Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, November 5, 2016 to Sunday, November 6, 2016:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Sunday, November 6, 2016, 8am – 9am
Early Morning Bird Walk: Feathered Friends
Join the Prospect Park Alliance and observe some of the Park’s feathered friends including chickadees, early winter residents such as Northern Shovelers and species of ducks that spend the winter in the Lake. Tour leaves promptly at 8 am. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday November 5, 2016
An Autumn Rarity Quest
Leaders Bobbi Manian and Dennis Hrehowsik
Focus: Pursuit of good or rare birds to locations based on the week’s birding alert reports
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik email deepseagangster@gmail.com
Registration Period: Oct 29th - Nov 3rd

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, November 5, 2016, 8:30PM to 10:00PM
Stargazing
Fee Information: Free
Join the Staten Island Chapter of the Amateur Astronomer's Association for public stargazing at Great Kill's main parking lot, Lot A. Binoculars and telescopes are provided, you may also bring your own. Inclement weather will cancel this event.

Sunday, November 6, 2016, 3:00PM to 4:30PM
Fall Hike and Fort Tour
Fee Information: Free
Join a NPS ranger to hike the overlook loop at Fort Wadsworth. Bring binoculars and comfortable shoes. Reservations are required, please call 718-354-4655.

Sunday, November 6, 2016, 1:30PM to 3:00PM
Owl Prowl
Fee Information: Free
Kid ages are invited to join a park ranger to earn their very own Junior Ranger badge, and to get started on the way toward earning their Junior Ranger patch! Junior Rangers will go on an owl adventure to learn about these beautiful birds and their diet by investigating owl pellets. Be prepared to take a hike along the west pond trail to search for owl habitat. Bus: Q52, Q53; A Train to Broad Channel.

Multiple Days: 11/06/2016, 10/02/2016 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Walking Tour of Fort Tilden
Fee Information: Free
Join a Park Ranger for a walking tour of historic Fort Tilden, and its role in the 20th century coastal and air defense.

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Hudson River Audubon
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Jones Beach – Late Fall Migrants
Meet at 8AM at the Coast Guard Station in West End IIThis is a good time for a rarity or a western stray to show up such as winter finches, Western Kingbird or Lapland Longspur. A variety of birds should be seen from seabirds, ducks, hawks, shorebirds and late land migrants. If time allows we will head over to Point Lookout in search of Purple Sandpipers and Harlequin Ducks. Bring lunch and expect to return midafternoon.
Directions: http://hras.org/wtobird/jonesbeach.html

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Prospect Park in November
Leader: Peter Dorosh — information only prosbird@aol.com
No registration
Public transportation: F Train to 15th Street Station, Prospect Park. Meet at the Bartel Pritchard entrance at 8am

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 9/3/2016 - 6/24/2017: 11:00 a.m.
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
Saturdays, September 3-November 26, 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, November 5, 2016, 9am-3pm
Ducks, Raptors, and More at Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Come explore the lovely coves and rocky outcroppings of Pelham Bay Park, looking for wintering ducks, migrating raptors, and more. Pelham Bay Park's combination of open water, salt marsh, rocky shore, both young and old growth forest, rare coastal tall grass meadows, and patches of dry and wet oak savanna are not just unique within the City, but also on this continent! Bring lunch and water. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $102 (71)
Click here to register

Sunday, November 6, 2016, 8-11am
Morning Fall Migration Walk in Prospect Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Meet under the arch in Grand Army Plaza. Join Gabriel Willow for a leisurely walk to get to know the fall migrants of 'Brooklyn's Backyard', beautiful Prospect Park. Prospect Park has a wide variety of habitats that attracts a number of both breeding and passage migrant bird species, with even more recorded than in Central Park. We will explore the park's meadows, forests, and waterways in search of migratory warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers, waterfowl, and more. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Sunday, November 6, 2016, 9:30am-7pm
Snow Geese and Tundra Swans of Brigantine, NJ
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Brigantine, part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, is one of the East Coast's premier sites for waterbirds, offering a diversity of species and panoramic views. Bring lunch and water. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $125 (87)
Click here to register

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Kissena Park
Leader: Rich - 509-1094

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated.
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. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
Please note there is a $10 per car fee at Sands Pt. Call leader for parking ideas.
Schedule note: *** indicates 8 am official start time
*indicates new parking location

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, November 5, 2016 @ 9:15am – 3:15pm
10-Mile Fall Greenbelt Walk
Cost: Free
Protectors of Pine Oak Woods invites everyone to join us a Staten Island adventure. Everyone is encouraged to enjoy the crisp air and bright sun of autumn. Colors should be at peak though some contrasting green leaves remain. Wear comfortable boots and long pants. We walk ten, moderate miles in all weather. Participants will gather at the Greenbelt Nature Center and enjoy a measured hike throughout the surrounding areas of the Greenbelt. Bring lunch and adequate beverage. For more information call Dominick Durso at (917) 478-7607, or Don Recklies at (718) 768-9036.

Saturday, November 5, 2016 @ 12:00pm – 2:00pm
High Rock Park and Pouch Camp
Cost: Free
Join Ray Matarazzo for a fall foliage hike to Stump’s Pond. Investigate this unique corner of the Greenbelt with one of Staten Island’s finest environmental educators. The walk will focus on the identification of trees, some of the most colorful species, Hickory, Maple, Sweetgum and Tupelo. Participants will meet in the parking lot at 200 Nevada Avenue. For more information contact Ray Matarazzo at (718) 317-7666.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Kissena Park w/ SMR Aud.
Leader: Eric Miller - 917-279-7530
Meet by 7:45
**If a rarity shows up, we will chase it**

Trip Etiquette Notify the leader well in advance so they can coordinate car pooling and notify you of last minute meeting time or location changes. Be on time. We depart promptly.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Mill Pond Park

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

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
About 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park and over 60 species breed here!
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

If, like me, you are a fan of nature documentaries, no doubt you have seen lots of footage of Cattle Egrets following around zebras, wildebeest and other ungulates in Africa. An Old World species, this bird reveals an incredible story of how one species successfully expanded into the New World and beyond making it the greatest natural expansions of any bird species! Believed to have originated in central Africa, it began to expand its range through that continent eventually appearing in northeastern South America in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1953 it spread north with the first breeding pair established in Florida that year. By 1962 they had made their way into Canada. Cattle Egret can now be found throughout North America.

Unlike the similar looking Snowy Egret or Great Egret who feed primarily in littoral zones, the Cattle Egret forages in open country associating with large grazing mammals that flush insects as they move. In Africa they feed along with elephants, rhinos, and Cape Buffalos. In the Americas they associate with cattle and horses. Though rare around NYC, the best place to look for one around Brooklyn is Floyd Bennett Field.

The IUCN Red List lists their conservation status as “Least Concern”

Its scientific name, Bubulcus ibis, means cowherd ibis.

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, October 29, 2016 to Sunday, October 30, 2016:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, October 30, 2016
A Bird Haunting at Greenwood Cemetery
Leader: Bobbi Manian
Focus: Peak of late fall migrants, sparrows and early winter songbirds
Meet: 8:00 am at the main entrance 25th Street/5th Avenue (Nearest subway: R train 25th stop; walk south one block)

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Freshkills Park (Staten Island)
Sunday, October 30, 2016, 10:00am
Bus Tour
Learn about the past, present and future of Freshkills Park development during a guided bus ride through the park. Stops at the top of the park’s hills offer beautiful panoramic views of Staten Island. This tour departs from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George.
Sign Up at EventBrite

Sunday, October 30, 2016, 1:00pm
Bus Tour
Learn about the past, present and future of Freshkills Park development during a guided bus ride through the park. Stops at the top of the park’s hills offer beautiful panoramic views of Staten Island. This tour departs from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George.
Sign Up at EventBrite

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Gateway National Park
Sunday, October 30, 2016, 7:30PM to 8:30PM
Lantern Tour of Fort Tilden
Fee Information: Free
Join a Park Ranger to experience and learn about historic Fort Tilden, in a different way. Bring a flashlight and dress for the weather.
Space is limited- Call (718) 338-3799 for reservations.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, October 29, 2016
New Jersey Hotspots
Leader: Robert Machover
Registrar: Karen Asakawa — avocet501@gmail.com or 347-306-0690
Registration opens: Monday, October 17
Ride: $40

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 9/3/2016 - 6/24/2017: 11:00 a.m.
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
Saturdays, September 3-November 26, 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

Classes: Thursdays, October 20, October 27, and November 3, 6:30-8:30pm
Beginning Birding
Trips: Saturdays, October 29, 8-11am, and November 12, 9am-3pm
Instructor: Tod Winston
Learn the keys to identifying the spectacular variety of birds that migrate southwards through New York City every fall. 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 and field trips to Central Park and Jamaica bay (transport to Jamaica bay included). Limited to 12. $179 (125)
Click here to register

Saturday, October 29, 2016, 9:30am-4pm
Fall Foliage Hike in the Greenbelt, Staten Island
Guide: Gabriel Willow
With NYC Parks and the Greenbelt Conservancy
Meet at the Manhattan terminal of the S.I. Ferry and join us as we journey to Moses Mountain, which provides a panoramic view of Staten Island and points beyond. We'll look for migrating hawks, warblers, and other songbirds—with crimson sumac and other autumn foliage as a backdrop. Bring lunch and water. Transportation on Staten Island provided. Limited to 18. $43 (30)
Click here to register

Sunday, October 30, 2016, 9am-1pm
Fall Migration on Randall's Island
Guides: Gabriel Willow, Christopher Girgenti of Randall's Island
With Randall's Island Park Alliance, Inc.
Meet on the N.W. corner of 102nd Street and FDR Drive. We'll walk across the foot bridge to Randall's Island, an under-explored location in the East River that hosts restored freshwater wetlands and salt marsh. We'll look for fall migrants as we explore the results of recent restoration efforts. Two miles of walking and some modest climbs. Limited to 20. $40 (28)
Click here to register

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North Fork Audubon Society
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Special Event/Birdwalk, Fire Island Hawkwatch with Pat Hanly

Each fall season since 1974, HMANA (the Hawk Migration Association of North America) has monitored the various organized hawk-watches to count migrating hawks and keep a database of species trends. The Fire Island Hawkwatch is the only formal HMANA hawkwatch on Long Island.

NF Audubon member Pat Hanly will be serving as the official hawk counter on Saturday, October 29th, 8am – 4pm. Come out to the hawk-watch to view migrating hawks, learn about hawk migration, go for a bird walk around the Fire Island Lighthouse or just to enjoy the day. Travel on your own to the hawk-watch platform, Robert Moses State Park, parking lot #5. The platform is at the end of the road, west of the lighthouse. (map)

Contact Pat at pat@mattpres.com or call 312-0284 for more information.

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Jamaica Bay NWR
Leader: Lenore 718-343-1391

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated.
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. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
Please note there is a $10 per car fee at Sands Pt. Call leader for parking ideas.
Schedule note: *** indicates 8 am official start time
*indicates new parking location

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NYC H2O
Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 10am
Ridgewood Reservoir Community Tour

NYC H2O is offering free tours of the Ridgewood Reservoir to community members and the public.

The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Built in 1859 to supply the once independent City of Brooklyn with high quality water, it became obsolete with the addition of new reservoirs in the Catskills in the 1950’s and was decommissioned in the 1980’s. Since then, nature took its course in a perfect case study of ecological succession. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin.

Join us to explore this incredible natural resource in the heart of NYC. Please make a reservation.

We will meet in the parking lot at 1 Vermont Place.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Caumsett State Park
Leader: Rich Kelly - 516-509-1094
Where: Caumsett State Park, 25 Lloyd Harbor Rd, Huntington, NY 11743, USA (map)

Trip Etiquette Notify the leader well in advance so they can coordinate car pooling and notify you of last minute meeting time or location changes. Be on time. We depart promptly.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Point Lookout Town Park and Lido Preserve

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

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
About 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park and over 60 species breed here!
Free!

Sunday, October 30, 2016
Birding: Raptor Migration at Gateway Drive and Erskine Street (in Spring Creek Park), Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free!

Moses Mountain Hike at 200 Nevada Avenue (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join us for a jaunt to Moses Mountain to experience the forest in its full fall glory. Enjoy the 360-degree panoramic view, and look for birds of prey.
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From the Washington Post:

In Scotland, gusts of wind usher in a quiet energy revolution

More than half of Scotland's electricity now comes from zero-carbon sources such as wind, hydro and solar, and the latest target of 100 percent by 2020 may be within reach.
By Griff Witte October 15

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Even by the blustery standards of this notoriously squall-swept land, Aug. 7 was a particularly gusty day.

Bursts of rushing air swept across the green expanse of the Highlands, felling trees, submerging boats and forcing wind-whipped organizers to cancel food festivals and concerts.

But amid the gale-force havoc, the day also brought a critical milestone in a quiet energy revolution: For the first time ever, the army of spinning white turbines that has sprouted across the lush countryside generated enough electricity to power all of Scotland.

The exceptional output brought the country membership in a small but growing club of nations proving that the vision of a world powered by renewable fuels is closer than many realize. Long derided as a fantasy, a day’s worth of energy harvested purely from the sun and the wind has lately become reality in nations such as Portugal, Denmark and Costa Rica.

In those countries, and others, the gains in renewable production have come quickly and unexpectedly, offering a ray of hope amid dire predictions from scientists about the impact of carbon emissions on the planet.



Scotland over the past decade has set a series of increasingly ambitious renewable-energy targets and has surpassed every one. More than half the country’s electricity now comes from zero-carbon sources such as wind, hydro and solar, and the latest target of 100 percent by 2020 may be within reach.

The United States — with a population 60 times as large and a land mass 120 times greater — is nowhere near that level, hovering at around 13 percent.

But Scotland’s experience with renewables is instructive. For decades, this nation within the United Kingdom floated on a sea of lucrative oil and gas. With those supplies dwindling, however, Scots from across the political spectrum launched a concerted effort to tap another rich vein of energy, one far more obvious than the fossil fuels buried deep offshore.

“We have a great resource,” said Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, an industry association. “It’s Scotland’s terrible weather.”

The struggle to harness Scotland’s desultory climate and turn it into the keystone of the country’s 21st-century energy strategy has been marked by unusually broad agreement about the virtue of renewables.

Unlike in other countries, there was no debate in Scotland over whether human-made climate change is real. Across the political spectrum, parties have lined up to back a shift toward cleaner fuels. As the country’s last coal-fired plants shuttered, authorities sped the approval process for ­clean-energy projects and enabled a boom in installation that led to a tripling of renewable energy capacity in less than a decade.

“So many issues suffer from interparty tribalism,” said Patrick Harvie, the Green Party’s ­co-leader in the Scottish Parliament. “This wasn’t one of them.”
Wind turbines turn at the Braes of Doune Wind Farm near Stirling Castle in Scotland. (Russell Cheyne/Reuters)

The success of Scotland’s strategy can be seen at the Whitelee Wind Farm, the U.K.’s largest, where 215 turbines spin gracefully over 15 square miles of rolling scrubland.

The farm, just a half-hour’s drive from Glasgow, is open to the public; schoolchildren tour it daily and are encouraged by friendly guides to step right up to the giant turbines and “give them a little cuddle.”

“It’s visible from so many places in the city,” said Harvie, who represents Glasgow. “It’s come to be seen as an icon for Glasgow, almost in the way ship building has been historically.”

But amid overall public enthusiasm for renewables, there have also been hurdles, including a lawsuit by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. His company sued over the effect of a planned offshore wind farm on views from one of his golf courses. Trump ultimately lost, and preliminary work on the project is to begin within weeks.

More serious obstacles lie ahead, however, threatening to derail Scotland’s progress entirely. Most notably, the U.K. government has shifted dramatically away from support for onshore wind and solar power as it prioritizes other sources, including nuclear energy and fracking.

The move began last year under then-Prime Minister David Cameron — a former clean-energy champion who abruptly abandoned his support in a bid to rein in public spending on renewables — and has continued under his successor, Theresa May.

May’s government last month green-lighted Britain’s first new nuclear power station in a generation and this month overrode ­local objections to allow hydraulic fracturing — fracking — under homes for the first time.

Subsidies for solar and onshore wind, meanwhile, have been slashed, with the government insisting that the public can’t continue to bear the cost of technologies that have dropped dramatically in cost and that should be able to compete without help from taxpayers.

The U.K.’s lurch away from the renewable sources that Scotland favors has deepened an already substantial schism between the two governments. Scotland nearly broke from the U.K. in a 2014 referendum and has threatened to renew its push for independence since June’s vote by Britain to leave the European Union, despite Scottish objections.

The widening gap over energy policy, Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said, is just one more reason Scotland needs greater control over its own affairs. “They should allow us to decide which technologies we take forward,” he said.

As it is, subsidies are set at the U.K. level, and the cuts have thrown into doubt whether Scotland can meet its target of 100 percent renewable power within the next four years.

“I don’t want to give up the ghost just yet,” said Wheelhouse, a member of the governing Scottish National Party, which supports independence. “But it’s certainly become much more challenging.”

Brexit, too, has added to the uncertainty. E.U.-wide targets have often been important in pushing Britain toward cleaner fuels. Once Britain is outside the bloc, that impetus will disappear.

Still, companies that have invested in Scotland say the opportunities here may be simply too good to pass up, no matter the broader political climate.

Jason Ormiston, British public affairs manager for the Swedish utility Vattenfall, said his company sees vast potential in Scotland. That’s despite the fact that Vattenfall’s signature project here, an offshore wind farm that will feature some of the world’s most powerful turbines, was held up in litigation for several years while Trump sought to permanently block it.

Now that Trump has lost that battle and work is proceeding on a farm designed to power two-thirds the population of Aberdeen — about 68,000 homes — Ormiston said the company is actively scouting new opportunities.

“Scotland’s one of the windiest places in Europe, and there’s a supportive government here. They will back good wind farms,” he said. “So we’re here to stay.”

Ormiston said the company is particularly intrigued by the idea of floating turbines, which are being tested in Scotland and could help overcome the geological challenges of a sea floor that drops away precipitously just a few miles from shore.

Trials for new wave and ­tidal-energy technologies have also found a home in Scotland, giving the country the chance to become a leader in those ­still-unproven sectors.

Even without them, Scotland has already shown that renewables can be the mainstay of its energy supply, not just a complement to traditional fuels, said Lang Banks, director of the environmental group WWF Scotland.

Since Aug. 7, when the country’s wind production first surpassed total energy consumption for a single day, the feat has been repeated several times.

“Scotland has the potential to produce well more energy than it needs from renewable sources,” Banks said.

The country’s next challenge, Banks and others said, is to figure out how to translate success in electricity production to lagging areas, such as heating and transport.

“We’ve decarbonized much of our electricity system. That’s a big success. But the hard bit is still to come,” said Stuart, the Scottish Renewables chief. “This has to be the beginning of the story. It can’t be the end.”

Karla Adam in London contributed to this report. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, October 22, 2016 to Sunday, October 23, 2016:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Sunday, October 23, 2016, 11:30am – 1:30pm
A Tree Grows in Greenpoint: Trees and The Built Environment

Do you want to know more about the trees in your parks and neighborhood? Join Audubon New York and Prospect Park Alliance in McGolrick Park, Greenpoint for this FREE hands-on workshop to learn why street trees are important for birds and the people of Brooklyn. Participants will use field guides to ID City trees by their different characteristics and participate in a tree survey to learn how scientists observe trees for health and disease. Don’t miss this opportunity to become a tree expert! Open to adults and families. To register for this FREE program, visit: Audubon-newyork.eventbrite.com

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Floyd Bennett Field
Leader: Rob Jett aka "The City Birder"
Focus: Peak sparrow and winter songbird migration, raptors
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Janet Schumacher janets33@optonline.net or 718-594-7480
Registration Period: Oct 15th – Oct 20th

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Freshkills Park (Staten Island)
Sunday, October 23, 2016, 11:00am
Nature Hike

Explore normally closed sections of Freshkills Park and learn about the history and ongoing progress of the landfill-to-park project. NYC Parks staff will guide visitors through the park and lead a discussion on the many topics surrounding Freshkills Park, including urban ecology, waste management, and park design.
The group will meet at Schmul Playground (at the corner Wild Avenue and Melvin Avenue) and shuttle into Freshkills Park from there.
Sign Up at EventBrite

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Gateway National Park
Saturday, October 22, 2016, 8:30PM to 10:00PM
Stargazing
Fee Information: free
Location: Great Kills Park Parking Lot A
Join the Staten Island Chapter of the Amateur Astronomer's Association for public stargazing at Parking Lot A. Binoculars and telescopes are provided, but please bring your own if you have them. Inclement weather will cancel this program.

Sunday, October 23, 2016, 2:00PM to 3:30PM
Beachcombing Wrack Line Journal Hike
Fee Information: free
Location: Great Kills Park Beach Center Lot G
Join a NPS to investigate the wrack line, the line of debris left on the beach by high tide. Join us for this exploration as we tally and illustrate findings in an effort to understand species and populations that live near our shore. Dress appropriately and bring water and snacks. Wear appropriate footwear, as you may get your feet wet hiking close to the shore. Registrations are required, please call 718-354-4655.

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Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, October 22, 2016, 8:30am
Caumsett State Park
Leaders: John Gluth (631-827-0120) Ken Thompson (631-612-8028)
Northern State to exit 42N (Route 35). 35 to 25A. 25A west to West Neck Road (right turn). West Neck/Lloyd Harbor Rd. into Lloyd Neck. Entrance to park on left. Meet in Parking lot.

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, October 23, 2016 - 9:00AM
Dune Road Adventure
Late shorebirds, early waterfowl, straggling waders, and migrating raptors will be our targets as we make numerous stops along the way.
Registration: 631-885-1881 or email aveblue@gmail.com

Directions: From Sunrise Highway take exit 65 south to Rte. 24. Make a left onto Montauk Highway then a left onto Ponquoque Rd. Continue south then make a left onto Shinnecock Rd, then right onto Foster Ave. This will eventually lead you over the bridge to Dune Road where a left brings you to our starting point. We'll meet at the east end of the road where it meets the Shinnecock inlet.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Randall’s Island
Leader: Alan Drogin
Registrar: Miriam Rakowski — miriamrakowski@hotmail.com or 212-749-7376
Registration opens: Monday, October 10
Ride: $10 or public transportation

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 9/3/2016 - 6/24/2017: 11:00 a.m.
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
Saturdays, September 3-November 26, 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

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North Fork Audubon Society
Saturday, October 22, 2016 (Rain Date, Sunday, October 23)
“OWLTOBER” Celebration
** NOTE: THERE IS NO 8AM BIRDWALK **

11:00AM – 4PM Open House at the Red House at Inlet Pond County Park (map)
2PM Bird Walk with Rick Kedenburg. Meet at Red House parking lot.
4PM “OWLTOBER” Program with Tom Damiani at Red House. Live owls provided by the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center.

Immediately after Tom’s program in the Red House, he will lead an “Owl Prowl” in Inlet Pond County Park. Let’s see if we can see and hear Great-horned Owls and Screech Owls!

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Oceanside Preserve
Leader: Ralph 785-3375

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated.
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. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
Please note there is a $10 per car fee at Sands Pt. Call leader for parking ideas.
Schedule note: *** indicates 8 am official start time
*indicates new parking location

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, October 22, 2016 @ 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Goodhue Woods
Seeking to complete the purchase of the Goodhue Woods, Protectors is working with the Children’s Aid Society to advocate for the preservation of this open space. Come explore the woodlands and fields of the Goodhue property and help save these woods. We will look for evidence of the area’s geologic history, observe its present ecosystems, and discuss its relation to adjacent areas in the same watershed. During the 1980s and 1990s, Clay Wollney worked at Goodhue as an environmental educator in the summer camp administered by the Children’s Aid Society and he is excited about revisiting his favorite natural area on the North Shore. Meet at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Prospect Avenue. For more information contact Clay Wollney at (718) 869-6327

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Jones Beach West End #2

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

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
About 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park and over 60 species breed here!
Free!

Highbridge River Walk at Dyckman Sitting Area (in Highbridge Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
We'll search for wildflowers, insects, birds, and some of Manhattan's last remaining freshwater seeps and springs.
Free!

Discovery Walks for Families: Belvedere’s Kingdom at Belvedere Castle (in Central Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Explore the landscape surrounding Belvedere Castle in full fall glory!
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From National Geographic:

Climate Change Is Causing Earlier Springs in National Parks

Three-quarters of parks surveyed are experiencing warmer weather earlier in the year, which could hurt their ability to manage invasive species.

By Becky Little
PUBLISHED October 6, 2016

The National Park Service was created to protect and preserve the United States’ natural wonders. But what happens when climate change starts to alter these sites?

On Thursday, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced a new report revealing that three-quarters of 276 national parks are experiencing an earlier onset of spring. Half of the parks studied are experiencing “extreme” early springs.

The report authors discovered this by looking at historical data dating back to 1901.

For the parks in the “extreme” category, they found that “the onset of spring is earlier than 95 percent of the historical range,” says Jake Weltzin, an ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey and one of the authors of the report.

“And we’re talking on the order of weeks.”

Good News for Invasive Species

Jewell made Thursday’s announcement in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, one of the sites that has experienced an early onset of spring. Weltzin says that, like many parks, Shenandoah is struggling to manage invasive species like kudzu—a scourge that can be exacerbated by earlier springs.

“Biological invasions are a really big deal in the national parks,” he says. In Saguaro National Park, Arizona, near where Weltzin lives, one of the invasive species that park staff struggle with most is buffelgrass.

“The warmer the winter and the warmer the spring, the sooner it can start growing,” Weltzin says of buffelgrass. “And so a lot of the other native plants are sort of sequestered in place.”

Another problem that earlier springs present for parks is a mismatch between plants and pollinators.

“Not every organism is going to respond the same way to an early spring,” Weltzin says. “Some plants might respond a certain way, but the hummingbirds or other pollinators might not be affected in part because of where the migration routes are taking them or when they start migrating.

“So they may be arriving and it may be too late for certain species,” he says.

Looking Ahead

The Park Service’s new report was actually initiated by the National Phenology Network, a science nonprofit of which Weltzin is executive director. For the report, the network used a tool that it had developed to assess the onset of spring in different locations.

“What we’re doing really is producing maps of spring for the entire nation,” he says. “The national parks is just sort of the first application. As we go along, we hope to be able to apply this to the national wildlife refuges and other protected areas.”

The purpose of the current report is to give staff at individual parks a sense of how climate change is affecting their sites, rather than make prescriptions about how parks should deal with this change. Given the diverse ecosystems among the more than 250 parks surveyed, more research is needed to determine the more specific ways in which climate change is affecting particular parks.

“There’s clearly more work to be done,” says Weltzin. “And you know, we’ve got about a century behind us, and there’s a century ahead of us.” ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, October 15, 2016 to Sunday, October 16, 2016:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Fall in Prospect Park
Meet 7 AM at Bartel Pritchard entrance of Prospect Park
Leader: Ed Crowne
Focus: peak of sparrows, raptors, early winter birds
Meeting site: Bartel Pritchard Square entrance: http://tinyurl.com/PPBPent

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Gateway National Park
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Greenbelt to Great Kills Hike
Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Carousel at Williwbrook Park (end of Eton Place)
Fees: free
Join the Greenbelt educators and NPS rangers for a hike from forest to field to coastal habitat.

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Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Lenoir Nature Preserve
Hawk Watch
19 Dudley St. Yonkers
Meet at 10 AM behind the Lenoir Mansion
http://www.hras.org/wtobird/lenoir.html

Joint Trip with BRSS Audubon
Sunday October 16, 2016
Read Sanctuary and Marshlands Conservancy
Sign up by calling Doug Bloom, 914-834-5206
Meet at 8 AM at Read Sanctuary. We will be looking for late migrants.
http://hras.org/wtobird/edith.html

Hudson River Audubon Society field trips are free. Non-members/ newcomers are welcome and are encouraged to join us as members ($20 introductory offer).

Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Some are available for loan for those who need them. Dress appropriately for the weather. For more information call Michael Bochnik at (914) 237-9331

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, October 15, 2016 - 9:00 AM
Massapequa Preserve and Wantagh Twin Ponds

We will bird the ponds at Massapequa Preserve, then head east in search of variety of shore ducks and land birds.
Registration: 516-433-5590
Directions: Meet at the Massapequa Preserve entrance at Pittsburgh Avenue and Parkside Blvd.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Floyd Bennett Field
Leader: Rob Jett aka "The City Birder"
Registrar: Monica Berger— monicabergerbklyn@gmail.com or 718-857-2714
Registration opens: Monday, October 3
Ride: $15 or public transportation

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 9/3/2016 - 6/24/2017: 11:00 a.m.
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
Saturdays, September 3-November 26, 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, October 15, 8am-8pm
NYC Audubon Day at Hawk Mountain, PA
Guides: Gabriel Willow, Hawk Mountain Education Specialist
Mid-October is the perfect time to visit Hawk Mountain, one of the premier hawk-watching spots in the East. Gabriel Willow and a Hawk Mountain education specialist will introduce us to the variety of raptors that may be seen, including golden eagles, buteos, and falcons The path to the hawk watch site is a 3/4 mile hike through mountainous woodland. Bring lunch. Group program, trail admission, and transportation by van included. Limited to 12. $139 (97)
Click here to register

Saturday, October 15, 2016, 8:30-11am
Fall Migrants of Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan
Guide: Annie Barry
Meet at the entrance of Inwood Hill Park at the corner of Isham Street and Seaman Avenue. Join Annie Barry for a hike through a mature forest in search of kinglets, warblers, flycatchers, sparrows, thrushes and more, then search the shore of the Inwood Hill Park saltmarshes for herons and ducks. Some hilly walking required. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Sunday, October 16, 2016, 8am-3pm
Birding Gems of Staten Island: Freshkills Park
Guide: Cliff Hagen
Meet at the Staten Island Ferry and start your trip with a journey across the Upper Bay! This is a special opportunity to see Freshkills Park in transition from what was once the world’s largest landfill into an expansive park. Currently closed to the general public, the Park is home to rolling grasslands, tidal marshes, successional woodlands and a freshwater pond system, which host an array of breeding birds, butterflies, mammals, frogs, and turtles. Each autumn, migrant species abound as they travel along the North Atlantic Flyway. Sparrows, osprey, a collection of waterfowl, and lingering warblers seek refuge in the park. Overhead, raptors soar along the terminal moraine as they make their way south for the impending winter. Late-blooming flowers attract an assortment of butterflies and dragonflies as they, too, fly south for the winter. Transport by passenger van on S.I. included. Limited to 12. $57 (40)
Click here to register

Sundays October 9, November 13, December 11, 9:30-11:30am
Fall Birding at Wave Hill, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow
With Wave Hill
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 (see www.wavehill.org for more information). Limited to 20. Meet at Perkins Visitor Center at 9:30am

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NYC H2O
​Saturday, October 15, 2016, 10am
Ridgewood Reservoir Community Tour

NYC H2O is offering free tours of the Ridgewood Reservoir to community members and the public.

The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Built in 1859 to supply the once independent City of Brooklyn with high quality water, it became obsolete with the addition of new reservoirs in the Catskills in the 1950’s and was decommissioned in the 1980’s. Since then, nature took its course in a perfect case study of ecological succession. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin.
Join us to explore this incredible natural resource in the heart of NYC. Please make a reservation.
We will meet in the parking lot at 1 Vermont Place.

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 8am
Hoffman Center
Leader: Barbara - 628-9022

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated.
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. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
Please note there is a $10 per car fee at Sands Pt. Call leader for parking ideas.
Schedule note: *** indicates 8 am official start time
*indicates new parking location

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, October 15, 2016 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Conference House Park
Enjoy a fall, natural history tour of Staten Island’s southernmost woodland at Ward’s Point and a discussion of the Lenape Indians. Utilizing stone tools from the Archaic and Woodland periods Ray Matarazzo will demonstrate hunting, building an survival skills.
Participants will meet at the Conference House Park Visitors Center at 7455 Hylan Boulevard. For more information contact Ray Matarazzo at 718-317-7666.

Sunday, October 16, 2016 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Crooke’s Point at Great Kills Park
Maritime sand spits such as Crooke’s Point are dynamic topographical features formed and sculpted by water and wind action. Join naturalist Paul T. Lederer in a “talk and walk” where he will discuss the geology and human history of the site as well as the plants and animals that call this place home.
We will meet at the Beach Center Parking Lot in Great Kills Park. To get to the Beach Center Parking Lot take Hylan Boulevard to Buffalo Street and drive down Buffalo Street to just where the dirt permit road begins.
For more information or directions contact Paul at his cell phone 718-354-9200.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, Oct 16, 2016
Prospect Park
Leader: Arie Gilbert - 917-693-7178
Meet by 7:45am on Flatbush / Empire Blvd. and Ocean Ave.
Please contact leaders at least 2 days before trip to let them know you are attending

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

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

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
About 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park and over 60 species breed here!
Free!

Bird Watching at the Ridgewood Reservoir at Main entrance across from the Vermont Place Parking Lot
8:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Catch the fall migration at a bird-watching workshop led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.
Free!

Birding: Fall Migration at Union Turnpike Parking Lot (in Cunningham Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free!

Discovery Walks for Families: Living Laboratory at Chess and Checkers House (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Discover what plants and animals call this secluded park woodland their home!
Free!

Nocturnal Wildlife at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

The Philadelphia Vireo is a small songbird that can be seen passing through NYC during migration, although more frequently during their south-bound, Fall trip when the route is more easterly. Similar in coloration and size to the Warbling Vireo and Tennessee Warbler, the former has yellowish flanks, but not yellow on breast, and has less distinct facial pattern, the latter is slightly smaller, has thinner, more pointed bill, and a bright green back.

Nearly 90% of the world’s population breeds in the Canadian boreal forest. They winter in southern Mexico and Central America south to Panama.

The IUCN Red List lists their conservation status as “Least Concern” due to its extremely large range and increasing population trends.

The scientific name, Vireo philadelphicus, means "small green migratory bird" of "Philadelphia" (it was first described by John Cassin in 1842 from a specimen collected near Philadelphia).

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Mongabay:

International trade in African grey parrots banned
3 October 2016 / Shreya Dasgupta
Governments have voted to ban international commercial trade in popular pet birds, the African grey parrots, by including the species in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• All cross-border commercial trade in wild-caught African grey parrots is now banned.
• Captive-bred birds can be traded, but only from breeding facilities that are registered with CITES.
• Currently, most African grey parrot exports originate in the Congo basin, according to WWF.

African grey parrots — talented mimics and one of the world’s most trafficked birds — now have a reason to cheer.

At a conservation meeting in South Africa last week, countries voted to ban all international commercial trade in wild-caught African grey parrots by including the species in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Captive-bred birds will be allowed to be traded, but only from breeding facilities that are registered with CITES.

Seven range countries Angola, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, along with the European Union and the United States of America sponsored the proposal at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to CITES in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“If this bird could talk — and it certainly can — the African grey parrot would say thank you,” Susan Lieberman, VP of International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and head of the WCS delegation at CITES, said in a statement. “Now with the protection of Appendix I, and the enhanced enforcement that is needed, the voice of the African grey parrot will not be silenced across the great forests of Africa.”

African grey parrots are excellent mimics. Alex, a famous African grey parrot for example, could mimic over 100 human words. Unsurprisingly, these parrots are extremely popular as pets.

But these gregarious birds can also be trapped easily from the wild in large numbers, resulting in unrestricted trapping for the pet trade. This unregulated trade, however, has decimated wild parrot populations across Africa. In Ghana, for instance, nearly 99 percent of African grey parrots have disappeared from the country’s forests since 1992, a study published last year found. Most other range countries have also reported a population decline of around 50 percent over three generations. In fact, the species is now extremely rare or locally extinct in Benin, Burundi, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo. Following its widespread decline, the African grey parrot was up-listed to Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List in 2012.

Illegal trade in these birds is also rampant under the guise of legal trade, the proposal submitted by the range countries notes, thanks to “falsified or fraudulent CITES permits, clandestine shipments, or through false identification of wild-caught birds as captive-bred.”

According to the proposal, several range countries have reported large exports of captive-bred specimens despite there being no known breeding facilities in these countries. For example, some 7,266 birds were reported as captive-bred specimens by Guinea, Central African Republic, ROC, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo between 2008 and 2013. However, no African grey parrot captive breeding facility is known to exist in these countries.

Currently, most African grey parrot exports originate in the Congo basin, according to WWF.

“Fraud and corruption have enabled traffickers to vastly exceed current quotas and continue to harvest unsustainable numbers of African grey parrots from Congo’s forests to feed the illegal trade,” Colman O Criodain, WWF Global Wildlife Policy Manager, said in a statement. “Banning the trade will make it easier for law enforcement agencies to crack down on the poachers and smugglers, and give the remaining wild populations some much-needed breathing space.” ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, October 8, 2016 to Sunday, October 9, 2016:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Sparrows of Fort Tilden and Riis Parks, Gateway NP, Queens
Leader: Rusty Harold
Focus: Peak of sparrow, swallow, and raptor migration; beginning sea duck migration
Car fee: $12.00
Registrar: Donna Evans email devansny@earthlink.net
Registration Period: Oct 1st – Oct 6th
Location checklist: http://tinyurl.com/FortTildenbirds

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Freshkills Park (Staten Island)
Sunday, October 09, 2016, 1:00pm
Freshkills Park Kayaking
Leader: Micha Bochart
Join the Freshkills Park Team and Kayak Staten Island for a kayaking experience like no other! This excursion will take you into the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge and up close to some of the varied wildlife that call Freshkills Park home.

Freshkills Park has changed its policy to require a $10 donation to the Freshkills Park Alliance with kayak registration. This contribution will help the Alliance continue to provide this program.

Space is limited and demand is very high for the kayak tours. Please contact us as soon as possible if you will not be able to make this trip. In order to receive a full refund, reservations must be cancelled no later than 72 hours prior to the kayak tour start time. If you have your own kayak, let us know if you plan to bring it to the park.

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.

Tickets go on sale September 25th. Location provided with registration confirmation.
Sign Up at EventBrite

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Gateway National Park
Saturday, October 8, 2016, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Fall Raptor Migration
Fee Information: Free
Hike along the beach, dunes and woodlands of the fort and visit the hawk watch platform on top of Battery Harris East to observe the many species of raptors migrating along the coast.
Leader: Don Riepe. To reserve call (718) 474-0896 or email: donriepe@gmail.com
This is a partnership program with NYC Audubon, The American Littoral Society and Gateway NRA. All ages welcome.
Location: Fort Tilden-Building 1

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Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, October 8, 2016
The Big Sit
Meet at Lenoir Nature Preserve behind the Lenoir Mansion anytime between 8AM and 3PM
A great way to enjoy birds without an effort!
The object of the "BIG SIT" is to tally as many bird species as we can in a day from a single position. We'll be out on the Lenoir lawn (at our hawk watch sight) overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. Bring a chair, drink and snacks and join us anytime on that day and help us find the birds! http://www.hras.org/wtobird/lenoir.html

Hudson River Audubon Society field trips are free. Non-members/ newcomers are welcome and are encouraged to join us as members ($20 introductory offer).

Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Some are available for loan for those who need them. Dress appropriately for the weather. For more information call Michael Bochnik at (914) 237-9331

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, October 9, 2016 - 9:00am
Robert Moses SP Hawk Watch
some of the birds flying by at eye level, always has expert hawk watchers to answer any questions you may have. Exploring the surrounding areas should turn up other migrants as well as possible rarities.

Registration: 631-885-1881 or email aveblue@gmail.com

Directions: Proceed south on Robert Moses Parkway, over the bridge to Robert Moses State Park. From the water tower circle (check for peregrine falcon), proceed east to parking lot #5. We will meet in the NE corner of the parking lot.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Staten Island Conference House Park / Mount Loretto
Leader: Howard Fischer
Registrar: Judy Rabi — jsrabi@verizon.net or 917-658-1832
Registration opens: Monday, September 26
Ride: $20

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 9/3/2016 - 6/24/2017: 11:00 a.m.
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
Saturdays, September 3-November 26, 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, October 8, 2016, 8am-4pm
Migration Along the Barrier Islands, Queens
Guide: Tod Winston
Look for migrating raptors and songbirds as they stop and rest along Long Island's barrier islands. We'll venture to some of the best spots in the vicinity of Jones Beach to find what surprises the north winds have brought us. Bring lunch, water, and binoculars. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $122 (85)
Click here to register

Saturday, October 8, 2016, 10am-1pm
Fall Raptor Migration
Guide: Don Riepe
With American Littoral Society
Meet at Fort Tilden Building No. 1. Hike along the beach, dunes and woodlands of the fort and visit the hawkwatch platform on top of Battery Harris East to observe the many species of hawks and falcons migrating along the coast. To reserve, call (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com
Free.

Thursday, October 6, 7-8:30pm (class); Saturday, October 8, 2:30-5:30pm (trip)
Sparrow ID Workshop
Instructor: Gabriel Willow
Sparrows are one of the most challenging groups of birds to identify, yet beautiful and fascinating once they can be distinguished. Learn to identify those LBJs (little brown jobs) by studying behavior, field marks, and songs. Sparrow species seen in prior years include field, swamp, savannah, white-crowned, and Lincoln's. Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register

Sundays October 9, November 13, December 11, 9:30-11:30am
Fall Birding at Wave Hill, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow
With Wave Hill
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 (see www.wavehill.org for more information). Limited to 20. Meet at Perkins Visitor Center at 9:30am

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Newtown Historical Society
Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 9am - 12pm
All Faiths Cemetery
67-29 Metropolitan Avenue

Join naturalist Rob Jett and Christina Wilkinson of the Newtown Historical Society on a walk through All Faiths Cemetery. We will observe the natural environment, including birds, butterflies, plants and trees and discuss the history of the cemetery, it's role in the development of Middle Village and visit the graves of noteworthy people who are buried there. Meet up in front of the cemetery office on the north side of Metro. Bring binoculars and water and wear comfortable shoes. Terrain is hilly.

This event is free and is part of the bicentennial celebration of Middle Village. Sponsored by Juniper Park Civic Association, Newtown Historical Society and All Faiths Cemetery. For more information call 718-366-3715.

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North Fork Audubon Society
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Birdwalks with Rick
8:00 AM The Red House at Inlet Pond County Park (map)
Join Rick Kedenburg for walk in Inlet Pond County Park, meet at the Red House at 8AM. Rain cancels. For info: 631-734-7144 or kedenbird@optonline.net

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, October 8, 2016, 8am
Alley Pond Environmental Center
Leader: Trudy - 718-224-8432

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated.
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. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.
Please note there is a $10 per car fee at Sands Pt. Call leader for parking ideas.
Schedule note: *** indicates 8 am official start time
*indicates new parking location

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, October 9, 2016 @ 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Monarch Butterfly Migration Talk and Walk/Butterfly Tagging
Where: Conference House Park
Cost: Free
Contact: Paul Lederer 718-354-9200
Come tag monarch butterflies with naturalist Paul T. Lederer who will discuss this insect’s biology and behavior. Monarch butterflies migrate in the fall from as far north as Canada on their journey to their overwintering sites in Mexico. Come and enjoy the experience of seeing these marvels of nature up close and personal!

It is suggested that the participants wear long pants and shoes that cover the entire foot as well as socks that cover the ankle since we will be walking through beach grass and dunes.

We will meet at the Conference House Park parking lot near the Visitors Center, 7455 Hylan Boulevard. NOTE: PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED

To ensure your reservation call Paul at his cell phone 718-354-9200. If you get his voice mail, please leave the following information: your name, your phone number (cell phone is preferred), the number in your party.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Big Sit
Leader: Corey Finger - 518-445-5829
Where: Fort Tilden (Gateway National Recreation Area)
Click here for more info
Rain date Sunday, October 9th

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
About 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park and over 60 species breed here!
Free!

Raptor Fest at Unisphere (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Experience the thrill of viewing New York's premier predators live and up close. Join NYC Parks at the annual Raptor Fest hosted by the Urban Park Rangers.
Free!

Sunday, October 9, 2016
Fall Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks.
Free!

Birding: Fall Migration at Anne Loftus Playground (in Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free!

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Wild Bird Fund
Saturday, October 8, 2016 @ 9:00am - 11:00am
Migration Time
October is here and fall migration is in full swing!
Please join WBF member and artist/naturalist Alan Messer for a bird walk on Saturday October 8th (rain date: Sunday Oct. 9)
In Central Park, we’ll check the Reservoir for waterfowl, and the nearby Pinetum for woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and kinglets. As we walk to the Ramble for warblers, finches, sparrows, and thrushes, we’ll keep our “eyes out” for raptor migration overhead.
We’ll be meeting at the Wild Bird Fund (address below) at 9 AM SHARP.
The walk is $15; for members of WBF, it is $10.
(Interested in becoming a member? It’s only $10 a month! Click here for more info!)
RSVP required: events@wildbirdfund.org ...Read more