Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, April 18, 2015 to Sunday, April 19, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, April 18, 12–1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
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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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Floyd Bennett and Marine Park
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Focus: first Spring neotropical songbird migrants, sparrows, raptors, upland grass species, early shorebirds
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Bobbi Manian, email Roberta.manian@yahoo.com
Registration Period: April 7th - April 16th

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Green-Wood Cemetery
Leader: Rob Jett aka "The City Birder" – information only 917-887-4118
No registration: Public transportation (R train to 25th Street)
Meet at the Main Gate (25th Street and 5th Avenue, Brooklyn) at 7:45 am

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 18, 2015
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, April 18, 2015, 8am – 2pm
Beginning Birding (trip)
Instructor: Tod Winston
Learn the keys to identifying the spectacular variety of birds that migrate northwards through New York City every spring. Even if you’ve never picked up a pair of binoculars, you’ll soon be identifying warblers, thrushes, waterbirds, and more—both by sight and by ear. Two fun and educational in-class sessions, paired with field trips to Jamaica Bay and Central Park (transport to Jamaica Bay included). Limited to 12. $179 (125)
Click here to register

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: 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, April 18, 2015, 9am – 4pm
Spring Migration in Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Come explore the lovely coves and rocky outcroppings of NYC’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park, to look for migrating songbirds, late-wintering birds, ducks, and a breeding pair of great-horned owls! The rich and diverse habitat makes this park an urban gem and a great home for wildlife. Past rarities include a northern goshawk and a purple sandpiper. Bring lunch, water, and binoculars. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $93 (65)
Click here to register

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 5:00pm – 9:30pm
The Sky-Dance of the Woodcock, Brooklyn III
Guide: Gabriel Willow
The American Woodcock is a remarkable bird: It is in the sandpiper family but lives in woodlands, often far from beaches. The male performs an incredible crepuscular aerial display and song early in the spring, soon after the snow melts in the northern US. There are a few places around New York City where they perform this display. Let's go look for it (and bats and owls and other critters, too) at Floyd Bennett Field. Bring binoculars, comfortable shoes, a headlamp or flashlight, and a snack for a post-woodcock picnic. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $90 (63)
Click here to register

Sunday, April 19, 2015, 10am – 1pm
Birds and Plants: New York Botanical Garden in Springtime, The Bronx
Guides: Gabriel Willow, NYBG Docent
Meet just outside the Garden's Mosholu Gate on Southern Boulevard. The NY Botanical Garden is home to a large tract of East Coast old-growth forest. During the peak of spring migration, the beautiful gardens come alive with migrating songbirds. Limited to 15. Entrance fee to NYBG not included. $39 (27)
Click here to register

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Lenore Figueroa (718-343-1391)

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike.
Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated by ***, in which case, the walk will start at 6:30 am on BIG Day.
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 http://northshoreaudubon.org/ for directions.
We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, April 18, 2015, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Long Pond Park on a Spring Evening
During a one-and-a-half mile hike through the woodlands of Long Pond Park, we will observe evidence of the geologic history and human influence on the park as well as look for evidence of wildlife of the park. Reptiles and amphibians are out of hibernation and we are likely to meet some of the local species. Participants will meet at PS 6, at the corner of Page Avenue and Academy Avenue.
For more information call Clay Wollney at (718)869-6327.

Sunday, April 19, 2015, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Graniteville Quarry Walk (1975 – 2015)
Dr. Alan Benimoff will lead a 1.5-hour walk highlighting the igneous rocks found here that formed 200 million years ago as the supercontinent Pangaea split apart. You will see a very rare example of a xenoilth that partially melted to form a trondhjemite. Dr. Benimoff will also show evidence that a glacier flowed over this area around 22,000 years ago. Meet in front of the park sign on the south side of Forest Avenue between Van Name Avenue and Simonson Avenue.
Call Dr. Benimoff at 718-477-1974.

Sunday, April 19, 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.
Call Paul T. Lederer at 718-987-1576.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Jamaica Bay for Beginners

MINI TRIPS: Break after lunch +/-
ALL DAY TRIPS: BYO lunch, dinner out. {optl}
WEEKEND TRIPS: Two + days / Overnight

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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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 18, 2015
HSBC Children’s Garden Spring Session at QBG at Queens Botanical Garden, Queens
9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Children’s imaginations and knowledge blossom as they plant and harvest vegetables and flowers, visit the bee garden, and more.

Birding: Spring Migrants at Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free!

Pop-Up Audubon: Leaf Litter Critters at Eastwood (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join the Prospect Park Alliance to uncover the secrets of soil creatures, fungus,and decomposition.
Free!

Pop-Up Audubon II: Animal Clues at Peninsula (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
This spring, the Prospect Park Alliance explores the aquatic habitats of Prospect Park.
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!

Spring Bird and Wildflower Walk at Wolfe's Pond Park House (in Wolfe's Pond Park), Staten Island
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Explore the ephemeral beauty of spring wildflowers at Wolfe’s Pond Park, Research Associate Ray Matarazzo, and Curator of Science, Will Lenihan.
Free!

Sunday, April 19, 2015
Pop-Up Audubon: Leaf Litter Critters at Eastwood (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join the Prospect Park Alliance to uncover the secrets of soil creatures, fungus,and decomposition.
Free!

Pop-Up Audubon II: Animal Clues at Peninsula (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
This spring, the Prospect Park Alliance explores the aquatic habitats of Prospect Park.
Free!

Soarin' Over Staten Island at Freshkills Park Event Entrance, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Half hawk watch, half kite festival, and all fun! A windy spring weekend is the perfect time to head to the top of Freshkills Park’s North Park and look for migrant hawks.
Free!