Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, June 25, 2016 to Sunday, June 26, 2016:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 25, 2016, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Hiking Harriman State Park Kakiat Trail
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: Breeding birds, Butterflies, wildflowers wildlife
Bus fare: TBD
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: June 18th –June 23rd
Note: Not for the physically challenged or inexperienced as some strenuous ascent and descent is involved up small mountains.
This is a public transportation trip leaving by bus from NYC Port Authority Terminal.
Trail Profile: http://nynjtc.org/hike/dater-mountain-nature-park-and-harriman-state-park

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Every Sunday Weekly and Every Saturday Weekly from 06/04/2016 to 09/03/2016 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Birding for Beginners
Join us for an introduction to this fun hobby. Learn the basics of birding. Bring binoculars and a field guide or borrow them from wildlife refuge!
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fee Information: Free

Every Sunday Weekly and Every Saturday Weekly from 05/28/2016 to 08/28/2016 9:30AM to 11:30AM
Camp Gateway Walk-up and Paddle
Try kayaking! Open to the public, ages 6 and up with an adult. No reservation required. Bring a snack, water and sunscreen.
Bus: Q35
Location: Floyd Bennett Field – Brooklyn, Seaplane Ramp
Fee Information: FREE
Contact Name: Ryan Visitor Center
Contact Phone Number: 718-338-3799

Every Saturday Weekly from 05/28/2016 to 08/27/2016 1:00PM to 3:30PM
Canarsie Walk-up and Paddle
Kayak tryouts for those who have never done it before. Open to the public, ages 6 and up with an adult. No reservations required.
Location: Canarsie Pier, Brooklyn
Fee Information: FREE
Contact Name: Ryan Visitor Center
Contact Phone Number: (718)338-3799

Every Sunday Weekly from 06/05/2016 to 09/04/2016 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Fort Tilden Bunkers Walking Tour
Join a Park Ranger for an exploration of Fort Tilden's gun batteries, and find out about the fort's role in the defense of New York Harbor.
1 mile.
Location: Fort Tilden-Building 1
Fee Information: Free

Sunday, June 26, 2016, 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Hike the Trails of the North Forty Natural Area
Join American Littoral Society naturalist Mickey Maxwell Cohen to discover the enigmas of the winter woods. Participants will carpool from the Ryan Visitor Center to the North Forty trailhead. A magnifying glass will be helpful.
This is an American Littoral Society/ Gateway NRA partnership program.
Approx. 2 miles.
Location: Floyd Bennett Field
Fee Information: Free

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Littoral Society
Sunday, June 26, 2016 05:00pm - 08:00pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Ecology Cruise

Join us for one of the American Littoral Society Northeast Chapter's most popular events -- a three hour, narrated ecology cruise with noted local naturalists, Don Riepe and Mickey Cohen. Enjoy wine, cheese and fruit aboard the Golden Sunshine with our Jamaica Bay experts and learn about the history and ecology of the bay, a 25,000 acre expanse of salt marshes, intertidal flats and upland forests that is home to 330 species of birds, 107 species of finfish and over 70 species of butterflies. See nesting peregrine falcons, osprey, egrets, heron, ibis and many other species and explore the backwaters of the bay while enjoying the beautiful New York City skyline.

Cost: $55.00 per person, $25 for children under 16. Advance payment is required.
Location : Pier 8 - Emmons Ave and Bedford Ave, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY
Contact : email donriepe@gmail.com or call (718) 474-0896
The boat departs from Pier 8 in Sheepshead Bay at the intersection of Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Please arrive a half hour early to find parking and board the ship.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, June 25, 2016, 8am-5pm
Breeding Birds of the Hudson Highlands
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join Gabriel Willow on a day-long trip to some of the most exciting & beautiful birding locations in the Hudson Valley - Doodletown Rd., Constitution Marsh, and Indian Brook Farm (in Fahnestock State Park). We'll look for uncommon breeding warbler specialties at Doodletown, such as cerulean, hooded, blue-winged, golden-winged, and worm-eating warblers; We will then head to the Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary to explore a brackish marsh along the Hudson River. They have a beautiful boardwalk and are home to breeding wood duck, bald eagle, least bittern, marsh wren, and more. After a picnic lunch by the banks of Indian Brook, we will drive to Indian Brook Farm, which has extensive grasslands and highbush blueberry stands. These habitats have breeding Field and savannah sparrows, bobolinks, and indigo buntings. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $129 (90)
Click here to register

Saturdays, May 7-July 30, 8-9:30am
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, June 25, 2016, 10am-1pm
Birds, Butterflies, and Terrapins
Guide: Don Riepe
With the American Littoral Society
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for a slide program and hike around the ponds and gardens to look for nesting birds and other wildlife. For info and reservations call (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com. Free.

Sunday, June 26, 2016, 10am–1pm
The Parakeets of Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
Guide: Gabriel Willow
With Green-Wood Cemetery
Meet at the cemetery entrance at 5th Avenue and 25th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Green-Wood Cemetery is rich in both history and wildlife. It is also the highest point in Brooklyn, affording marvelous views. We will explore its environs in search of spring migrants and its most unique avian residents: the huge flocks of brilliant green monk parakeets that nest there. Native to South America, these charming immigrants are surprisingly hardy and flourish even in our harsh winters. Limited to 15. $46 (32)
Click here to register

Sunday, June 26, 2016, 11am – 4pm
Freshkills Park Discovery Day
Join NYC Audubon in a celebration of the birds of Freshkills Park! From wetlands to woodlands to rich, rolling grasslands, the diverse habitats of Freshkills Park host a wide variety of migratory and resident songbirds, waterbirds, and birds of prey. Come along on a free guided bird walk with an NYC Audubon naturalist to experience the benefits that the restoration of Freshkills Park is having on local wildlife. Walks start at the NYC Audubon table at noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm.

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Sullivan County Audubon Society
Saturday, June 25, 2016, 9am - 3 pm
Bio Blitz at the Ten Mile River Scout Camp
See this link

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts.
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? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, June 26, 2016
Discovery Day at Freshkills Park at Freshkills Park Event Entrance, Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
This is a one-day opportunity to discover the unique experience and views the park has to offer.
Free!