia and the world and a clear statement to support conservation as an option to support economic and social development,” said Director of WWF-Colombia, Mary Lou Higgins.

The area covers over 250,000 hectares and is a mosaic of jungle, savannahs and includes a network of rivers and wetlands. It is home to more than 900 plants species, 400 birds, 470 fish, 200 mammals, and 40 amphibians including threatened species such as river dolphins, jaguars and tapirs.

The new RAMSAR site is located in the Orinoco river basin conserving an important freshwater area in the frontier region with Venezuela, and includes the confluence of four different river systems making it a vital fishing region for both Colombia and Venezuela.

It’s the main source for Venezuela’s fisheries and is also known for its aquarium fishes with 40 percent of the aquarium fishes that Colombia exports come from the Fluvial Star of Inirida. WWF-Colombia is working with fisheries management in the region, promoting sustainable fishing practices.

President Santos affirmed in his declaration speech that protecting the environment was a priority for the country and that his government could not fail in that purpose. The President recognized that even though his government conceived mining as one of the engines for development, there were biologically and culturally valuable places where mining should not take place.

“The Fluvial Star of Inirida establishes a benchmark to begin to rethink the development model based on conservation,” said Ms Higgins.

The President recognized the efforts of WWF, who have been working with local authorities, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, local communities and the Ramsar Secretariat to realize this designation.

WWF-Colombia has supported research projects aimed at gaining further understanding of ecological and hydrological dynamics within the region and has backed local and regional grass-root organisations, providing technical and organisational support.

RAMSAR is an international conservation designation, which protects places renowned for their biological diversity and their freshwater ecosystem richness.

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The Inirida Fluvial Star sits in the Orinoco river basin, where four major river systems converge, making it an invaluable fish habitat for Colombia and Venezuela. ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of August 16, 2014 to August 17, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, August 16, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, August 17, 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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, August 16, 2014 (rain date August 17)
21st Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk
Leader and Registrar: Sean Sime – sean@seansime.com or 917-324-2735
Registration opens: Monday August 4
Public transportation

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Littoral Society
August 14 – 17, 2014
Cape Ann Whale Watch Weekend
Guide: Don Riepe, American Littoral Society

Spend three nights in historic Gloucester, MA. Cost: $395.00 per person includes lodging (double occupancy), half day whale watching trip, lobster/seafood dinner, Essex River marsh cruise, canoeing on the Ipswich River, guided hike at nearby state park and a visit to Parker River Wildlife Refuge. This trip is in partnership with NYC Audubon. For questions email: NEChapter@littoralsociety.org or call (718)474-0896.

To pay by credit card, click here. To pay by check, write check to: American Littoral Society, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, August 16, 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, August 16, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
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.

Sunday, August 17, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Sunset EcoCruise to the Harbor Heron Islands: Brother Islands
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, August 16, 2014, 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
Mount Loretto Unique Area
With its bluffs nestled 85 feet above sea level, Mt. Loretto is home to beautiful vistas of the shore facing Prince’s Bay. The shoreline is home to some of Staten Island’s most unique natural artwork. Nestled in the meadow’s hills are a variety of plants and wildlife. Mt. Loretto is a habitat for harbor seals, monarch butterflies, wild rabbits, muskrats, ospreys, and on occasion, bald eagles. Meet at the parking lot on Hylan Boulevard across from the CYO. (https://goo.gl/maps/xCxHw).
Please call John Paul Learn at 718-619-5051 or e-mail at john.paul.learn@gmail.com for more information.

Sunday, August 17, 2014 – 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
Wolfe’s Pond Park
Containing mature upland woods, swamp forest, open marsh, ponds, and shoreline on Raritan Bay, Wolfe’s Pond is one of the most diverse parks in the city. Recent walks have including sightings of bald eagles and ospreys. Meet at the comfort stations at the end of the parking lot. The entrance to the parking lot is located off of Cornelia Avenue. (http://goo.gl/maps/n8XBa).
Call John Paul Learn at 718-619-5051 or e-mail at john.paul.learn@gmail.com for more information.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, August 16, 2014, 9am
Jamaica Bay Minitrip
Leader: Rich Kelly (516) 509-1094
Note: tentatively meet 9am visitors center but CONTACT LEADER for details

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 16, 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!

Natural Areas Open House at Randalls Island Natural Areas (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Join us for our free Natural Areas Open House event, which will include a guided nature exploration, exciting exhibits detailing the in-depth human and natural history of Randall’s Island.
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! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

The sparrow-sized Piping Plover is one of the smallest plover species in North America. Their dull, sand colored upper body helps them blend into their preferred, coastal beach habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists this bird as Endangered in nine states and Threatened in 26. The term "piping" refers to their plaintive "peep-lo" call.

Shorebirding in Brooklyn

I love old maps. I especially like old maps of Brooklyn and New York City. Besides the artistic qualities of these hand drawn works, they give me insight into what the environment may have been like during bygone eras. This is the Beer's map of Brooklyn from 1873 and is one of my favorites. That year construction of Prospect Park had just been completed, much of central and eastern Brooklyn was still farmland and the southeastern coast was still dominated by marshes and creeks. In fact, one could have actually paddled from Gravesend Bay, east along Coney Island Creek, into Sheepshead Bay and continued around the back of Plum Island, then north up Gerritsen Creek to Kings Highway. Today you'd have to pull your canoe out of the water at West 6th Street and the Belt Park, then carry it over a mile east to East 15th Street and Emmons Avenue to the western terminus of Sheepshead Bay. Also, Plum Island is no longer an island, but a peninsula (Plum Beach) and Gerritsen Creek now ends a mile short of Kings Highway. Only tiny remnants of those wetlands remain and I sometimes picture in my mind huge flocks of shorebirds stopping off there during migration. In 1873 the Eskimo Curlew (now considered extinct by many) was likely a regular visitor among the tens of thousands of migrating shorebirds stopping off in Brooklyn. While on its last legs when this map was created, the now extinct Labrador Duck could probably have still been seen along the coast of Brooklyn.

Over the past weekend several of us local birders descended on Plum Beach in search of migrating shorebirds. I don't think anybody was expecting to rediscover the Eskimo Curlew, although, since most shorebird species are long distance migrants there is always the possibility of spotting a wayward individual amongst the usual suspects. The most extreme local example of this occurred in 1998 when birder Bill Benner discovered a Broad-billed Sandpiper on the West Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. This Eurasian species of shorebird had never been seen in the lower 48 states of the US! You can read Bill's account of the experience here.

Dawn on Saturday morning began with just a light drizzle. But by mid-morning it was fully raining. Not the best conditions for looking at tiny shorebirds through a spotting scope, but the birds didn't seem to mind. The most common shorebird at low-tide was probably Semipalmated Plovers, with Semipalmated Sandpipers coming in a close second. After an hour of standing in the rain my rain gear had begun loosing its water repellency and my scope was starting to fog. I was uncomfortable, but when Dennis and Bobbi waved Heydi and I over to check out an interesting pair of birds, I quickly forgot about those problems. A pair of relatively robust sandpipers were standing on the exposed mudflat about 200 yards to the south. Dennis thought that they might be Pectoral Sandpipers. Not an exceedingly rare species, but certainly scarce for Brooklyn. I couldn't be sure due to the distance and rain on my lenses, but the pair eventually flew much closer revealing a scaly back pattern, long, slightly drooped bills, but mainly a distinctive heavily streaked breast that ends in a sharp delineation at a white belly. They were definitely Pectoral Sandpipers. A nice spot, and worth my current soggy state.

Heydi and I left as the tide came in and the bird numbers seemed to be going down. We didn't see many more shorebirds on Saturday, but later that afternoon we did spot a Bald Eagle soaring over the community garden at Floyd Bennett Field.

As I set my alarm clock on Saturday night I was optimistic that the next morning would be much drier at Plum Beach. If only optimism was enough to control the weather. With umbrella in hand, I headed out the door at 5:20am towards the subway and another rendezvous with the "Brooklyn Bad Weather Birders". The meeting wasn't actually a planned outing, but there were at least six Brooklyn birders desperate to see shorebirds at Plum Beach, weather be damned!

Heydi and I were the first out on the mudflats, with Tom and Louis close behind. At around 7am I spotted a Gull-billed Tern sitting on the sand spit that borders Plum Channel. This species actually breeds south of New York, so was a nice surprise. We eventually spotted a second one. Most terns dive for fish, however this unusual species grabs prey, such as insects, from near the ground. On Sunday we watched the pair frequently grabbing dragonflies from close to the ground on the marsh side of the dunes.

One of the species that we always hope to find at Plum Beach in early August is Piping Plover. Tom and a couple of other folks had already seen a few here earlier last week, but they were not to be found on Saturday. At around 9:45am on Sunday, though, Heydi spotted a flock of 5 of these tiny plovers flying across the water and onto the exposed mudflat. Endangered in New York State and threatened federally, these adorable little birds face a gauntlet of dangers from feral cats to beach-oriented recreation, including collisions with off-road vehicles. Ongoing federal and state management programs have helped, but much more is needed to get their populations up.

I had been taught that the best time of day for shorebirding is at low-tide along coastal mudflats and sandbars. On Sunday, however, we noticed that many more birds were coming in to Plum Beach on the incoming tides and then feeding along the wrack line. As we were leaving on Sunday a few hundred "peeps" were just arriving. Perhaps that is because most of the bars and flats on Jamaica Bay become completely covered in water with Plum being one of the few refuges above water outside of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

This coming Saturday high-tide at Plum Beach is at 7:03am. So if this theory holds water, there should be a lot of shorebirds there when I arrive at dawn. Maybe an Eskimo Curlew with show up...

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Dates: August 2, 2014 and August 3, 2014
Location: Plumb Beach
Species: 53

BLACK SCOTER (2.)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron (1.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Osprey
Clapper Rail

American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
PIPING PLOVER (5.)
Killdeer (1.)
Spotted Sandpiper (1.)
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Ruddy Turnstone (15.)
Sanderling (100.)
Least Sandpiper
PECTORAL SANDPIPER (2.)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (350.)
Short-billed Dowitcher (3.)

Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
GULL-BILLED TERN (2.)
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer

Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Boat-tailed Grackle

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

A rare and unique urban nature habitat on the Brooklyn and Queens border in New York City is being threatened. The historic Ridgewood Reservoir is home to an amazing array of plants and animals and the community group Highland Park/Ridgewood Reservoir Alliance has been fighting for nearly 8 years to protect it. Check out this video:



An online petition to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has been set up at Change.org here. Please take a moment to sign it. For more information about the Ridgewood Reservoir and efforts to protect it, check out the blog Save Ridgewood Reservoir.

Piping Plover T-Shirts

Just in time for the shorebird migration, here's some new t-shirts and a tote bag that I created for my CafePress shop:

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of August 9, 2014 to August 10, 2014:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Family Bird Watching Tour
Saturday, June 14 and July 12, August 9, 10 a.m.
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.

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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

Sunday, August 10, 2014
Morning Bird Walk: Early Migrants
Free Meet the amazing birds of Prospect Park on this expert-guided walk. Start your Sunday morning surrounded by nature!

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, invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens
Leader: Mike Yuan
Focus: waterbirds, shorebirds, early passerines
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik, email deepseagangster@gmail.com
Registration period: July 29th - August 7th

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, August 9, 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, August 9, 2014, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk
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.

Sunday, August 10, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Sunset EcoCruise to the Harbor Heron Islands: Brother Islands
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, August 9, 2014, 8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
Wolfes Pond Park
Join birder, Anthony Ciancimino, to search for migrating shorebirds foraging in the shallows of Wolfe’s Pond at low-tide. Shorebirds are long-distance migrants that leave for their wintering grounds fairly early in the fall season. Wolfe’s Pond Park is a great spot for these birds. The park hosts many sandbars, rocky shorelines, and mudflats, ideal for a variety of species. Shorebirds that could be seen include Ruddy Turnstone, Black-bellied Plover, Sanderling, and Semipalmated Plover, to name a few. Meet at the end of Holten Avenue, near the intersection of Purdy Place. Participants will then walk the short trail to the beach and get a nice view of the pond.
E-mail Anthony Ciancimino at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com for more information.

Saturday, August 9, 2014, 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.
Forest Restoration Workshop on the Rockland Avenue edge
Meet in the Nevada Avenue parking lot at High Rock (Note that this is the 2nd Saturday of the Month, not our usual 3rd Saturday meeting). . We will walk the former Yellow Trail spur to Rockland Avenue where we will continue the work we began in March removing invasive vines from shrubs and saplings close to the road. If you don’t have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners (and refreshments). After a two hour work session (our 216th monthly workshop), we will take a short walk over nearby trails.
For more information call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 or Chuck Perry at 718-667-1393.

Saturday, August 9, 2014, 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Page Avenue Beach at low tide
We’ll begin with a look at the local geology then move to examining the flotsam and jetsam accumulated at the high tide lines to see what nature’s debris has to tell us. As the water recedes with the tide we’ll move into the intertidal zone to find out what sorts of living things survive in this challenging environment. A variety of crabs, snails, clams, worms and small fish are likely to be discovered. It’s going to be muddy so dress appropriately. Meet at the parking lot at the bottom of Page Avenue below Hylan Boulevard.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, August 10, 2014, 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
Crooke’s Point, Great Kills Park
Join Paul Lederer for a Talk and Walk to Crooke’s Point. The natural history as well as updates on the Crooke’s Point restoration project will be highlighted. Participants will meet at the Beach Center parking lot at the beginning of the unpaved permit road leading to Crooke’s Point.
For more information call Paul Lederer at 718-987-1576.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 9, 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!

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, August 10, 2014
Summer Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of diverse bird species and their behavior on these captivating walks through the gardens and woodlands.
Free!

Bike and Hike the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge at 105th Street Stop on the L Train, Brooklyn
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Ride with the NYC DOT to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge! At the Refuge, the American Littoral Society will provide a -FREE- guided tour, lasting about an hour.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

Many long distance shorebird migrants have already begun heading south. The Pectoral Sandpiper, one of those frequent flyers, breeds across both the North American arctic, as well as, northern Siberia. They winter in southern South America and Oceania. Game hunters used to call this bird the "Grass Snipe", due to their preference for wet meadows. "Birdlife International evaluates their vulnerability as "Least Concern" due in part to their extremely large range.