Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, August 20, 2016 to Sunday, August 21, 2016 (updated 8/2/16):

Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens
Leader: Tom Stephenson
Focus: Peak of shorebird and sandpiper species
Car fee: $12.00
Registrar: Chris Laskowski, email celaskowski@yahoo.com
Registration Period: August 13th–August 18th
Notes: Trip capped at 16 participants; high tide is 11:24am

**********

Freshkills Park (Staten Island)
Sunday, August 21, 2016, 10:00am
Kayak Tour
Join the Freshkills Park Team and Kayak Staten Island for a kayaking experience like no other! Kayak along the Fresh Kill and see the site from a different perspective. This excursion will take you into the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge and up close to some of the varied wildlife that calls Freshkills Park home.

Kayaks, life vests, and brief safety training will be provided. Kayak tours are limited to participants ages 16 and over, in good health and with basic swimming skills. Be prepared to get wet! Space is very limited.

A $10 donation to the Freshkills Park Alliance is now required with kayak registration. This contribution will help the Alliance continue to provide this program.

Tickets go on sale August 7th. Location provided with registration confirmation.
Sign Up at EventBrite

**********

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

**********

Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, August 20, 2016, 9:30am
Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary
Leader: Annette Brownell (631-336-6790)
Call to RSVP and arrange carpooling (parking is limited) Directions can be found at WWW.LIHUMMER.ORG. It is expected of all visitors to do their homework and study the maps, directions, warnings and instructions at www.lihummer.org.

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Jamaica Bay 23rd Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk
Leader: Sean Sime — seansime@seansime.com or 917-324-2735
Registration opens: August 8
Public transportation

**********

New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, August 20, 2016 7:30am – 5pm
11th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay with Gateway National Recreation Area and American Littoral Society
During the past 40 years, over 40 species of shorebirds (including rare and accidental vagrants) have been recorded at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge’s East and West Ponds from mid-July through October, with the greatest diversity and abundance usually occurring in August. We invite you to attend our tenth annual celebration at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, August 20. New this year: activities for the whole family with National Park Service. Click here to see a full schedule of events.

Free bus transportation from Manhattan to Jamaica Bay is available for NYC Audubon members at the Student/Senior level and up. Meet at 71 West 23rd Street at 6:30am. (We will return to 23rd Street by approximately 6pm.) Contact the office at 212-691-7483 x306 to reserve a seat.

For more information, contact NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483 x 306, the American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896, or Don Riepe at donriepe@gmail.com

Thursday, August 18, 2016 6:30-8:30pm (class)
Sunday, August 21, 2016, 10am-2pm (trip)
Shorebird ID Workshop
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Shorebirds are one of the most challenging groups of birds to identify, yet beautiful and fascinating once they can be distinguished. Learn to identify plovers and sandpipers (including "peeps") by learning behavior, field marks, and calls - then take a field trip to Jamaica Bay to practice your new skills. Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, August 21, 2016 @ 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Discover Dragonflies with Paul Lederer
Cost: Free
Contact: Paul Lederer 718-354-9200
Dragonflies have been a part of the fauna of this planet long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Learn about the identification, behavior and biology of these fascinating insects. Bring binoculars if you have them. Participants will meet at the Greenbelt’s Pouch Boy Scout Camp at 1465 Manor Road by the totem poles in the parking lot. For more information contact Paul at his cell phone 718-354-9200.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Hallett Nature Sanctuary at Hallett Nature Sanctuary (in Central Park), Manhattan
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
During these limited hours, visitors can explore the normally-closed Hallett Sanctuary at their own pace along the rustic trail.
Free!

**********

Young Birders Club
Saturday August 20, 2016
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (Kings/Queens County)
Trip Leader: Tim Healy

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge—part of Gateway National Recreation Area—is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeastern United States and one of the best places in New York City to observe migrating species. Encompassing 9,155 acres, it has hosted more than 330 bird species—nearly half the species in the Northeast—over the last 25 years, making it a must-see for avian enthusiasts. In summer, Jamaica Bay supports breeding populations of more than 70 bird species, including breeding colonies of herons and other long-legged waders, nesting grassland birds and the largest concentration of beach-nesting birds in the Northeast.

The main target for this particular trip will be migrant shorebirds, as well as some nice resident birds: Glossy Ibis, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, Clapper Rail, etc.

Bring tall waterproof boots, or old sneakers, expecting that said sneakers (and socks and pantlegs) will get quite muddy. There should be a place outside the visitors center where people can hose the mud off their sneakers, etc. afterwards, though since the access point for the East Pond we will probably be using requires a short drive, some trash bags to put the footwear in for the car ride back to the visitors center would probably be a good idea.

Watch your email Inbox for more details!

Permission form due by 8/12/16.