Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, February 7, 2015 to Sunday, February 8, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, February 7, 2015, 12 PM – 1 PM
Introduction to Birdwatching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.


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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Coney Island Creek to Coney Island Pier – 4-mile walk
Leader: Rob Jett aka "The City Birder"
Registrar: Irene Warshauer – iwarshauer@aol.com or 212-249-6561
Registration opens: Monday, January 26
Public transportation

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Littoral Society
Saturday, February 07, 2015, 10:00am - 01:00pm
Winter Survival Wildlife Walk
Join Don Riepe at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for a slide presentation and walk to look for overwintering birds and other wildlife. See species that include ducks, geese and winter finches!
This program is an American Littoral Society / G.N.R.A. Partnership Program and is free and open to the public.
Location : Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Contact : To RSVP: Call (718) 474-0896, or e-mail donriepe@gmail.com

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, February 7, 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, February 7, 2015, 10am – 1pm
Winter Survival Wildlife Walk
Guide: Don Riepe, with Gateway NRA Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for a slide presentation and walk to look for overwintering birds and other wildlife. See many species of ducks, geese and winter finches.
To register, call Don Riepe at (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com.

Sunday, February 8, 2015, 9:30am – 11:30am
Winter 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, February 8, 2015, 12pm – 7pm
Soaring Raptors: Eagles and Owls of the Hudson River Valley, NY
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC You don’t have to travel to Alaska to see our country’s emblem, the American bald eagle. Thanks to one of the most successful reintroduction programs on record, many eagles now soar over the nearby Hudson Valley. Travel with us to see this spectacular raptor, as well as possibly spot the secretive short-eared owl.
Bring lunch, water, and binoculars. Transport by passenger van is included. Limited to 12. $100 (70) Click here to register

Sunday, February 8, 2015, 12pm – 2pm
Winter EcoCruise
Guide: NYC Audubon Guide Meet at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 and come aboard NY Water Taxi’s eco-friendly vessel for a winter adventure in New York Harbor! Look for harbor seals on the rocky shores of Governor’s Island and the more remote Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. Learn about the surprisingly diverse winter birds of New York City, including ducks, geese, loons, and sandpipers, many of which migrate south from the Arctic. See the Statue of Liberty and pass under the Verrazano Bridge.
Dress warmly! . Limited to 90. To register, contact New York Water Taxi at 212-742-1969 or www.nywatertaxi.com. $35 for adults; $25 for children under 12; $105 for family pack for 2 adults and 2 children

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, February 7, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Acme Pond and the North Forest
The woodlands and ponds of this little-known area will be explored during an approximately two-mile hike. Once heavily farmed, the Acme Pond area has developed into a wooded forest over the past 150 years with sweetgum, white oaks and hickories as the dominant trees. The pond is reputed to be the home of large bass and provides a secluded location for many birds as well as frogs and turtles. Participants will meet at the corner of Hylan Boulevard, and Holten Avenue.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, February 8, 2015, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Take a Walk Staten Island!
You set your own pace for a walk on the multi-use Greenway trail in the Greenbelt. Enjoy the open sky and the rolling lawns of the golf course as we move into and out of woods. Get your dose of open space! Dress warm and bring a friend! Appropriate for all ages. Level terrain. Meet at the corner of Rockland Avenue and Forest Hill Road at the Greenway entrance.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.

Sunday, February 8, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Crooke’s Point
Maritime sand spits such as Crooke’s Point are dynamic typographical features formed and sculpted by water and wind action. Join naturalist Paul T. Lederer in a talk and walk where the geological and human history of the site will be discussed. He will also give an update on the maritime shrub-forest restoration and the Army Corps of Engineer dredging and sand removal operations. The entrance to Great Kills Park is located at the intersection of Buffalo Street and Hylan Boulevard. Participants will enter the park and gather in the Great Kills Park Beach Center Parking Lot near the beginning of the dirt permit road leading out to Crooke’s Point.
For more information call Paul T. Lederer at 718-987-1576.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Croton Point
Leader: Ian Resnick, 917-626-9562 8am.

MINI TRIPS: Break after lunch +/-
ALL DAY TRIPS: BYO lunch, dinner out. {optl}
WEEKEND TRIPS: Two + days / Overnight
MONTHLY MEETINGS: Presentation with speaker {except July and Aug}

Trip Etiquette
Please register for trips

- Register. Let leaders know you're coming!
- Car pooling or skipping requires planning
- Be advised if there are last minute changes or cancellations. These cannot be communicated to unknown persons.
- Be on time! Most trips begin birding by 8am!
- Please arrive before the starting time so we do not waste precious early morning bird activity.
- Plan your travel time.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Pelham Bay Park

All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
Any questions please Call Joe at (516) 467-9498.
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Family Birdwatching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
After learning how to use binoculars, join our naturalists to identify some of the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, February 8, 2015
Winter Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats.
Free!

Winter Birds of Prey at Unisphere (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
11:00 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. We offer birding programs…
Free!

Birding: Owls at Orchard Beach Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
1:00 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. We offer birding programs…
Free!