Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, July 22, 2017 to Sunday, July 23, 2017:

Bedford Audubon Society
Sunday, July 23, 2017, 8:00am - 1:00pm
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Field Trip: Jamaica Bay with Naturalist Tait Johansson. Join Tait for high tide at the bay, which sends shorebirds in impressive numbers to the refuge’s East Pond. We should also see herons, egrets, Glossy Ibis, and many others!
Bring binoculars, lunch, sunscreen, plenty of cold drinks, and boots/footwear you don’t mind getting muddy.
Depart Bylane 6:45am or meet at Visitors Center at 8am.
Cost: Free
Level of difficulty: Moderate
Register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.302.9713

**********

Gateway National Recreation Area
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Every Sunday Weekly from 06/25/2017 to 07/30/2017
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Time: 10:00am to 11:30am
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
Ranger guided walk on the Osprey.

**********

Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Summer Birding Sundays
In July we should see the offspring of our resident red-tailed hawk bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring Cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.

You must register prior to the morning of the tour. Click here.

Grab a copy of our Bird Checklist before you begin. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
$10 for members of Green‑Wood and BHS/$15 for non-members.
Click here for our inclement weather policy.

**********

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 8:00am
Cow Meadow Park
Parakeets and herons are finishing their last broods of the summer, and shorebirds are already migrating in numbers. We might get close looks at all of these, before exploring the nearby marsh.
Registration: 516-782-0293

Directions: Take the Meadowbrook south to Merrick Rd west, and immediately take the left fork for Mill Rd. At the end, merge left onto Main Street and head south. Meet at Cow Meadow Park, at the very southernmost end of Main Street.

**********

Littoral Society
Sunday, July 23, 2017, 10:00am - 12:30pm
Seaweeds, Seashells, and More
Hike the seashore during an outgoing tide with American Littoral Society naturalist, Mickey Maxwell Cohen, author of Adventures at the Beach, to look for marine life, coastal birds, and seaside plants. Binoculars, a magnifying glass and sun protection will be helpful.

Fort Tilden, Building 1 Directions:
Subway and bus: Take the #2 or #5 train to Flatbush Ave. / Brooklyn College and then the Q-35 bus past Floyd Bennett Field and just over the Gil Hodges memorial Bridge. Check Sunday train schedules ahead of time. Ask driver to let you off at Ft. Tilden.
By car: From exit 11s on the Belt Parkway, head south and over the Marine Parkway Bridge (Gil Hodges Memorial). Stay on right and take the right ramp toward Breezy Point. Make a left into fort at the first light. Go to end and park by Bldg One or at the nearby Post Chapel.

**********

New York Botanical Garden
Saturdays, July 1–August 26, 11am – 12pm
Birds, Butterflies, and Dragonflies Tour
Summer is the season to observe gorgeous butterflies, mischievous dragonflies and the birds of the cool forests. The colorful, fragrant gardens and the vibrant lakes at NYBG attract beautiful avian creatures. Come observe summer’s greatest show of shows watching butterflies, dragonflies and birds at their best.

Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon Society
Weekly on Saturdays, until Jul 29, 2017
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

Sunday, July 23, 2017, 8:20am – 3:00pm
Croton Point Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Travel in comfort aboard Metro North to visit Croton Point Park, a beautiful 500-acre park on a peninsula on the Hudson River, about one hour north of the city. The park is rich in natural and human history - it has the oldest native american oyster shell middens in the northeast, revealing that it was inhabited as long as 7,000 years ago; today, the park has a wonderful mix of forest, wetlands, and grassland. The grasslands are atop a hill formed by a former landfill, and are home to hard-to-find breeding bird species such as indigo bunting, grasshopper sparrow, bobolink, and eastern meadowlark. The woodlands nearby are home to breeding great horned owl, willow flycatcher, and orchard oriole, as well as the more expected common breeders. Bring lunch for a picnic in one of the river-side pavilions. Limited to 20. Round-trip Metro North fare ($20.50) not included in trip price. $50 (35)
Click here to register

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, July 22, 2017, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Dragonfly Study Series (Part 3) @ Blue Heron Park
Participants will explore portions of the bluebelt wetlands within Blue Heron Park to see how this civil engineering project works to support local dragonfly populations. Designed as an alternative to costly, unsightly sewer projects, the bluebelt system of Staten Island has proven to offer critical habitat for wildlife on the island. Dragonflies have taken advantage of the wetlands systems and none so much as that found in Blue Heron Park. Participants will meet at the Blue Heron Park Nature Center at 222 Poillon Avenue. For more information call Seth Wollney at (718) 619-5909.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Head to the park to join bird walks led by experts from the NYC Audubon! Bird walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park.
Free!