Treehugger Tuesday

From the website "New Atlas":

Plastic Trash is the Latest Threat to Coral Reefs
Ben Coxworth
January 26th, 2018

Potentially bacteria-spreading plastic waste on a coral reef (Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor @Tanetangaroa)

As if the world's coral reefs weren't already in enough danger due to bleaching, a new study indicates that water-borne plastic trash is also killing them off. According to the study, when such debris comes into contact with corals, the likelihood of disease increases from 4 to 89 percent.

"Plastic items – commonly made of polypropylene, such as bottle caps and toothbrushes – have been shown to become heavily inhabited by bacteria," says lead scientist Joleah Lamb, a postdoctoral research fellow at Cornell University who began her research while she was a doctoral candidate at Australia's James Cook University. "This is associated with the globally devastating group of coral diseases known as white syndromes."

Read the entire article here.

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, February 3, 2018 to Sunday, February 4, 2018:

Alley Pond Environmental Center
Sunday, February 4, 2018, 9:30am – 11:30am
Winter Bird Walk for Beginners
More Details

**********

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Sunday, February 4, 2018, 10am – 11am
Early Morning Bird Walk: Backyard Birds
Join Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the Great Backyard Bird Count and search for your favorite “backyard bird”. Find woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches eating from feeders along Prospect Park’s nature trails. Please note this tour leaves promptly at 10 am. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Jones Beach State Park
Leader: Joe Giunta
Focus: Raptors, winter seabirds, gulls, other winter birds
Car Fee: $22.00
Registrar: Janet Schumacher janets33@optonline.net or 718-594-7480
Registration Period: Jan 27th – Feb 1st
Please review our general […]

**********

Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, February 3, 2018 - 8:30am
Jones Beach West End
Leader(s): Mike Cooper (516-523-2369, Bob Grover (516-318-8536)
Meet in the parking lot near the Coast Guard Station at West End.

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, February 3, 2018 (Rain date February 4)
Coney Island Pier to Coney Island Creek
Leader: Rob Jett
Registrar: Regina Ryan — reginaryan@reginaryanbooks.com or 212-787-5589
Registration opens: Monday, January 22
Public transportation

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 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
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon
Saturday, February 3, 2018, 9am – 3pm
Winter Waterfowl of the Brooklyn Coast
Guide: Kellye Rosenheim
Join Kellye Rosenheim on a tour of Brooklyn’s most productive coastal winter waterfowl sites. We’ll visit Bush Terminal Piers Park, Gravesend, and Calvert Vaux in search of saltwater species such as common goldeneye, long-tailed ducks, loons, as well as horned and red-necked grebes. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $87 (61)
Click here to register

Sunday, February 4, 2018, 12pm – 7pm
Soaring Raptors: Eagles and Owls of the Hudson River Valley
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
You don’t have to travel to Alaska to see our country’s emblem, the bald eagle. Thanks to one of the most successful reintroduction programs on record, many eagles now soar over the nearby Hudson Valley. Travel with us to see this spectacular raptor and try to spot the secretive short-eared owl. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $94 (66)
Click here to register

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Jones Beach West End 2

From the Southern State Parkway, exit onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway south. After entering Jones Beach State Park, exit right (west) into the West End. Continue west to West End 2 parking lot; we meet in the northeast corner of the lot.

From the Wantagh State Parkway, travel south. Upon entering Jones Beach State Park, exit at Bay Drive and continue west to West End 2 parking lot; we meet in the northeast corner of the lot.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
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.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, February 3, 2018
The NYC Naturalist Club: Eagle Watch at Payson Avenue and Dyckman Street (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Winter is a great time to spot bald eagles. In the winter birds of prey tend to fly further south to New York City in search of food. The Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots.
Free!

Animal of the Month Club: Bald Eagles at Lemon Creek Pier (in Lemon Creek Park), Staten Island
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Winter is a great time to spot bald eagles. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free!

Sunday, February 4, 2018
Birding: Winter Waterfowl (Light) at West 90th Street and Central Park West
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
This program will focus on the different species of waterfowl that reside in our parks during the colder winter months. Birding programs sare appropriate for all skill levels.
Free! ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, January 26, 2018:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jan. 26, 2018
* NYNY1801.26

- Birds Mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
COMMON MURRE+
MEW GULL+
TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
ROSS’S GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Tundra Swan
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Common Goldeneye
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
Red-necked Grebe
EARED GREBE
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
American Bittern
Black Vulture
Rough-legged Hawk
Snowy Owl

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070

Compilers: Tom Burke and Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January 26, 2018 at 8:00 pm.

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties we have not been able to record the tape recently.

The highlights of today’s tape are MEW GULL, COMMON MURRE, TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE, PINK-FOOTED, ROSS’S and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, EURASIAN WIGEON, EARED GREBE, BLACK-HEADED GULL and more.

Surprise of the week was the MEW GULL spending an hour mid-day last Saturday on Prospect Park Lake, this determined to be the western North American race brachyrhynchus but a different bird than the one spotted on the 16th at Veterans Memorial Pier. Neither has been seen after departing.

Another unexpected surprise was a COMMON MURRE photographed in the creek at Alley Pond Environmental Center last Monday, the delayed awareness of this sighting effectively preventing any successful follow-up.

The TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE was still present last Saturday at the Tiffany Creek Preserve in Oyster Bay. The Preserve parking area is off the west side of Sandy Hill Road, with the Solitaire field farther down on the east side of Sandy Hill just beyond a private road. Watch especially the junipers and bittersweet on the east side of the field for this elusive bird.

The PINK-FOOTED GOOSE out at Montauk was seen again Sunday and Monday on the pastures of Deep Hollow Ranch on the south side of Route 27 east of town. If not in the front fields, check those behind the barns. If not there, the PINK-FOOTED has also been seen at the Montauk Downs Golf Club.

Several ROSS’S GEESE seem to be in the area – one was seen at Belmont Lake State Park this morning and then later on St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. Two ROSS’S visiting Tung Ting Pond in Centerport last Sunday, that day also finding two on Hook Pond in East Hampton. One noted Wednesday at Fort Totten in northeastern Queens Wednesday may have been the possible hybrid previously at Baisley Pond.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still roosting on the Restoration Pond at Alley Pond Park in Queens last weekend, another was at Northport High School Tuesday, perhaps the one also visiting Tung Ting Pond in Centerport regularly, one appeared on Eastport Lake north of Montauk Highway today, and one was spotted on the East side of Doctors Path north of Riverhead last Sunday.

Scattered CACKLING GEESE include singles at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream Wednesday and one at Belmont Lake State Park Thursday.

Two TUNDRA SWANS were seen again on Hook Pond Sunday, a usual location, but more unexpected is the one that has been on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge this week.

A drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE apparently has returned to the waters off the Sands Point Preserve, seen there last Sunday, and a female BARROW’S was re-found Sunday in Fire Island inlet off the west end of the Cedar Beach road and was seen there as recently as yesterday in a COMMON GOLDENEYE flock.

The drake KING EIDER still at the Point Lookout jetties through Saturday may be the same one found off the jetty at Breezy Point on Sunday and still there Monday. Young male and female KINGS continue at Point Lookout, along with up to ten or more HARLEQUIN DUCKS.

Single drake EURASIAN WIGEON continue on the Mill Pond in Sayville and on Eastport Lake, and another was seen again at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport yesterday and today.

An EARED GREBE relocated at Oak Beach Sunday, as viewed near the docks off the west end of the road, was still there yesterday, and a RED-NECKED GREBE remains in Brooklyn in the waters near Floyd Bennett Field.

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was still at Five Islands Park in New Rochelle last weekend.

Single GLAUCOUS GULLS were noted at Orient Point Sunday, in Hendrickson Park Wednesday and off Terrapin Point at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Thursday, while a few scattered ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS continue in the area.

Interesting were nine BLACK VULTURES over Central Park and four over the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center, both sightings last Saturday.

Among other notable birds this week have been a few AMERICAN BITTERNS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and SNOWY OWLS.

To phone in reports, on Long Island call Tony Lauro at (631) 734 4126 or call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922 and leave a message.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript ...Read more

Friday's Foto

The Ring-necked Duck is a medium-sized, boldly marked black, white and gray diving duck. Despite its common name, the iridescent, chestnut ring around the male's neck is rarely visible in the field and was named by nineteenth century biologists describing dead specimens in the hand. Hens are mostly brown with a peaked head, white eyering, a white ring near the tip of the bill and pale, whitish plumage at the base of the bill.

Breeding in wooded lakes or ponds, their range is from southeastern and east-central Alaska, central British Columbia eastward through northern Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to northeastern California, southeastern Arizona, southern Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, northern New York and Massachusetts. An estimated 67% of their North American population breeds within Canada's boreal forest. This mostly vegetarian specie's diet consists of seeds, stems, and roots of many aquatic plants. They eat a smaller percentage of insects and mollusks.

Ring-necked Ducks migrate to inland wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico and the southern Atlantic coast of the United States. Some winter as far south as Central America and the northern Caribbean.

The Ring-necked Duck’s conservation status according to the IUCN Red List is “Least Concern”. Since the 1930s, it has become a much more widespread and numerous breeding bird in eastern Canada and northern New England.

Its scientific name, Aythya collaris, means Gr. aithuia unidentified seabird mentioned by Aristotle, Hesychius, and other authors; neck-chain.

Treehugger Tuesday

From National Audubon Society:

Audubon and National Geographic Declare 2018 as Year of the Bird

More than 100 organizations join forces for 12 months of storytelling and science to examine how our changing environment is impacting birds around the globe.

Audubon and its partners have teamed up to officially make 2018 the Year of the Bird. Join today to help make the world a better place for birds and the planet.
Join Us

“If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the big environmental problems in the world.”
—Thomas E. Lovejoy, Tropical Conservation Biologist and National Geographic Fellow

2018 marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, National Geographic, the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and BirdLife International will join forces with more than 100 other organizations and millions of people around the world to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.”

This effort aims to heighten public awareness of birds because of their wonder and beauty—and because they symbolize nature’s interconnectedness and the importance of caring for our shared planet. To get started, visitors to BirdYourWorld.org will discover simple but meaningful steps that anyone can take to help birds each month and join a pledge to participate. For example in February, participants are invited to join the Great Back Yard Bird Count and report the tally to help scientists track the health of bird populations. In March, participants will be invited to use a zip-code based native plant finder for their yards, gardens or balconies to help attract nesting birds and provide a needed sanctuary for migrating birds.

Through 12 months of storytelling, science research and conservation efforts, Year of the Bird will examine how our changing environment is driving dramatic losses among bird species around the globe and highlight what we can do to help bring birds back.

Participating organizations include nonprofit and conservation groups, state and federal agencies, zoos, nature centers, and ornithological societies that are working together to raise the visibility of birds and inspire action through #BirdYourWorld throughout 2018. The campaign will also utilize National Geographic’s portfolio of media platforms reaching millions of people around the world with engaging bird content that will educate, inspire and raise awareness about the challenges that birds are facing and what people can do to help.

Read More … ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, January 27, 2018 to Sunday, January 28, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
January 27, 2018, 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Naturalist Tait Johansson
Join Tait on this early evening expedition to find Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, and Short-eared Owls. Family friendly for children 12 years and older accompanied by an adult. Depart Bylane at 1:30pm. Free. Level of physical difficulty: Easy. Dress warm. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or (914) 302-9713
See more details

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 8:45am
Coney Island Waterfowl tour
Meet 8:45 am inside the Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Surf Ave and Stillwell Ave (train entrance Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue station)
Leader: Richard Payne
Focus: Sea and bay waters ducks and waterfowl beach species
Registrar (for weather alerts): Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: Jan 20th – Jan 25th
Please review our general […]

**********

Gateway National Recreational Area
Sunday, January 28, 2018, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Hike the Trails of the North Forty Natural Area
It's winter, the perfect season for discovering the hidden secrets of the North Forty Natural Area at Floyd Bennett Field.
View Details

**********

Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 9:00am
Montauk
Leader(s): John Gluth (631-827-0120) & Ken Thompson (631-612-8028)
Due to the extreme weather forecasts, this trip was rescheduled from 1/6/18 to 1/27/18
Meet at Lighthouse parking lot. Latecomers can still join in the vicinity of the restaurant overlook. Directions Route 27 to 27A to end.

**********

Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, January 28, 7:00 am
Birding in Peace
Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that there aren’t interesting birds to discover in Green-Wood. For some bird species that migrate south after the breeding season, Brooklyn is their Miami during the cold months. Spend the early morning exploring the cemetery, looking for overwintering waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches and any half-hardy birds that decided to stick around. By February we’ll see some of the early north-bound birds beginning to trickle back into the area.

$10 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $15 for non-members

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

**********

Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, January 27, 2018
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, uch as Northern Saw-whet, Great Horned, and Long-eared. 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

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Pelham Bay Park
Leader: Rob Jett
Registrar: Louise Fraza — louisefraza@yahoo.com or 212-534-6182
Registration opens: Monday, January 15
Ride: $15

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 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
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon
Saturday, January 27 – Sunday, January 28, 2018
Winter Waterfowl Weekend at Montauk
Guide: Gabriel Willow
The gatherings of sea ducks around Montauk Point are the largest winter concentrations in New York State; the Christmas Bird Count on Montauk Point consistently tallies from 125 to 135 species, one of the best totals in the Northeast. Species that come to feed on the Point’s rich kelp and mussel beds include common and red-throated loon, common eider, all three scoter species, bufflehead, common goldeneye, great cormorant, and red-breasted merganser. Harlequin duck and king eider also occur here regularly during the winter. Accommodations at Daunt's Albatross in Montauk and transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $295 ($55 single supplement)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 27, 2018, 8:00am – 10:30am (Rescheduled date)
Intro to Birding: Bird Walk in Central Park
Guide: Tod Winston
Are you curious about "birding" but don’t have much (or any) experience? Come on a relaxed winter walk to some of Central Park’s hotspots to go over birding basics and see sparrows, finches, ducks, and more. Binoculars available. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Sunday, January 28, 2018, 8:30am – 2:30pm
Duck Walk at Baisley Pond Park and Willow Lake Preserve, Queens
Guide: Corey Finger
Baisley Pond Park is the best place to see wintering ring-necked ducks and redheads in New York City. A wide variety of both dabbling and diving ducks regularly winter in the pond, including American wigeon, ruddy ducks, gadwall, and northern shovelers. We'll also look for wintering songbirds and gulls. From Baisley Pond Park we'll move to Willow Lake Preserve, the "natural" part of the preserve, to see common mergansers and the pair of bald eagles that have wintered here the past two years. Habitat next to the lake often hides a variety of wintering sparrows and other songbirds. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $63 (90)
Click here to register

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, January 28, 2018, 9:15am – 3:30pm
The Richard Buegler Winter 10-Mile Walk
Meet at 9:15 in the Willowbrook Park carousel parking lot off Eton Place. Dress for the weather and bring water and a lunch. We’ll follow the trails south through La Tourette to High Rock Park to see what the winter has to offer, and eventually return to the parking lot in Willowbrook Park. If there is snow cover there may be able to track wildlife, and perhaps we see some of our wintering birds. If there is rain, it will be “fun in the mud.”
Call Dominick Durso at 917-478-7607 or Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 for more information.

**********

Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Montauk Point
Leader: Ian Resnick (917) 626-9562
Birding Sites Maps

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Point Lookout Town Park and Lido Preserve
From the Southern State Parkway, exit onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway south. Exit from the Meadowbrook at Loop Parkway (just before the Jones Beach toll booths) toward Point Lookout. The Loop Parkway ends west of Point Lookout at Lido Boulevard. Continue straight across Lido Boulevard into Point Lookout Park. Travel past the ticket booths and curve left into the very large parking lot on the south side of the park. Park in the southeast corner, closest to the private homes of the village of Point Lookout and the beach. We will walk east along the beach toward Jones Inlet. After returning to the parking lot, we will drive west on Lido Boulevard to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve on the north side of Lido Boulevard to walk through the bay marsh.
Directions to Point Lookout Park via Google Maps | Directions to Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
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. ...Read more

Friday's Foto

Despite their common name, the Iceland Gull can actually be seen outside of Iceland. While they can be found there in winter their breeding range is southern Baffin Island, southern Greenland, northwestern Quebec, and on islands in northern Hudson Bay. This species overwinters in the North Atlantic from the British Isles, the eastern United State's northernmost states and the interior of North America as far west as the western Great Lakes. The similar, but much larger Glaucous Gull is more common in Europe. The Iceland Gull nests on rocky cliffs in the High arctic.

About the size of the ubiquitous Herring Gull, this medium-sized, pale gull consists of three subspecies, which includes the recently merged "Thayer's" Gull. The “Iceland” form breeds in Greenland and winters mainly in the North Atlantic. The adult has very pale to completely white wingtips. The “Kumlien’s” is the form most commonly seen in winter on the East Coast of North America. Wingtip color varies from nearly white to gray. The “Thayer’s” winters on the West Coast of North America and usually has slightly darker wings, dark gray to black wingtips, and heavy streaking or smudging on the head and neck in winter. There’s lots of overlap between each of these forms, and some individuals can’t be easily placed into a subspecies based on plumage. It takes four years to attain their adult plumage.

Like most gulls their diet consists of primarily fish. In addition, they feed on carrion, crustaceans, mollusks, berries and seeds.

Their conservation status according to the IUCN Red List is “Least Concern”.

The scientific name, Larus glaucoides, means Gr. laros gull; blue-gray or resembling Glaucous Gull. Watch a video on how to separate Iceland and Glaucous Gulls here.

In Brooklyn during the winter, look for this species along the coast at Bush Terminal Park, Pier 4 at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Veterans Memorial Pier, Gravesend Bay, Coney Island and Floyd Bennett Field.

Treehugger Tuesday

From National Geographic:

The man who flies with birds in an effort to save them

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, January 20, 2018 to Sunday, January 21, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, January 20, 2018 @ 10:00am - 12:00pm
Winter Tree Identification at Muscoot Farm with Naturalist Tait Johansson
Muscoot Farm, 51 NY-100, Katonah, NY 10536, USA
Tait will teach youhow to use a tree’s structure, bark, and other clues to ID it even after theleaves have fallen. Family friendly, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Level of physical difficulty: Easy. Dress warm.
Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.302.9713.
See more details

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Floyd Bennett Field
Leader: Chris Laskowski
Focus: Winter open field birds, raptors, sea and bay ducks and waterfowl
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: Jan 13th – Jan 18th
Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

**********

Gateway National Recreational Area
Saturday, January 20, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Winter Nature Hike
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
View Details

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Jones Beach
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Kathleen Howley — kathleenhowley@gmail.com or 212-877-3170
Registration opens: Monday, January 8
Ride: $25

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 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
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon
Saturday, January 20, 8:30am – 10:30am
Eagle Watch and Bird Walk at Inwood Hill Park
Guide: Annie Barry
Join Annie Barry for a winter hike through the various landscapes and habitats of Inwood Hill Park. Located at the northern tip of Manhattan where the Harlem River meets the Hudson, Inwood Hill Park offers shoreline vistas, mature forest, and the last natural salt marsh in Manhattan. We'll begin on the Hudson shore in search of the bald eagles that have been sighted there frequently in recent winters, then move into the forest to search for wintering and year-round birds, and finally to the salt marsh to look for wintering ducks. Some hilly walking required. Limited to 15 $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 20, 2018, 9:30am – 11:00am
Forest Park Feeder Watch and Owl Prowl
Guide: Corey Finger
Meet at the corner of Park Lane South and Metropolitan Avenue. Explore the depths of the largest contiguous forest in Queens. Highlights include the feeding station at the famed Waterhole and a search for owls in the pine groves. Common feeder sightings include woodpeckers, black-capped chickadee, American goldfinch, and usually at least one brown creeper. Past years have also seen ruby-crowned kinglet and pine warbler. On the owl prowl, look for sightings of great horned, northern saw-whet, or long-eared owl. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 20, 2018, 10:30am – 4:00pm
Snow Birds of Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Winter brings many rare birds to the City that can’t be found here at any other time. Perhaps most exciting are the “snow birds” of the Arctic tundra, such as snow buntings and snowy owls, that can occasionally be found in tundra-like habitats further south. Look for these and other winter visitors such as horned larks, American tree sparrows, and rough-legged hawks, as well as wintering ducks, grebes, and loons.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $88 (62) per walk
Click here to register

Sunday, January 21, 2018, 9:20am – 4:00pm
Winter Eagles on the Hudson
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join NYC Audubon in seeking out one of the most incredible avian spectacles in New York: bald eagles wintering along the frozen Hudson River by the dozens or even hundreds. We will travel in comfort by Metro-North to Croton Point Park, where we will look for eagles before hiking up to Croton Point Park to seek out wintering short-eared and snowy owls, snow buntings, horned larks, and other cold-weather specialties. Limited to 20. Round-trip Metro-North fare ($20.50) not included in trip price. $53 (37)
Click here to register

Sunday, January 21, 2018, 10:00am – 11:30am
Birding the Battery
Guide: Jacob Drucker
Join guide Jacob Drucker at the convergence of the East and Hudson Rivers to search for winter waterbirds and discover the nooks and crannies of Battery Park. Who knows what hardy songbirds could be tucked away in the southernmost of Manhattan's parks? Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park (where we hope to see owls): Wear hiking shoes — it’s a hilly forest walk to the bay. Take Throgs Neck Bridge to I-695 north to I-95 north. Take I-95 to exit #9, Hutchinson River Parkway north. Take first exit #5, Orchard Beach Rd., go past traffic circle, and continue on Orchard Beach Rd. to end. Turn left on Park Dr. Go past another traffic circle and enter parking lot through toll gates (free); meet at far left corner of parking lot (northeast corner). See www.mappery.com/Pelham-Bay-Park-NYC-Map or Google’s map of “Orchard Beach Parking Lot” for reference.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
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.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, January 20, 2018
The New York City Naturalist Club: Eagle Watch at Payson Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in the urban jungle. All skill levels are welcomed.
Free!

Birding: Winter Birds at Green-Wood Cemetery at 25th Street, Brooklyn
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. All skill levels are welcome.
Free!

Birding: Winter Waterfowl at 155th Street and Baisley Boulevard (in Baisley Pond Park), Queens
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. All skill levels are welcome.
Free!

Sunday, January 21, 2018
Birding: Winter Waterfowl at Park Drive and Clove Road (in Clove Lakes Park), Staten Island
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. All skill levels are welcomed.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

The year 2017 held one final surprise for some Brooklyn birders. A rare Greater White-fronted Goose was found by Shane Blodgett at the end of the day on December 29th. It was too late for me to go look for it near Floyd Bennett Field, so I went out early the next day. I eventually refound it with Josh Malbin at the Marine Park Golf Course. It wasn't a county bird for me as I'd seen one at Calvert Vaux Park in 2011.

The Greater White-fronted Goose is a dark, stocky goose with a black tail, large black splotches on the belly, white rump and bright orange legs. It has white facial feathers around the base of the pinkish-yellow & orange bill (one colloquial name is "specklebelly"). Found only west of the Mississippi River in North America, this long distance migrant nests on Arctic tundra. There are also populations in Europe.

Like many species of goose, their diet is primarily plant material - seeds and waste grain in winter; stems and roots, berries and buds during the breeding season.

According to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status for this species is "Least Concern".

Their scientific name, Anser albifrons, means goose; white-fronted.

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website “Earther”:

Our Best Evidence Yet That Humans Are Fixing the Ozone Hole
Maddie Stone
Friday 4:30pm

The ozone hole feels like the quintessential ‘80s problem, but unlike car phones and mullets, it remains relevant in a number of ways. For starters, it’s still there, chilling over Antartica. More importantly, it’s slowly healing, and a new study offers some of the best evidence yet that sound environmental policy is responsible.

It’s been nearly 30 years since the world adopted the Montreal Protocol, a landmark treaty banning the use of ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). But despite a firm scientific understanding of the link between CFCs and ozone depletion, it’s been tough to tell how much of a success the protocol was, because the ozone hole didn’t start showing signs of recovery until a few years back.

Moreover, nobody had actually measured the chemistry of the hole to see if ozone-destroying compounds are declining as we’d expect due to the Montreal Protocol.

A study published this week in Geophysical Research Letters addresses that knowledge gap. The authors, from NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center, made use of data collected by NASA’s Aura satellite, which measures a suite of trace atmospheric gases to understand changes to the ozone layer, Earth’s climate, and air pollution.

“It kind of surprised me that no one had done this,” lead study author Susan Strahan told Earther. “The data is there if you’re careful about what data to use.”

Strahan and her colleague Anne Douglass looked at changing ozone levels above Antarctica throughout the austral winter from 2005 to 2016, and found that ozone depletion had declined by about 20 percent. Then, they looked at levels of hydrochloric acid in the stratosphere at the end of winter, an indicator of how much ozone had been destroyed by CFCs.



Sure enough, chlorine levels declined as well, at a rate of about 0.8 percent per year. That’s in line with model expectations of how much CFC levels should have declined over the same time period thanks to the Montreal Protocol’s ban. “This reaffirms our scientific understanding of what’s controlling ozone,” she said.

Bill Randall, an atmospheric scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research who was not involved with the study, told Earther he thought the paper’s analysis was “very well done.”

“They’re seeing net decreases in chlorine that are very consistent with the Montreal Protocol,” he said. “That’s a big take home message, that the Montreal Protocol is doing what we think it should be doing.”

Indeed, the Montreal Protocol continues to demonstrate that science and policy really can work together to solve environmental problems. In the case of the ozone hole, it’s taken decades for the results to become apparent. Strahan estimates the hole won’t be totally healed until the 2060s to 2080s, and that’s assuming we don’t start screwing it up anew.

But at a time when it often feels like scientists and politicians are on opposite sides of a giant ice wall waiting for eternal winter to arrive, the fact that science-based policy can deliver results is worth remembering.

Or, as Strahan put it, “It’s nice to have some positive environmental news for a change.” ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, January 13, 2018 to Sunday, January 14, 2018:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Friday, January 13 - Monday, January 15, 2018
Weekend Trip: A Southern New Jersey Winter Blitz-“zer” in the Pine Barrens, Cumberland County and the Coastal Barrier Islands
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: Winter species, waterfowl, raptors, ducks, winter songbird residents
Car fee: $100.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: Oct 1st – Dec 30th
Note: This is a MEMBERS ONLY weekend trip which begins Saturday morning, focusing on New Jersey’s varied prominent winter locations for bird species diversity. Please register as […]

Sunday, January 14, 2018 @ 8:00am
Two Hour Waterfowl Count in Prospect Park
Leader: Steve Nanz
Focus: The official waterfowl count of ducks, geese, swans, grebe, coots
Meet: 8 AM at Bartel Pritchard entrance of Prospect Park Source: http://nybirds.org/ProjWaterfowl.htm
Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

Sunday, January 14, 2018 @ 9:00am
Early Winter at Marine Park
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Focus: Waterfowl & marsh birds Moved from January 7 due to inclement weather.
Registration not necessary!
Meet at the Marine Park Nature center at 9AM Sunday Jan 14th.
Site profile: http://www.saltmarshalliance.org/
Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

**********

Gateway National Recreational Area
Saturday, January 13, 2018, 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Winter Woodpecker Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Join a ranger on a walk along the East Pond as we seek out some of winter's noisier but beloved inhabitants....woodpeckers!
View Details

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Croton Point Park
Leader: Paul Keim
Registrar: Anne Lazarus — amlazarus47@gmail.com or 212-673-9059
Registration opens: Monday, January 1
Public transportation

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 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
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon
Friday, January 12 – Sunday, January 14, 2018
Montauk Winter Weekend with American Littoral Society
Guide: Don Riepe with American Littoral Society
Spend a weekend at the luxurious Manor House during the peak winter birding time at Montauk Point. See seals, scoters, loons, eiders, goldeneye, and much more. Includes 2 nights lodging, 5 meals, 5 guided hikes, 2 evening programs, and free pickup at the LIRR station in Montauk.
For reservations and details, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. $395 ($130 single supplement)

Saturday, January 13, 2018, 10:30am – 4:00pm
Snow Birds of Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Winter brings many rare birds to the City that can’t be found here at any other time. Perhaps most exciting are the “snow birds” of the Arctic tundra, such as snow buntings and snowy owls, that can occasionally be found in tundra-like habitats further south. Look for these and other winter visitors such as horned larks, American tree sparrows, and rough-legged hawks, as well as wintering ducks, grebes, and loons.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $88 (62) per walk
Click here to register

Sunday, January 14, 2018, 9:30am – 11:30am
Winter Birding Along the Hudson: Wave Hill
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Wave Hill
Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center. The Hudson River valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species, even during the winter months. Come explore the beautiful gardens and woodlands of Wave Hill and observe the hardy birds that spend the winter in this urban oasis. Walks run rain or shine. Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. See www.wavehill.org for admission rates. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, January 14, 2018 @ 11:00am – 1:00pm
Buck’s Hollow and Heyerdahl Hill
Walk a 3.2 mile loop in one of the wild valleys in New York City. Learn about the ecology of serpentine barrens. Meet at Meisner dam at Meisner Avenue and Manor Road. Parking is available along the road to Eger Nursing Home.
To register for the walk please e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.
Read More

**********

Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Point Lookout
Leader: Mike Zito (516) 507-9419
Where: Point Lookout, NY 11569, USA (map)

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Mill Pond Park
Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. The park is four blocks west of the Wantagh State Parkway.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
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.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Winter Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
The Hudson River Valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species in the winter. Observe birds in their winter habitats and explore Wave Hill with naturalist Gabriel Willow.

Birding: Owls at Alley Pond Park, Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Participants are chosen by lottery.
Registration begins on January 3.
Free! ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, January 5, 2018:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jan. 5, 2018
* NYNY1801.05

- Birds mentioned
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE+
WHITE-WINGED DOVE+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
ROSS'S GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
Red-necked Grebe
EARED GREBE
Great Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
Clapper Rail
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Dowitcher
DOVEKIE
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Common Raven
Lapland Longspur
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Savannah Sparrow
Rusty Blackbird
RED CROSSBILL

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44(at)nybirds{dot}org.

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070

Compilers: Tom Burke and Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January 5th 2018 at 8pm. The highlights of today's tape are TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, WESTERN TANAGER, WHITE-WINGED DOVE, EARED GREBE, ROSS'S GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, DOVEKIE, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, RED CROSSBILL and more.

Thursday's snow storm, plus recent frigid temperatures, certainly have had a significant effect on regional bird life including 2 rarities struggling to subsist in our area. The WESTERN TANAGER at Crocheron Park in Queens was last seen Wednesday taking advantage of suet placed out for it but it has not been noted in that area since. The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE east of Oyster Bay was also still present Wednesday but its chances of survival are presumably better than the Tanager's as it has been feeding on junipers in more suitable habitat. This location is on the east side of Sandy Hill Road just north of the entrance to the Tiffany Creek Preserve on the west side of the road. Parking is available at the preserve then continue up Sandy Hill Road past a private road on the right to the field just beyond. When being seen the SOLITAIRE is usually around a small stand of junipers towards the northeastern corner of the field, one juniper still bearing lots of berries. There have been long periods during which the bird is not visible.

The Southern Nassau Christmas Count last Saturday recorded 132 species including a very unusual Winter rarity. A WHITE-WINGED DOVE sticking around a private feeder in Malverne at least long enough to be photographed. Other count highlights included 2 CACKLING GEESE, 7 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 2 KING EIDERS off the Jones Beach West End jetty, one a nice adult like male, 5 GREAT EGRETS, a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, an EARED GREBE off Nickerson Beach, RED-NECKED GREBE, 2 BALD EAGLES, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, CLAPPER RAIL, 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, ICELAND GULL, SHORT-EARED, NORTHERN SAW-WHET and 3 SNOWY OWLS, 2 COMMON RAVENS, 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS at Jones Beach West End, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at the same location as on last year's count, 2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 36 Ipswich Sparrows [SAVANNAH SPARROW] and 31 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.

Waterfowl moving around more now with most fresh water freezing up have featured a ROSS'S GOOSE at Baisley Pond in Queens Monday and Tuesday. The Brooklyn GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was spotted on the Marine Park Golf Course last Saturday with scattered CACKLING GEESE. Two young male KING EIDERS were still in Setauket Harbor Tuesday as viewed from Shore Road and a female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was spotted Monday in Fire Island Inlet from the western end of Oak Beach Road. Up to 7 HARLEQUIN DUCKS remain around Jones Inlet either near the Jones Beach West End jetty or the jetties off the Point Lookout side. Two recent EURASIAN WIGEONS include one in Brooklyn's Salt Marsh Nature Center and one on Mill Pond in Sayville. A flock of 7 DOVEKIES were spotted moving past Montauk Point Tuesday morning and an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was still at Five Islands Park off Route 1 in New Rochelle Westchester County Wednesday. Single GLAUCOUS GULLS were noted at Swan Lake in Patchogue Wednesday and at Goldsmith Inlet in Peconic on the north fork Thursday. An ICELAND GULL was also at Swan Lake Wednesday this following one in Brooklyn last weekend including at the Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4. Two RED-NECKED GREBES were still off Floyd Bennett Field Monday, another at Jones Beach West End Wednesday and 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS remained along Santapogue Creek in West Babylon at least to Wednesday.

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK numbers have been picking up recently especially coastally.

On Staten Island among the few lingering warblers have been the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER at Midland Beach and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was noted along Dune Road in West Hampton early in the week.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was at Robert Moses State Park field 5 Wednesday and a RED CROSSBILL was reported flying over a Smithtown home last Saturday reminding us to be on the lookout for Winter finches.

To phone in reports on Long Island call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 or call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Earth Times:

How Climate Change Affects Extreme Weather in the US.
Bobbi Peterson - 19 Dec 2017 11:15:0 GMT

Global warming is a bit of a misnomer. While the average earthly temperature does climb in correlation to the amount of atmospheric carbon, people tend to rely on their observations of the weather to validate or repudiate the science behind climate change. After an unusually warm winter, many will claim they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, while others might point to record low temperatures in other parts of the world as evidence to the contrary.

While such observations are convenient to use as evidence for already-formed opinions on the matter, these should not hold as scientific proof for or against the climate change science. When observing weather-related phenomena, it is important to look at the factors concerning the weather and to determine how slight changes in global temperature might impact them.

Tides, for instance, will shift depending on the temperature of the water and the seasonal currents. One of the most significant controlling factors in weather across the globe, tides oscillate in somewhat predictable patterns, supplying cold and warm water to various parts of the world. With the changes in global temperature and the melting of icecaps, infusions of cold water from ice melt drastically change the orderly machinations of the tides.

In this instance, strange weather is indicative of global climate change. The following are a couple of extreme weather phenomena and how global warming can exacerbate them.

Drought/Fires

The West Coast has been experiencing increasingly worse droughts each summer. Many scientists are attributing the dramatic uptick in dryness and wildfires to global climate change. Here’s how:

Increased global temperatures have reduced the annual snowpack on mountains around the West Coast. Because of this, and the little remaining snow melting earlier in the season than usual, the availability of water during peak dry season is harder to find. Other human activity, including using water for irrigation and in urban settings, put an ever-greater strain on the water and result in drier summers.

With hotter, drier summers, vegetation suffers the most. Trees and shrubbery dry out quicker, and the buildup of dry, dead fuel in and around forested areas results in more forest fires, as seen this year in California. Fires become harder to control because the water is so limited and the availability of fuel has significantly increased.

Hurricanes

A plethora of oceanic factors contributes to the worsening of tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years. First, simply having a higher ocean temperature will naturally intensify storms and hurricanes, which feed on warm air and water as they intensify. Warm air rises, creating the cyclone motion of hurricanes.

However, other factors also contribute to the worsening tropical weather. A warmer atmosphere naturally carries more humidity and moisture, which worsens rainstorms and adds to the ferocity of the storm at hand and the flooding that comes with it. Keep in mind that the majority of the destruction caused by hurricanes is due to flooding, even more so than the initial storm surge.

Snow

Ironically, global warming is contributing to severe snowstorms in different areas of the world. Snowfall comes down to slightly increased atmospheric temperatures and the increased moisture associated with said warmth. More moisture in the atmosphere means snowstorms are more likely — snow is freezing atmospheric precipitation — and more severe when storms do occur. Expect continuing harsh winter weather, and make sure you prepare accordingly this season. The science runs deeper than just this, however. The increased atmospheric temperatures also allow for more days when the atmosphere hits the perfect "Goldilocks temperature" — when the temperature is slightly below freezing, allowing for maximum atmospheric moisture while still supporting snowfall. On winter days when the temperature might typically fall too far below that threshold, resulting in scattered, tiny flakes, we instead experience massive, thick snowfall.

A Look to the Future

Things are going to get strange over the coming decades. We can expect continued coastal beatings from increasingly powerful tropical storms and hurricanes. KL. Rasmussen of Colorado State University gave us this paper yesterday on exactly how we expect climate change will be affected locally by global warming: This summary can be used to reach "Climate Dynamics, " the journal involved. What we expect is that some parts of the U.S. will progressively dry into desert, while others will see massive snowfall in the winter. Temperature fluctuations may not be noticeable for a while, but strange weather patterns will continue, showing us just how severe global climate change can be.

Read more at http://www.earthtimes.org/climate/how-climate-change-affects-weather-US/3032/#TBfmHI0UVEtTqz6S.99 ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, January 6, 2018 to Sunday, January 7, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Sunday, January 7, 2018, 10am – 11am
Early Morning Bird Walk: Bring in the New Year with Birds
Join Prospect Park Alliance to explore the Park’s nature trails and discover the beautiful plumage and fascinating behavior of the Park’s wintering ducks. Please note this tour leaves promptly at 10 am. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, January 7, 2018 (note rescheduled date)
Early Winter at Marine Park
Leader: Heydi Lopes
Focus: Waterfowl and marsh birds
Car fee: $10.00
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik, email deepseagangster@gmail.com
Registration Period: Dec 30th - Jan 4th
Site profile: http://www.saltmarshalliance.org/
Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

**********

Eastern Long Island Audubon Society
Saturday, January 6, 2018, meet at 9am
Lakes Around Patchogue
Leader: John McNeil
Meet at the parking area at the corner of Lake Drive and East Main Street in East Patchogue by the side of Swan Lake. We will check out Swan Lake and then visit several other spots for a look at the bountiful water birds that flock to LI in the winter. Hopefully a surprise or two will be waiting for us. Contact John McNeil at 631.281.2623 or mcneil.jp@gmail.com
Snow date: Saturday, January 13, 2018
For all our walks be sure to dress for the weather and bring binoculars!

**********

Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, January 6, 2018, 9:00am
Montauk Pt.
Leader(s): John Gluth (631-827-0120) & Ken Thompson (631-612-8028)
Meet at Lighthouse parking lot. Latecomers can still join in the vicinity of the restaurant overlook. Directions Route 27 to 27A to end.

**********

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, January 7, 2018, 9:00am
Sunken Meadow State Park
We will investigate the trails, ponds, and seashore to see what birds are leftover from the fall and which birds have arrived for the winter.
Registration: 585-880-0915
Directions: Take Sunken Meadow Parkway north to the end. Meet in the southwest corner of the main parking lot.

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 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
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

**********

New York City Audubon
Saturday, January 6, 2018, 8:00am – 10:30am
Intro to Birding: Bird Walk in Central Park
Guide: Tod Winston
Are you curious about "birding" but don’t have much (or any) experience? Come on a relaxed winter walk to some of Central Park’s hotspots to go over birding basics and see sparrows, finches, ducks, and more. Binoculars available. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 6, 2018, 9am – 6pm
Winter Birding on the South Shore of Long Island
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Winter in New York brings the excitement of possibility: Will snowy owls appear in the dunes? Will harlequin ducks move westward from Cape Cod and Montauk and appear in closer waters? Will irruptive northern finches and bohemian waxwings move south from Canada? All of these species and more are possible on Long Island in the winter, along with more expected species such as loons, grebes, scaup, eider, northern harriers, and purple sandpiper. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $95 (67)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 6, 2018, 9am – 11am
Randall's Island Winter Walk
Guide: Nadir Souirgi
Explore this lesser known spot in the East River, where recently restored freshwater wetlands and salt marsh provide habitat for many varieties of birds. Hunt for rarities such as common goldeneye, lesser black-backed gull, and Iceland gull. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, January 6, 2018, 9:30am – 11:00am
Jamaica Bay Winter Bird Walk
Guide: Corey Finger
Though winter may seem lifeless, there are always birds around at Jamaica Bay. A walk around the West Pond in winter should provide sightings of a variety of diving and dabbling ducks, gulls, flocks of geese, and some hardy songbirds. We'll be bundled up in layers of clothing while the birds will be getting by with just their feathers. Marvel at the wonders of winter survival on this Jamaica Bay winter walk. Limited to 15. $40 (28)
Click here to register

Sunday, January 7, 2018, 9am – 2pm
Winter Birds of DeKorte Park, NJ
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Come explore the wilds of the New Jersey Meadowlands at DeKorte Park. Here, the Hackensack River meets extensive coastal marshes, creating a rich habitat for wildlife—especially wintering waterfowl and raptors. We'll be on the lookout for large flocks of canvasback, northern pintail, bufflehead, and northern shoveler. And we'll scan the skies for hunting raptors including rough-legged and Cooper’s hawks, northern harriers, and perhaps even a snowy or short-eared owl. We can warm up at the environmental center and learn about the Meadowlands' ecology. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $88 (62)
Click here to register

Sunday, January 7, 2018, 9am – 11am
Lower Manhattan Pocket Park Blitz
Guide: Jacob Drucker
Couch's kingbird, Scott's oriole, and western tanager are the crown jewels of extraordinary rarities that found refuge in lower Manhattan's pocket parks in recent winters. We will search several of these small parks for "half-hardy" songbirds and hope for something unusual, starting with Madison, Union Square, and Gramercy Parks. We will then have the option to work our way south, covering Stuyvesant, Tompkins Square, and Washington Square Parks. Rarities or not, this is a great route to pick up a few early-year birds that won't be seen until spring. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Hempstead Lake State Park
From the Southern State Parkway, take Exit 18 (Eagle Avenue) south to Field 3 (use second park entrance and make an immediate left turn.)
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.
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. ...Read more