Moby Talks About Saving Bees
Join Moby, the award-winning musician, DJ and activist, as he takes us on a tour of his four-acre property atop the Hollywood Hills to share his special connection with the 30,000 bees that call it home. We have bees to thank for one out of three bites of food we eat, but they’re dying and need our help. Here Moby offers simple, concrete actions for how you can reverse this trend and save our bees.
Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of October 4, 2014 to October 5, 2014:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, October 4, 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, October 5, 2014, 8 a.m.
Early Morning Bird Walk: Hawk Watch
October is Hawk Month!
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.
Raptor Fest
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 12 – 3 p.m.
Learn about the amazing birds of prey known as raptors.
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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, October 4, 2014
"Leader's Choice"
Leader: Steve Nanz
Focus: Best birding activity cluster or rare birds will be determined by the week's listserve reports for Brooklyn area
Car fee: TBA by leader
Registrar: Heidi Steiner-Nanz, email heidi.steiner@verizon.net
Registration period: Sept 23rd - Oct 2nd
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City Island Bird Walks
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 8:00 AM SHARP!
Fall Migration Walk
Meet at Orchard Beach Parking Lot
All Walks are Free!
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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday October 5, 2014
Conference House Park and Mount Loretto
Leader: Howard Fischer
Registrar: Sandra Maury – sandramaury39@gmail.com or 212-874-4881
Registration opens: Monday, September 22
Ride: $20
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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, October 4, 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, October 4, 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.
Saturday, October 4, 2014, 8:30am – 11:00am
Birding Gems of Queens: “THE WATERHOLE” IN FOREST PARK
Guide: Jeff Kollbrunner Meet at the corner of Park Lane South and Metropolitan Avenue. Visit "the waterhole"—a veritable migrant magnet when wet that is known for rarities, and where dark-eyed juncos, red-breasted nuthatches, pine siskins, and a variety of thrushes and warblers may be seen. Also look for birds of prey like great horned owls, eastern screech owls, and red-tailed hawks.
Limited to 15. $50 (35) per walk
Click here to register
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 8am – 10am
Fall Migrants of Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx
Guides: Tod Winston, Joseph McManus With Woodlawn Conservancy Meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance of Woodlawn Cemetery. Join us for a morning bird walk and tour of beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery: Tod Winston and Joseph McManus will look for fall migrants and year-round residents on the expansive, wooded cemetery grounds, while a Woodlawn Conservancy docent shares fascinating stories about Woodlawn’s history and the interesting mixture of individuals interred there.
Bring water. Limited to 15. $35 (24)
Click here to register
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 10am – 1pm
Hawk Watch at Fort Tilden
Guide: Don Riepe With American Littoral Society Meet at 10am at Bldg. 1 in Fort Tilden for a hike to the hawk watch platform to view falcons, hawks, ospreys and other migrating raptors. We'll also hike along the beach and dunes to look for song- and shorebirds.
For more information, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. No limit. Free
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families in Central Park
Guide: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues).
Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. As a family, learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Dana Center.
For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free
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Newtown Historical Society
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 9am
Nature and history tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir
On Sunday, October 5, Newtown Historical Society 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.
It is suggested that you bring sunblock and water. You may also wish to bring binoculars and cameras.
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday October 4, 2014, 8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
Mount Loretto Unique Area
Join birder, Anthony Ciancimino, for birding at Mount Loretto Unique Area. This spot is ideal for migrating sparrows, which will be the focus for this walk. Possibilities include white-crowned, lincoln’s, swamp, field, and chipping sparrows.
Meet at the parking lot along Hylan Boulevard, opposite the CYO center.
E-mail Anthony Ciancimino at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com for more information.
Saturday, October 4, 2014, 1 P.M. to 3 PM
Old Mill Road
Park at the end of Old Mill Road, behind St. Andrew’s 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.
Sunday, October 5, 2014, 3 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Wolfe’s Pond and Lemon Creek
Join Mike Shanley and survey Wolfe’s Pond and the surrounding areas at low tide. The pond is currently in a state of transition after recent storms have affected the berm, drastically altering the character of the pond and surrounding areas. We will discuss the history of the area, how the character of the pond has changed over time, and proposed remediation plans. We will also be keeping an eye out for seasonal birds such as Black and Royal Tern. Meet at the corner of Holton Avenue and Purdy Place.
For more information call Mike Shanley at 917-753-7155.
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 4, 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!
Highbridge Hawk Watch at West 172nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue (in Highbridge Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Bring the whole family and roam the winter woods in search of hawks with expert naturalist Mike Feller.
Free!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Birding: Fall Migration at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City.
Free!
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience the coming of fall in Central Park when it becomes a precious bird habitat and migration hot spot!
Free!
Raptor Fest at Peninsula (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Experience the thrill of viewing New York's premier predators, live and up close with the Urban Park Rangers and the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Free!
...Read more
Huge Push in Global Renewable Energy Generation
From a recent article in The New York Times:
"Electric utility executives all over the world are watching nervously as technologies they once dismissed as irrelevant begin to threaten their long-established business plans."
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Sun and Wind Alter Global Landscape, Leaving Utilities Behind
By Justin Gillis
HELIGOLAND, Germany — Of all the developed nations, few have pushed harder than Germany to find a solution to global warming. And towering symbols of that drive are appearing in the middle of the North Sea.
They are wind turbines, standing as far as 60 miles from the mainland, stretching as high as 60-story buildings and costing up to $30 million apiece. On some of these giant machines, a single blade roughly equals the wingspan of the largest airliner in the sky, the Airbus A380. By year’s end, scores of new turbines will be sending low-emission electricity to German cities hundreds of miles to the south.
It will be another milestone in Germany’s costly attempt to remake its electricity system, an ambitious project that has already produced striking results: Germans will soon be getting 30 percent of their power from renewable energy sources. Many smaller countries are beating that, but Germany is by far the largest industrial power to reach that level in the modern era. It is more than twice the percentage in the United States.
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Read the entire article here.
...Read more
Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of September 27, 2014 to September 28, 2014:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 27, 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, September 28, 2014, 8 a.m.
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, September 27, 2014
Brooklyn "Wildcard"
Leader: Keir Randall
Focus: Best birding activity cluster or rare birds will be determined by the week's listserve reports for Brooklyn area
Car fee: TBA by leader
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik, email deepseagangster@gmail.com
Registration period: Sept 16th - Sept 25th
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Littoral Society
Saturday, September 27, 2014, 3-6pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Ecology Cruise
Guides: Don Riepe and Mickey Maxwell Cohen
Join us for a three hour cruise of the backwaters of Jamaica Bay aboard the 100' boat the "Golden Sunshine". Learn about the history, ecology, management and wildlife of this 13,000 acre preserve and see egrets, herons, oystercatchers, peregrine falcons, osprey and many more species of birds.
Cost: $55 for adults, $20 for children under 16. Includes wine and cheese, drinks, fruit, snacks. To reserve please send a check to the American Littoral Society, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693.
This event is in partnership with NYC Audubon and Gateway National Recreation Area.
Questions: donriepe@gmail.com or call (718)474-0896.
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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 27, 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, September 27, 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.
Saturday, September 27, 2014, 8:30am – 11:00am
Birding Gems of Queens: Strack Pond in Forest Park
Guide: Jeff Kollbrunner Meet at the corner of Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive. Visit "Strack Pond"—a natural kettle pond where herons and a variety of songbirds may be seen including cedar waxwings, white-crowned, swamp, and fox sparrows, thrushes, and warblers. Also look for birds of prey like great horned owls, eastern screech owls, and red-tailed hawks. Limited to 15. $50 (35) per walk
Click here to register
Saturday, September 27, 2014, 3pm – 6pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Cruise
Guides: Don Riepe, Mickey Cohen With American Littoral Society Meet at Pier 2 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Enjoy a three-hour narrated cruise aboard the 100-foot catamaran “Golden sunshine.” Visit backwater marshes near JFK Airport and learn about the 13,000-acre Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. See nesting peregrine falcons, ospreys, egrets, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Includes wine and other refreshments.
To register, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 140. $55
Sunday, September 28, 2014, 9am – 5pm
Birding by Canoe in Constitution Marsh
Guides: Gabriel Willow, Constitution Marsh Naturalist With Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and 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 canoe through this pristine freshwater habitat—possible sightings include Virginia rails, spotted sandpipers, and bald eagles. Then look for warblers and other spring migrants on the sanctuary's trails and enjoy a picnic lunch while learning more about the marsh's ecology. Bring lunch. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $143 (100)
Click here to register
Sunday, September 28, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families in Central Park
Guide: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues).
Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. As a family, learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Dana Center.
For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free
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Northshore Audubon Society
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Alley Pond Park
Leader: Joan Parry (365-7191), Trudy Horowitz (718-224-8432)
Notes:
Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike.
Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated otherwise.
If in doubt, please call the trip leader.
Please note: all phone numbers are area code 516 unless otherwise indicated.
In most cases, the contacts are also leaders for the respective walks.
Go to our website at www.northshoreaudubon.org/ for directions.
We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, September 27, 2014, 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
Reed’s Basket Willow Park
Discover this hidden natural park in Dongan Hills. We’ll visit the three bodies of water in the park and stroll through the woodlands. Although none of Reed’s basket willow still grow near the swamp from which the park gets its name, the woodlands and stream is still home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Meet at the park enterance atop Spring Street in Dongan Hills.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.
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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Kissena Corridor
Leader: Eric Miller 917-279-7530
Meet at velodrome lot 7:45am
Site Maps here
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 27, 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!
Birding: Brooklyn Road Trip at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.
Take a trip in search of early fall migrants with our Rangers.
Free!
Birding at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
3:30 p.m.
Join naturalist and photographer Debbie Becker on a trail walk as the great fall migration gets under way with hawks, eagles, warblers, and hummingbirds returning to their winter…
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience the coming of fall in Central Park when it becomes a precious bird habitat and migration hot spot!
Free!
Sneak 'Peak' at Freshkills Park at Freshkills Park Parking Lot, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join us to celebrate the potential of the future of Freshkills Park at our annual festival with activities like kayaking, biking, birding, art and more on Staten Island!
Free!
...Read more
Nearly Extinct Whale Species Recovers
From CBS-News:
California blue whales rebound from near extinction
By Agata Blaszczak-Boxe CBS News
The California blue whale population has rebounded to near historic numbers after being close to extinction decades ago, according to new research.
Scientists estimate that there are now about 2,200 California blue whales, which constitutes 97 percent of historic levels. This is also the only population of the blue whale species that has recovered from whaling and from being near extinction as a consequence.
"The recovery of California blue whales from whaling demonstrates the ability of blue whale populations to rebuild under careful management and conservation measures," study author Cole Monnahan, a doctoral student in quantitative ecology and resource management at University of Washington, said in a statement.
Blue whales are the largest and heaviest animals on earth, measuring nearly 100 feet long and weighing 190 tons as adults.
According to new data published earlier this summer in the journal PLOS ONE, about 3,400 California blue whales were caught between 1905 and 1971.
"Considering the 3,400 caught in comparison to the 346,000 caught near Antarctica gives an idea how much smaller the population of California blue whales was likely to have been," study author Trevor Branch, a UW assistant professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, said in a statement.
Although the number of blue whales that get struck by ships these days likely exceeds allowable U.S. limits, those strikes do not seem to threaten the animals' recovery, the researchers noted, adding that the current whale numbers are reaching the habitat limit, as the population is growing more slowly.
"Our findings aren't meant to deprive California blue whales of protections that they need going forward," Monnahan said. "California blue whales are recovering because we took actions to stop catches and start monitoring. If we hadn't, the population might have been pushed to near extinction - an unfortunate fate suffered by other blue whale populations."
The new findings were published online Friday in the journal Marine Mammal Science.
...Read more
Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of September 20, 2014 to September 21, 2014:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 20, 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, September 21, 2014, 8 a.m.
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
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Staten Island Greenbelt Mt. Moses
Leader: Mike Shanley and Isaac Grant
Focus: Hawk watching. Passerines in flight and woodlands
Registrar: Mike Shanley, email falecore@yahoo.com
Registration period: Sept 9th- Sept 18th
Leaders note: Join Mike Shanley and Isaac Grant as we make our way to the top of Moses Mountain and scan the skies in search of raptors and other migrating birds. We will also target Neotropical migrants as we make our way through the woodlands that lead to the top of the mountain.
Site profile: "In the early 1960s Robert Moses, the notorious New York City planner and Parks Commissioner attempted to construct the Richmond Parkway over Todt Hill cutting through what is today's Greenbelt. Earth and rock blasted away for the highway was hauled to a remote area eventually forming a 260-foot-high mound ironically nicknamed "Moses Mountain." The name stuck but the Parkway did not. Intrepid citizen-activists vigorously protested the highway and won their battle. Today, a steep hike up a much greener Moses' Mountain rewards visitors with a panoramic view of the Greenbelt and New Jersey's Atlantic Highlands, 15-miles in the distance."
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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Hook Mountain Hawk Watch
Leader: Rob Jett
Registrar: Sherry Felix – info@linnaeannewyork.org or 212-255-0138
Registration opens: Monday, September 8
Ride: $25
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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 20, 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, September 20, 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, September 21, 2014, 9am – 4pm
Hook Mt. Hawk Watch
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC Part of the Palisades Interstate Park system, Hook Mountain has commanding views of all the mountains ridges in the area and fantastic views of the Hudson River. From this inland hawk watch spot we expect to see many species of migrating raptors, including possible broad-winged and red-shouldered hawks, bald eagles, accipiters, and falcons. Note: this trip requires a 35-minute walk up and down the mountainside. Bring binoculars, lunch, and water.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $95 (66) Click here to register!
Sunday, September 21, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families in Central Park
Guide: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues).
Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. As a family, learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Dana Center.
For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, September 20, 2014, 8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
Cemetery of the Resurrection on Sharrott Avenue
Join birder, Anthony Ciancimino, for a birding experience at the Cemetery of the Resurrection and adjacent DEC properties. This location is a fantastic spot for birding on Staten Island, especially in the fall. Many different types of warblers, vireos, and sparrows can be seen.
Meet at the first entrance beside the cemetery’s restrooms closest to Hylan Boulevard.
Saturday, September 20, 2014, 9 A.M. to Noon
Staten Island Beach Cleanup at Sharrott and Mt. Loretto Beaches
Meet in the NYC fishing pier parking lot opposite the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and Sharrott Avenue to take part in the International Coastal Cleanup. We will collect, separate, and record trash from the beach (and enjoy the view on the Raritan Bay!). Data from this clean-up will be used to monitor the cleanliness of the beaches and the health of our shoreline waters. Protectors will provide gloves, bags and refreshments. This will be the 217th Restoration and the 10th consecutive year that we have participated in removing hundreds of pounds of trash from our beach!
For more information call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 or Chuck Perry at 718-667-1393.
Saturday, September 20, 2014, 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve is where Protectors of Pine Oak Woods was formed nearly 40 years ago. Come stroll the trails and enjoy a combination of ecosystems, such as sand barrens, wetlands, and ponds, and a beautiful park to explore in any season. Meet at the Clay pit Ponds Park Preserve parking lot at 83 Nielsen Avenue. (http://goo.gl/maps/N5bcq).
Please call John Paul Learn at 718-619-5051 or e-mail john.paul.learn@gmail.com for more information.
Sunday, September 21, 2014, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Willowbrook Park Field Study
This Protectors walk provides an opportunity to study nature closely in the field. Our route takes the small loop of the white trail from the Carousel to the Archery Range and then to the Chimney Ruin. One goal of the walk is to count how many Tulip Trees you can spot. Bring flower and tree guides, loops or magnifying lenses, and lots and lots of questions. Share your knowledge of plant, fern and tree species with us. Meet at the Carousel; enter at Eton Place off Richmond Avenue. If it’s raining at the time of the walk, the event is postponed to Sunday, September 28.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.
Sunday, September 21, 2014, 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Buck’s Hollow and Heyerdahl Hill
Located in the Greenbelt, Heyerdahl Hill is nestled in an impressive stretch of woodland, holding ruins of a stone home built in the 1800s and plants and trees rarely seen in urban woodlands. We’ll meet at the stone wall on Meisner Ave, located by the intersection of Rockland Ave and Meisner Avenue. (http://goo.gl/maps/YP1HI).
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
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Prospect Park
Leader: Arie Gilbert 917-693-7178.
Meeting 7:30am near Prospect Park Zoo on Flatbush Avenue
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 20, 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!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience the coming of Fall in Central Park when it becomes a precious bird habitat and migration hot spot!
Free!
...Read more
BPA is a common ingredient in plastics used as protective liners in cans, paper products and dental sealants. Scientists now agree that it poses serious threats to humans, especially women, as an endocrine disruptor.
The following was published in the New York Times:
In Plastics and Cans, a Threat to Women
By DEBORAH BLUM
August 28, 2014 12:33 pm
Deborah Blum writes about chemicals and the environment.
A few years ago, Jodi Flaws, a bioscientist at the University of Illinois, began testing a theory about the risks to women posed by the widely used industrial compound bisphenol A, or BPA.
A series of studies had suggested that it could damage developing ovaries. But nobody knew how. So for a month, Dr. Flaws dosed young female mice with a BPA solution at a level comparable to estimated human exposure in the United States. She then examined their ovaries, focusing on the follicles, which contain the eggs.
The effect of the BPA was immediately obvious.
Compared with normal mice, the follicles of the treated mice were fewer and smaller. Further analysis showed that estradiol, the sex hormone essential for normal reproductive development, was not being produced at normal levels. BPA, it seemed, interferes with enzymes essential in the production of such hormones. Another study published by her laboratory this spring found that treated mice stopped producing viable eggs at an abnormally young age.
Scientists have discovered similar effects across an increasingly broad range of mammals, from sheep to monkeys to, alas, humans. The accumulating research fuels rising concern among scientists that childhood exposure to BPA may well contribute to female infertility, and that adult exposure may result in a shorter reproductive life span.
“I think most scientists working today agree that BPA is an ovarian toxicant,” Dr. Flaws said. A review of research into BPA, published this summer in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, noted that ovarian toxicity is among the most consistent and strongest effects found “in both animal models and in women.”
Discovered in the late 19th century, BPA came into wide commercial use in the mid-20th century. It is an ingredient in products like polycarbonate plastics, thermal coatings on cash register receipts and protective linings in cans and pipes.
Concerns about its health risks didn’t really arise until the late 1990s, when researchers first reported that it appeared to disrupt normal hormone function. Consumer worry led the Food and Drug Administration to ban it in baby products, such as bottles, and manufacturers voluntarily scaled back its use in other goods. But because good substitutes are hard to find, BPA is still used in many materials, and studies have found that a majority of Americans still test positive for exposure.
What that means for our health has turned out to be a complicated subject; manufacturers have pointed out that more than decade of research has produced often inconsistent results. Still many experts worry that the evidence that this chemical damages young ovaries is consistent — and growing.
“There are so many studies of BPA that it’s often difficult to weed out the real effects,” said Tracey Woodruff, the director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco. “But on this question of ovarian toxicity, all the studies are starting to line up.”
Genetics, lifestyle, and other chemical exposures also play a role in infertility, and scientists are still struggling to figure out where BPA ranks among the risks. “We’re incredibly difficult creatures to study, especially because we’re looking at effects that may take a generation to show up,” said Patricia Hunt, a genetics professor at Washington State University.
She and her colleagues decided to study the compound’s effects in another primate species, the rhesus monkey. They exposed monkeys in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy to levels of BPA comparable to those that humans received. The investigators were looking for the effects on developing ovaries, similar to the changes in rodents. And they found them. The exposure in both trimesters altered follicles and oocytes (the germ cells that develop into eggs). Similar effects might easily occur in developing human females as well, Dr. Hunt concluded.
Researchers at Harvard University have been trying to assess how BPA affects humans through studies of women enrolled at in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. In a recent study, 80 percent of the women tested positive for BPA in urine. Higher BPA levels were linked to a reduced number of follicles — and therefore fewer fertile eggs.
Noting that BPA also turned up in follicular fluid, the investigators also looked at 357 discarded oocytes from more than 120 women visiting the clinics. Higher levels of BPA were linked to stunted human oocytes, as well as indications of chromosomal damage – a finding also found in animals studied by Dr. Hunt. “Together with prior animal studies, the data support the negative influences of BPA on oocyte maturation,” the Harvard team concluded.
Despite the growing body of research, a more complete assessment of BPA’s effects on human reproduction remains a tricky prospect.
“As a species, we tend to have a lot more chromosomal abnormalities anyway than animals like mice,” Dr. Hunt said. “And then people are waiting longer to have children, and that’s also a complicating factor.”
Dr. Woodruff said that a detailed systematic review of BPA was in the works, part of a National Toxicology Program reassessment of chemical risks. It should provide a better sense of how to navigate through recent findings. Her best advice for now? Avoid the compound when possible and, other than that, “don’t drive yourself crazy.”
“We’re still figuring this out, and the burden is on us — researchers, healthcare providers, manufactures — to do that well,” she said.
© 2014 The New York Times Company
...Read more
Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of September 13, 2014 to September 14, 2014:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 13, 2014
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.
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, September 14, 2014, 8 a.m.
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, September 13, 2014
Prospect Park
Meet 7:00 am at Grand Army Plaza Stranahan Statue park entrance
Leader: Paul Keim
September 12-14, 2014
Three day Weekend: Wissahickon Valley Preserve and the Upper Delaware Watershed
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: Diversity of passerine fall migrants
Car fee: $125.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, email (preferred) prosbird@aol.com
Registration period: August 15th- September 1st
Site profile: http://www.fow.org
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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Riis Park and Fort Tilden
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Pearl Broder – pbroder3@nyc.rr.com or 212-924-0030
Registration opens: Tuesday, September 2
Ride: $15 or public transportation
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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 13, 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, September 13, 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.
Saturday, September 13, 2014, 8am – 1pm
Birding Gems of Queens: Udalls Cove and Ravine Natural Resource Area
Guide: Jeff Kollbrunner
Udalls Cove is tucked right alongside Little Neck Bay in Queens. This small but precious park provides resources for saltmarsh, freshwater wetland, and forest species of birds and other animals. Look for great and snowy egrets, belted kingfishers, common terns, osprey, and even clapper rails.
Van transportation is included. Limit to 11. $75 (52)
Click here to register
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 9:30am – 11:30am
Fall Birding at Wave Hill, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow With Wave Hill
Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center. Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks. Wave Hill’s garden setting overlooking the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for resident and migrating birds. Advanced registration is recommended, either online at www.wavehill.org, at the Perkins Visitor Center, or by calling 718-549-3200 x251. (Walks run rain or shine; in case of severe weather call the number above for updates.)
Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult.
NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families in Central Park
Guide: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues).
Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. As a family, learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Dana Center.
For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, September 13, 2014, 8 A.M. TO 10 A.M.
Great Kills Park
Join birder, Anthony Ciancimino, at Great Kills Park and search for migrating waterbirds. Great Kills Park has an expansive shoreline, some of which includes spartina mud flats; ideal for migrating species of shorebirds. In addition to shorebirds, other possible species include Common, Forster’s, and Royal Tern, various species of gulls, and sparrows and warblers in the nearby dunes. Meet in the parking lot at the corner of Buffalo Street from Hylan Boulevard.
E-mail Anthony Ciancimino at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com for more information.
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 10 A.M. to Noon
Monarch Watch
Join naturalist Mike Shanley as he explores Mt. Loretto Unique Area to assess the migration of monarch butterflies. Recent studies indicate that the future of monarch butterflies is not bright, as their numbers are dropping at an alarming rate across Mexico, California and other areas of the United States. Many theories are being proposed for this decline including habitat loss at their wintering grounds in Mexico, decline in their host plant (milkweed) and genetically modified farming. We will explore the fields of Mt. Loretto and conduct an informal survey of the monarchs we encounter. Please bring binoculars. Meet at the main Mt. Loretto parking lot on Hylan Boulevard across from the CYO.
For more information call Mike at 917-753-7155.
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Conference House Park
Past and present blend at Conference House Park, where history stretches back thousands of years with the seasonal occupation of the Lenape and hundreds of years with the habitation of the Dutch and English. In addition to the local history, we’ll observe the geology of the area and look for what the debris at the high tide line has to reveal. Meet in the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard on the left.
For more information phone Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.
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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Alley Pond Park
Minitrip with Eric Miller 917-279-7530
7:45 AM meet at 76th Avenue Lot
Note:
MINI TRIPS - Break after lunch +/-
ALL DAY TRIPS - BYO lunch, dinner out. {optl}
WEEKEND TRIPS - Two + days / Overnight
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 13, 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!
...Read more
The last time I posted the monthly roundup of birds I've seen in my patch of Brooklyn was back in May. It is not because I've been lazy, but rather that I only saw one new species in June (Cliff Swallow) and none during the month of July. Except for years when we see a hurricane, August around the county of Kings is generally not very productive. My five year average is 4.6 species during the second half of the dog days. Last month, however, through good timing, persistence and a bit of luck I managed to add 12 species to my Brooklyn year list. One of those species was new for my Brooklyn life list.
Last month I spent a lot of early mornings watching the sun come up over Plum Beach near Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Notorious bank robber Willie Sutton was once asked why he robbed banks, his reply being, "Because that's where they keep the money." If you want to see a lot of birds in Brooklyn you have to go where they go. When shorebirds, seabirds and marsh birds are on the move one of the best places to seek them out is Plum Beach.
The shorebird migration at Plum wasn't great this year but I did manage to add Piping Plover, Red Knot, Pectoral Sandpiper and Western Sandpiper. One big surprise occurred while standing at the shoreline with a few friends. We had just spent an hour there looking at a rare King Eider and were preparing to leave. Suddenly Keir looked up and spotted a large, long billed shorebird flying above us. It turned out to be a Whimbrel and after circling for a moment it landed on the beach at the east end of Plum. Rob was quick with his camera and got this excellent flight shot of the bird.
Another good bird to find at the interior, marsh side of Plum Beach is Saltmarsh Sparrow. On the 16th Heydi and I spotted a trio of them, one being a juvenile bird. She took some nice photos of the presumably family group and noticed when looking through the images at home that one was actually banded. Over the years I've seen many of these birds here and at Marine Park but never saw any that were banded. Heydi submitted the data to a website that tracks banded birds and I'll update this post as soon as she finds out where it was banded.
Finally, the best surprise of last month was when my friend Shane spotted a young male King Eider off the shore of Plum Beach. I had never seen one in Brooklyn, so immediately hopped on my bike and pedaled the 8 1/2 miles to the shore in seemingly record time. I arrived shortly after Sean parked his car and caught up with him as he was wrangling his two kids down the beach. Keir had taken mass transit and a car service to get there and was already watching the bird preening in the water about 50 yards from shore. The other Rob showed up a short time later. This was not just a good year bird for me, but also the first time I'd seen one in Brooklyn. Here's a very short video of the eider:
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NYS Total: 242
Kings Total: 241
Added in August: 12
230) Pectoral Sandpiper (Plumb Beach, 08/02/14)
231) Piping Plover (Plumb Beach, 08/03/14)
232) Gull-billed Tern (Plumb Beach, 08/03/14)
233) Western Sandpiper (Plumb Beach, 08/09/14)
234) Bobolink (Gerritsen Creek, 08/10/14)
235) Golden-winged Warbler (Prospect Park, 08/15/14)
236) Cerulean Warbler (Prospect Park, 08/15/14)
237) Red Knot (Plumb Beach, 08/16/14)
238) Saltmarsh Sparrow (Plumb Beach, 08/16/14)
239) Common Nighthawk (Park Slope--My Roof, 08/26/14)
240) King Eider (Plumb Beach, 08/29/14)
241) Whimbrel (Plumb Beach, 08/29/14)
...Read more
Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of the death of the last Passenger Pigeon. It was an individual named Martha who lived her entire life in the Cincinnati Zoo. There has been a lot of media coverage recently about the extinction of what was once the most numerous bird species on the planet, but I found this book review by GrrlScientist in "The Guardian" to be particularly good:
A feathered river across the sky by Joel Greenberg - review
This comprehensive book meticulously documents much that is known about the iconic extinct passenger pigeon.
One hundred years ago today, the last passenger pigeon, a captive-bred adult named Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. Since we knew that she was the last of her kind, her body was frozen into a 300-pound block of ice before she was shipped by train to the Smithsonian Institution, where she was skinned, dissected and preserved as a mount.
Although none of the people who knew these birds are alive today, we can still learn more about this iconic bird through their writings and photographs, thanks to Joel Greenberg’s book, A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction [Bloomsbury USA, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/paperback/audio download; Amazon US hardcover/paperback/kindle/Audible audio]. Written by a research associate at the Field Museum and the Chicago Academy of Sciences’ Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and co-founder of Project Passenger Pigeon, this comprehensive book meticulously documents much that is known about this iconic bird.
The extinct passenger pigeon or wild pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, was a sleek handsome bird with a pointed tail and elongated wings, resembling the much smaller mourning dove. Adult males had slaty blue-grey upper-parts with a copper-coloured breast and shimmering iridescent plumage that changed colours from royal blue to emerald green under changing light conditions. Adult females wore more subdued plumage, whilst the juveniles, which resembled females, were paler with white spots on their wings.
Passenger pigeons were gregarious, roosting and nesting in such prodigious numbers that their combined weight sometimes uprooted entire trees or broke off branches. Most of the birds nested in tremendous colonies covering hundreds of thousands of acres and containing many millions, possibly billions, of birds. Whether these large flocks were an essential component for breeding to occur is uncertain since they also nested in small groups or even as solitary pairs in the wild, and they bred readily in aviaries.
Wild pigeons ate a varied diet. They favoured the seasonal crop of nuts (“mast”) produced by deciduous trees, especially oaks, but they also consumed corn, buckwheat and other cereal crops planted by farmers, and they ate worms and insects, especially when raising young.
Passenger pigeons were the most numerous birds in North America, and may have been the most numerous bird on the planet. Experts estimate that their population numbered somewhere between three and five billion during the early- to mid-1800s.
These elegant birds were built for speed and endurance. In historical times, they wandered low over the continent’s landscape in immense flocks, darkening the sky for days. According to written descriptions inspired by these birds, it’s easy to believe that if passenger pigeons were alive today, they would have routinely stopped all air traffic for days across large parts of North America.
History suggests that few things stimulate human ingenuity more than the challenge of killing. This is most evident when the intended targets are other human beings, for no other organism poses anywhere near the same severity of threat. But as a species, we are no slackers even when the adversary is an eighteen-inch-long bird. Safe only when they rose above high enough to exceed the range of weaponry, the passenger pigeons otherwise lived a gauntlet whereby they became the targets of an arsenal that employed an amazing array of instruments.” [p. 91]
Subsistence hunting of passenger pigeons was not sufficient. Instead, men, women and children often traveled long distances, gathering where ever the passenger pigeons congregated, and the birds were massacred by the hundreds and by the thousands -- in numbers far greater than anyone could possibly consume -- for simple amusement. Males, females and their eggs and chicks (squabs) were all targeted indiscriminately. After the pigeons were dead, they were eaten or their feathers were used to stuff pillows or feather beds, they were dressed for sale and shipped by train or carts to nearby cities, they were fed to swine or simply left to rot -- not unlike the fate of millions of American bison, for example.
Wild pigeons were slaughtered using any conceivable sort of weapon, ranging from bare hands or clubs to canons, from torching the birds whilst they slept in their nests or roosts at night to simply biting their heads off. Entire competitions were designed to celebrate the greatest number of pigeons killed by a single shotgun blast or that were killed by one person within a specific span of time. Large social events and tournaments were held where thousands of wild pigeons were jammed into crates and transported by train to large cities like New York. There, they become trap shooting targets for rich and powerful gentlemen, whilst cheering mobs gambled on who might be the eventual winner. Although viewed as a sport, these events amounted to nothing more than firing squads where the wild pigeons, debilitated by lack of food and water for days, were shot moments after release.
But at least some pigeons escaped or managed to recover from their wounds. According to one anonymous pigeon hunter in the state of Wisconsin, a close examination of his pigeon carcasses revealed “a host of wounds from ‘previous assaults’: ‘broken and disjointed legs; bills that had been shot half away and grown curiously out again; missing toes or even a whole leg; and even healed up breast wounds.’” (p. 97)
The passenger pigeons’ resilience and tremendous numbers allowed this bloodshed to continue unabated for fifty years. But in the end, the carnage came to an abrupt halt because the vast flocks of wild pigeons disappeared. Yet even at the end of the 1800s -- and despite their rarity -- the last few wild pigeons were still being singled out whilst feeding in the company of flocks of other avian species or they were shot out of the sky and, once again, their bodies were typically discarded, or were occasionally made into mounts or eaten.
The final chapters of Mr Greenberg’s book record the last few breeding attempts made by passenger pigeons across the eastern United States and Southeastern Canada. Reading this rollcall to extinction is almost like hearing the tolling of a distant bell marking a funeral, except this bell tolls for the loss of an entire nation, it documents the indefensible, deliberate decimation of an entire species that will never again grace this planet.
Even as people knew these birds were disappearing, the persecutions intensified, and several million pigeons were recorded as being slaughtered and shipped to cities from their final mass nesting attempts during their last decade on Earth. This of course leaves one to wonder how many additional deaths went unrecorded because no one bothered to collect the dead birds? And the numbers of live birds shipped to trapshoots in those final years remained undocumented, as well.
But even in the last few years of their existence, these birds often died in vain: upon reaching the cities, it was not uncommon for barrels of pigeons to be discarded as unfit for human consumption.
This carnage left just a few dozen passenger pigeons alive in private aviaries and zoos. The last one of them all, named Martha, was a captive-bred bird with a fuzzy history who resided at the Cincinnati Zoo. First, she was part of a small group, but they died one by one until Martha was the last living representative of her species. But even during the last four years of her life, the ageing Martha was sometimes harassed by the public, who gathered outside her aviary on Sundays to throw sand at her so she would move around the enclosure.
This compendium, which clearly is a labour of love, took four years to investigate and write. It is meticulously researched and thoroughly cited, containing a readable 34-page appendix of miscellany, 16 pages of chapter notes, a 14-page bibliography and a 15-page index. The index’s usefulness is limited to listing only the names of people and places, instead of additional terms that would probably interest most readers, terms such as pets, zoos, captive breeding or aviculture, especially since all these topics were mentioned in the book, even if only briefly.
The book includes numerous black-and-white photographs, drawings and a few maps embedded within the text and a special insert with full-colour illustrations -- paintings, photographs, sketches and other historical materials that add context to this shameful story.
The writing is generally pedestrian although it sometimes can be sardonic or personable. Nevertheless, the considerable effort required to hunt down and read the historical materials, some of which are newly brought to light so this book could be written in the first place, makes this the most important document about the passenger pigeon to be published since A. W. Shorger’s monograph, The Passenger Pigeon: Its Natural History and Extinction (1955). I suspect that the author’s dedication came at a price: I can barely imagine the huge emotional toll that researching and writing this book must have taken on Mr Greenberg.
A Feathered River Across the Sky is critically valuable as a reference work and as a historical document. This chronicle is a powerful record of the extinction of a species at the hands of man and for this reason alone, it is our responsibility to read this book. Further, it serves as a quietly damning reflection of our outrageous hubris and arrogance, and the myriad destructive choices that we make as individuals, as a culture and as a species.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
You may wish to read about a recently published study that further explores the extinction of the passenger pigeon.
You may also wish to watch several videos that discuss Martha’s last homes.
...Read more
Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of September 6, 2014 to September 7, 2014:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 6, 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, September 7, 2014, 8 a.m.
Early Morning Bird Walk: Fall Migration
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, September 6, 2014
Prospect Park
Meet: 7:30 am at Grand Army Plaza Stranahan Statue park entrance
Leader: Sean Zimmer
Sunday, September 7, 2014
World Shorebird Day at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Steve Nanz
Focus: waterbirds, shorebirds, early passerines
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Heidi Steiner-Nanz, email heidi.steiner@verizon.net
Registration period: August 26th - Sept 4th
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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 6, 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, September 6, 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, September 7, 2014, 8am – 11am
Fall Warbler Identification Workshop (trip)
Class: Thursday, September 4, 6:30-8:30pm Trip: Sunday, September 7, 8-11am Instructor: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC Identifying “confusing fall warblers” can be tricky, even for the experts. Come study some of the most puzzling species that stop through our area during fall migration with expert Joe Giunta, and then enjoy a second session in the “classroom” of Central Park.
Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register!
Sunday, September 7, 2014, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families in Central Park
BIRDING FOR FAMILIES IN CENTRAL PARK Sundays, September 7–November 30, 10-11am Guide: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues). Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. As a family, learn how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Dana Center. For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370.
Limited to 20. Age 5 and up.
Free
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, September 7, 2014, 10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Greenbelt Loop and Lunch
We’ll walk 6 moderate miles starting and ending at the Greenbelt Nature Center, with lunch at High Rock. This walk includes a gradual climb up Moses’ Mountain. Bring ample water and lunch. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, comfortable pants and a hat. Shorts are not recommended. Meet at 10:30 a.m. sharp at the Greenbelt Nature Center on Rockland Avenue and Brielle Avenue. If it’s raining at the time of the walk, the event is postponed to Sunday, September 14.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.
Sunday, September 7, 2014, 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Old Mill Road
Meet behind St Andrew’s Church, at the end of Old Mill Road. We will experience ecological succession in action while hiking a landscape once deforested by British troops during the American Revolution.
For more information e-mail Will Lenihan at wleni5584@gmail.com or call 518-645-0220.
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 6, 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!
Fall Migration Walk in Inwood Hill Park at 218th Street and Indian Road (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.
Learn about the migratory birds of the season in the new wetlands and the ancient forest.
Free!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Ranger's Choice: Hawk Watch at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
1:00 p.m.
The Old Pelham Bay landfill remains closed to the public, making it a great place to watch migrating birds of prey.
Free!
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