Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, January 30, 2016 to Sunday, January 31, 2016:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, January 30, 2016, 3-6pm
Shawangunk Grassland National Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Tait Johansson
Discover Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls! Depart Bylane at 1:30pm. Dress warm. Easy
Registrer with Jeanne Pollock at jpollock@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.519.7801

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Brooklyn's southwest coast
Leader: Dan Frazer cell # 347-355-1330, danielericfrazer@gmail.com (info)
Focus: Coastal species, waterbirds, sea ducks, raptors
No registration necessary. Meet: 8:30 am at TD Bank below the Bay Parkway train stop "D" line: http://www.usbanklocations.com/td-bank-bensonhurst-branch.html
Note: the primary birding locations are Caesar's Bay locale and nearby BJ's retailer coast views, Calvert Vaux/Drier Offerman park area. A bus runs towards Caesar's Bay from the train stop.

**********

Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Owl Prowl at Pelham Bay Park
Meet at Pelham Bay Park at 8 AM; far left corner of the Orchard Beach parking lot.
Pelham Bay Park is known for its wintering owls. Northern Saw-whet, Great Horned, Long-eared and maybe a Barn or Barred owl might be found on this trip. We will also search the woods and water for winter birds. American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser should be in the bays.
http://www.hras.org/wtobird/pelhambay.html

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, January 30, 2016
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

**********

New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, January 30, 2016, 9am – 4pm
Winter Eagles on The Hudson
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join NYC Audubon for one of the most incredible avian spectacles in NY: a search for Bald Eagles wintering along the Hudson River. They gather to feed and rest on the frozen river by the dozens or even hundreds. We will travel in comfort, taking Metro North to Croton Point Park, where we will look for eagles near the train station before hiking up to Croton Point Park, which can also host wintering Short-eared Owls, Snowy Owls, Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and other cold-weather specialties. The walk is about two miles over easy terrain. Dress for cold weather. Limited to 20. Meet at the clock in Grand Central Station at 8:45 for a 9:20 departure. Round-trip Metro North fare ($20.50) not included in trip price. $53 (37)
Click here to register

Sunday, January 31, 2016, 12pm – 2pm
Winter Seals and Waterbirds of NY Harbor
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

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, January 30, 2016 @ 9:15am – 4:00pm
Winter 10-Mile Greenbelt Walk
Cost: Free
Contact: Dominick Durso 917-478-7607 / Don Recklies 718-768-9036
Save the date for this iconic winter encounter with Staten Island’s woodlands, ponds, hills and vistas. Dress warmly and bring lunch and beverage. We’ll meet at the the Greenbelt Nature Center at the corner of Rockland and Brielle Avenues.

Sunday, January 31, 2016 @ 8:00am – 10:00am
North Mount Loretto State Forest
Cost: Free
Contact: Anthony Cianimino
Join birder Anthony Ciancimino for a guided bird walk through North Mount Loretto State Forest. This area is great for birding year round, and the diversity of species can be good even in the dead of winter. Pileated Woodpeckers are possible as well as various wintering species. If the wetlands in the state forest are open we can identify a nice variety of waterfowl as well. Participants will meet in the state forest parking lot along Amboy Road, between Georgia Court and Richmond Valley Road. For more information contact Anthony Ciancimino at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com.

Sunday, January 31, 2016 @ 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Conference House Park Beach and Woods
Cost: Free
Contact: Clay Wollney 718-869-6327
The past and present blend in 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. We will observe evidence of the human occupation of the area, observe local geology and discover what the natural and unnatural debris at the high tide line has to reveal. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard on the left.

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Point Lookout Town Park

Notes:
All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Birding: Eagles at Payson Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free!