Upcoming Nature Trips

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!