Treehugger Tuesday

From National Geographic:

Oldest European Tree Found—And It's Having a Growth Spurt

A Heldreich's pine discovered in southern Italy has been thriving in a remote part of a national park for 1,230 years.
 
By Sandrine Ceurstemont
Published May 25, 2018


Scientists determined the age of this 1,230-year-old Heldreich’s pine, nicknamed Italus, using a novel combination of tree-ring analysis and radiocarbon dating.
Photograph by Gianluca Piovesan

A craggy pine tree growing in southern Italy is 1,230 years old, making it the oldest tree in Europe that has been scientifically dated.

Moreover, the ancient pine seems to be living it up in its old age, researchers reported last week in the journal Ecology. Examinations show that the tree had a growth spurt in recent decades, where larger rings were added to its trunk even though many trees in the Mediterranean region have been experiencing a decline in growth.

The discovery shows that some trees can survive for centuries even when subjected to extreme changes in climate. This ancient pine, for example, would have germinated in a cold period during Medieval times and then lived through much warmer temperatures, including periods of drought. (Find out how scientists brought a 32,000-year-old plant back to life.)

See photos and 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, June 2, 2018 to Sunday, June 3, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Saturday for a birdwatching tour to learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

Sunday, June 3, 2018, 8am – 9am
Early Morning Bird Walk: Local Nesters
Join Prospect Park Alliance to discover hidden nests! Glimpse the lives of busy bird parents and their hungry nestlings. Tour leaves promptly at 8 am. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Bedford Audubon Society
Sunday, June 3, 2018, 7:30am - 11:00am
Muscoot Farm
Join Bedford Audubon’s Naturalist Tait Johansson and the Friends of Muscoot Farm for a bird walk on the beautiful grounds of this county-owned property. June birds here include Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Prairie Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and, most years, Red-headed Woodpecker.
Cost: Free.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-moderate.
Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Jamaica Bay Refuge
Leader: Rusty Harold Focus: breeding birds of the marsh Car Fee: $10.00 Registrar: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only to 347-622-3559 Registration Period: May 26th – May 31st

Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

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Eastern Long Island Audubon Society
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 8am
Eric Salzman Memorial Walk at South Fork Natural History Museum
Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Cosponsored by the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo)
On this joint walk we will explore the avian life of the meadow behind the South Fork Natural History Museum and remember Eric Salzman who led this walk for many years. We will miss his keen ear to ID the bird songs. This walk will provide an opportunity to see and—especially—hear some of our locally breeding birds. The two-hour walk will be followed by a short introduction to the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society. Light refreshments will be served.

There is no charge for this event, but advance reservations are required. Please call SoFo at (631) 537-9735 for reservations and directions to the Museum, if you need them.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
Ranger-led nature walk.
View Details

Sunday, June 3, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Birding in Peace
Summer Birding Sundays
Except for some lingering individuals, by the end of the first week in June nearly all the northbound migrants will have disappeared from the city. Locally nesting birds will be incubating eggs or busily raising their first broods. In July we should see the offspring of our resident Red-tailed Hawks 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.

Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Saturday/Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

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

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon
Sunday, June 3, 2018, 8:00am
Tiffany Creek, Oyster Bay, NY
Great local spot to see colorful migrants and other birds.
Registration: 631-885-1881
Directions: Meet in the park lot off Sandy Hill Rd.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Eastern Long Island Spring Specialties
Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Registrar: Regina Ryan — reginaryan@reginaryanbooks.com or 212-787-5589
Registration opens: Monday, May 21
Ride: $40

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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

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 7am – 1pm
Breeding Birds of Jamaica Bay
Guide: Tod Winston
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is home to nesting Cedar Waxwings, Brown Thrashers, White-eyed Vireos, Tree Swallows, Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts, Osprey, Willet, and seven species of wading birds. We'll walk the refuge trails and observe these species and many more on their breeding grounds. Bring lunch. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $93 (65)

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: NYC Audubon 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 1pm – 8pm
Kingsland Wildflowers Sensorium
Brooklyn-based artists Cara Marie Piazza of Calyx Apothecary, fashion designer Merica Lee, and Marie Lockhart of Lockhart Embroidery team up to present you with a day of sensorial delights to celebrate and support Kingsland Wildflowers. Join us for a holistic day that will stimulate your senses while playing with crafts and supporting ecology, community, and preservation. Email njackson@nycaudubon.org to learn more.

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays May 26, June 2, June 23, 2-3pm
Sundays, May 20, June 10, June 17 and June 24 2–3pm
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, June 3, 2018, 11am – 4pm
Freshkills Discovery Day
DescriptionGuide: NYC Audubon with NYC Parks
At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is almost three times the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It also has a significant history as the site of the former Fresh Kills Landfill. The landfill has been covered with layers of soil and infrastructure, and the site has become a place for wildlife, recreation, science, education, and art. Trails and paths normally off-limits to the public will be open on this day and offer views of the park’s hills, creeks, and wildlife. Activities include guided birdwalks, hiking, running, bike-riding, kayaking, free shuttle buses into the park and to the top of a hill offering panoramic views of New York, and educational tours and displays. Visit www.freshkillspark.org for more information. No registration required. No Limit. Free

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NYC H2O
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 6:30pm
Horseshoe Crab Discovery Walks
Join NYC H2O to see the horseshoe crabs as they come ashore for their mating ritual as they have done for the last 450 million years. Horseshoe crabs are trilobites, some of the planets' oldest living creatures. They play a critical role in coastal ecology as scavengers whose eggs provide food for migrating birds. In the Northeast, horseshoe crabs numbers are declining due to loss of habitat as well as the over-harvesting of horseshoe crabs for biotech purposes and commercial bait.
Click here to sign up

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Brookfield Park
Join Protectors of Pine Oak Woods for a natu­ral history tour of Staten Island’s newest open space park. We will view numerous salt creeks, freshwater wetlands, grasslands and beautiful scenery; a must for hawk watching. Brookfield Park stretches along the south eastern banks of Richmond Creek and runs from Richmond Avenue to Richmondtown. Meet in the main parking lot at 575 Arthur Kill Road, just north of Armstrong Ave­nue. For more information contact Ray Matarazzo at 718-317- 7666.
Read More

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Ward Pound Ridge BBQ
Leader: Eric Miller 917-279-7530
Where: Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, NY-121, Cross River, NY 10518, USA (map)
more details»

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Massapequa Preserve
From Sunrise Highway, turn north onto Broadway, Massapequa. Travel under the Long Island Rail Road overpass, then make the first right onto Veterans Boulevard (headed east). Go past the Massapequa train station and into the parking lot at the east end of the station. The preserve is directly east of the parking 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 9:00am
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.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free! ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 25, 2018:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May 25, 2018
* NYNY1805.25

- Birds Mentioned

RUFF+
ARCTIC TERN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Black-bellied Plover
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
WHIMBREL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GULL-BILLED TERN
BLACK TERN
Roseate Tern
Black Skimmer
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Bicknell’s Thrush
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
KENTUCKY WARBLER
Cape May Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
LARK SPARROW
SUMMER TANAGER
BLUE GROSBEAK
DICKCISSEL

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, May 25, 2018 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are RUFF, ARCTIC, GULL-BILLED and BLACK TERNS, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, WHIMBREL, PROTHONOTARY, YELLOW-THROATED and KENTUCKY WARBLERS, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and more.

An interesting week, even as spring migration starts to wind down. A great find Tuesday afternoon was the RUFF spotted around the temporary pools at Field 7 in Heckscher State Park. Sporting a mostly blackish plumage with some brownish highlights, the RUFF on Wednesday drifted between Fields 6 and 7, generally with some BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, but seemed to move on overnight. Another highlight for those watching the RUFF early Wednesday was a calling DICKCISSEL passing overhead to the west. A CACKLING GOOSE with a small flock of CANADA GEESE was also very unexpected there Wednesday.

Another good find was an ARCTIC TERN nicely photographed last Saturday on the flats at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn; it disappeared soon thereafter, but a ROSEATE TERN there hung around longer. Another adult ARCTIC TERN was photographed Wednesday near the tern and BLACK SKIMMER colonies at Nickerson Beach west of Point Lookout. Nickerson also produced three GULL-BILLED TERNS Tuesday, plus two ROSEATE TERNS Wednesday and a BLACK TERN Thursday. Other GULL-BILLED TERNS were reported from Robert Moses State Park last Saturday and Plumb Beach Thursday.

An ICELAND GULL Saturday at Robert Moses State Park was in company with the week’s largest count of LESSER BLACK- BACKED GULLS, with 38 estimated between parking lots 2 and 5 and along the ocean beach.

Most notable among the increasing numbers of shorebirds gathering mostly along the Atlantic inlets were an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER reported from the marsh off the Lido Passive Sanctuary on the north side of Lido Boulevard last Sunday and a count of 32 WHIMBRELS flying north past Great Kills Park on Staten Island Wednesday.

Interesting among the WOODPECKERS, two RED-HEADEDS were seen together Thursday at Connetquot River State Park and a PILEATED WOODPECKER was spotted today at Caumsett State Park.

Despite declining WARBLER numbers and species totals, a decent mix continues, highlighted by a PROTHONOTARY in Central Park to Monday, a KENTUCKY there Sunday, an increase in the numbers of the later moving MOURNING, and the continuation of some CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED and the like. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER is presumably nesting in Bayard Cutting Arboretum, so please do nothing that would disturb this very rare breeder in our area.

That also pertains to such species as SUMMER TANAGER and BLUE GROSBEAK. Migrant SUMMER TANAGERS featured two in Central Park Tuesday and adult males found at Breezy Point last Sunday, on Governors Island on Monday, and in Prospect Park Wednesday. A BLUE GROSBEAK also visited Governors Island last Sunday.

A LARK SPARROW found last Friday at Shore Road Park in Brooklyn was still being seen there through Sunday, and a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was photographed in Brooklyn’s Green-wood Cemetery on Wednesday.

Interesting this spring have been the frequency of reports of PHILADELPHIA VIREO, usually sparse as a spring migrant here – Central Park has reported a few to Tuesday, and one was nicely photographed in Prospect Park on Wednesday.

The THRUSHES have been well represented, with singing BICKNELL’S THRUSHES reported last Sunday from Central and Forest Parks as well as at Coney Island Creek Park. GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES have also been widely noted.

All ten species of eastern FLYCATCHERS were recorded this week, including several OLIVE-SIDED and a few YELLOW-BELLIED, ALDER and ACADIAN.

Both YELLOW-BILLED and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS have also been noted in increasing numbers.

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

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website “Earther”:

Lawns Are an Ecological Disaster
Ian Graber-Stiehl
Friday 10:00am

Neil Tyson often conjectures that maybe aliens have concluded humans aren’t intelligent enough to contact. He’s probably referring to our capacity for war, but lawns may display our talent for fruitless carnage even better.

Americans devote 70 hours, annually, to pushing petrol-powered spinning death blades over aggressively pointless green carpets to meet an embarrassingly destructive beauty standard based on specious homogeneity. We marvel at how verdant we manage to make our overwatered, chemical-soaked, ecologically-sterile backyards. That’s just biblically, nay, God-of-War-ishly violent.

To understand the sheer inanity of devoting 40 million acres, nearly half as much land as we set aside for our biggest crops, to an inedible carpet, we need to back up—beyond the modern lawn’s origins with a real estate family peddling the “American Dream” as Whites-only cookie-cutter suburbs—to the evolution of grass.

Most plants grow from the top, according to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Director Steve Windhager. “Grasses, on the other hand, always grow from the base,” he told Earther. From the plant’s perspective, this was a great strategy for dealing with grazers who’d randomly hit the same patch every few months. But Americans, true to form, are more gluttonous.

We mow our lawns every few weeks. This coaxes our grass into growing its roots outwards, rather than down, spawning more sprawling shoots, in hopes of enabling any one blade to avoid overzealous grazers. However, the $47.8 billion to $82 billion we spend annually on overcutting and landscaping (FYI: we spend $49.47 billion in foreign aid) effectively amounts to trying to kill the grass while offering it life support. We trap it in prepubescence—too young to reseed, racing desperately ever-outward to find reproductive refuges that doesn’t exist.

We cut ourselves equally: Thirty-five thousand people, 4,800 of which are children, are treated annually for mower-related injuries—resulting in 600 youth amputations. The Royal Statistical Society even awarded the fact that nearly eight times more Americans are killed by lawnmowers than Islamic terrorists International Statistic Of The Year.

And yet, Windhager himself participated in a study that found by switching to a mix of native grasses, reducing waterings, and eliminating fertilization, we could slow lawn growth and only need to mow around every two months.

Influential native gardening writer Sara Stein perhaps best summed up the absurdity best: “Continual amputation is a critical part of lawn care. Cutting grass regularly—preventing it from reaching up and flowering — forces it to sprout still more blades, more rhizomes, more roots, to become an ever more impenetrable mat until it is what its owner has worked so hard or paid so much to have: the perfect lawn, the perfect sealant through which nothing else can grow—and the perfect antithesis of an ecological system.”

According to University of Florida ecology and conservation professor Mark Hostetler, that’s no hyperbole: Producing no seeds, nectar, or fruit, few creatures can use can use lawns as habitat. Biodiversity-wise “it’s almost like concrete,” he told Earther.

Up until the 1940s, we at least left odd flowers like clovers—which actually add nitrogen back to soil—alone. Then we figured out how to turn petrochemicals into fertilizer, Windhager said. “The new goal became to have a full monoculture.”

One study found that in urban areas, weeds were the most popular food sources for pollinators. Weeds and native plants are especially helpful for native pollinators—which contribute, even by the most conservative estimates, $3.44 billion dollars to our economy, and which are vastly more threatened than honeybees. A study conducted in southeastern Pennsylvania found that native plants also increased butterfly and bird populations in urban areas by around four and eightfold, respectively.

In exiling animals, lawns cost us, too. “Today’s children, growing up on lawns,” Stein once wrote “will not even have nostalgia to guide them, and soon the animals will be not only missing, but forgotten.”

“I’ve heard lawns compared to a biological desert. That’s really unfair, because deserts can be very diverse places.”

Native grasslands are a mix of cool-weather, shade-hugging so-called C3 grasses, and warm-weather, drought and fire-resistant C4 grasses. Of course, our baking lawns are mainly C3 grasses that grow aggressively with our life support — making some of them, like Bermuda grass, notes Windhager, virulent weeds. As they spread beyond our yards, studies are beginning to find that biodiversity declines.

But hey, turf grasses are still plants, though. Surely they do that one thing that no plant can fuck up, storing carbon?

Hostetler? “When you add everything up, [lawns are] definitely causing a lot more issue with climate change than preventing it.”

Damn.

Native grasses with deeper roots, Windhager said, likely store more carbon underground than shallow-rooted turf. According to the EPA, we use 580 million gallons of gas each year, in lawnmowers that emit as much pollution in one hour as 40 automobiles driving— accounting for roughly 10 to 18 percent of non-road gasoline emissions.

We also dump roughly 10 times more fertilizer on our lawns than on crops, notes Columbia’s Earth Institute. These fertilizers and the 67 million pounds of pesticides with which we drench our lawns ever year degrade, releasing compounds like nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 298 times more potent than CO2. Potential damages from agricultural fertilizer runoff alone were estimated by one study to cost $157 billion annually.

We’ve managed to make grass do the opposite of what photosynthesis is supposed to accomplish. A recent study out of Appalachian State University pegs our lawns’ carbon footprint at around 25 million tons annually.

It gets better. All America’s farmland consumes 88.5 million acre feet of water a year. Lawns, with a fraction of the land, drink an estimated two-thirds as much. Most municipalities use 30-60 percent of drinkable water on lawns.

California is special. If you thought Trump tweets made no sense, LA, prior to the big drought, 70 percent of your water loss came courtesy of lawns. Water use throughout California seems to be rebounding to pre-drought levels. Lawns are soaked once more.

So, how can we unfuck lawns?

“First, let’s limit lawns to those areas where we actually need it,” Windhager said, referring to sporting fields and play areas.

To start, you can reduce your mowing and fertilizing. Better yet, switch to native grasses. Let them reseed themselves. Let the clover live. To avoid annoying the local Homeowner Association, make your native lawn look manicured. For example, “If you just maintain a circle of mowed area around a taller grass area, it makes it clear this was an intentional design state,” Windhager said.

In a few states, such as Texas and Florida, HOAs can’t fine you for not maintaining your lawn the stupid way, provided you do so to save water. Others, like California, offer programs that pay replace your lawn with native plants. And by switching to native plants or xeriscaping (desert-style landscaping), we could put quite the dent in the estimated 9 billion gallons of water we use on our yards every day.

Want to tell your HOA to sit on their sprinkler and spin? Many state have a more obscure program: Replace your yard with all native plants. Certify it through your local Department of Natural Resources branch as wildlife habitat. Get a property tax exemption.

For more information, search for your county Extension (departments devoted to assisting and educating people on ecological matters) or DNR office — or local chapters of native landscaping organizations, such as Wild Ones.

“I’ve heard lawns compared to a biological desert,” Windhager said. “That’s really unfair, because deserts can be very diverse places.”

Start searching now, because soon as you start mowing, you’re paying for green concrete. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, May 26, 2018 to Monday, May 28, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Saturday for a birdwatching tour to learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Doodletown, Harriman State Park
Leader: Rafael Campos
Focus: early breeding birds, late migrants
Car Fee: $25.00
Registrar: Marisa Wohl email marisaw@earthlink.net
Registration Period: May 19th – May 24th
Note: group limit is 16 members

Saturday, May 26, 2018, 7:15am
Prospect Park Saturday Walk
Leader: Dennis Hrehowsik Meet at Ocean/Parkside Avenues, “The Pergola” at 7:15 am No registration necessary.

Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
Ranger-led nature walk.
View Details

Saturday, May 26, 2018, 11:00am to 12:30pm
May Flowers: A Wildflower Exploration
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
Spring Naturalist Series: Each week through the spring, join us to learn more about the ecology of Jamaica Bay.
View Details

Sunday, May 27, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Birding in Peace
Peak Spring Migration Birding
From Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to over 20 species of colorful wood-warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the active time of day for birds.

Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Saturday/Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

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

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

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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

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: NYC Audubon 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, May 26, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays May 26, June 2, June 23, 2-3pm
Sundays, May 20, June 10, June 17 and June 24 2–3pm
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, May 27, 2018, 9:30am – 10:30am
Queens Botanical Garden Bird Walks
Guide: NYC Audubon with Queens Botanical Garden
Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the valuable resources the Garden offers birds and other wildlife. Binoculars available. Register for one date or the whole series of five walks (walk-ins welcome). To register, email info@queensbotanical.org or visit www.queensbotanical.org/calendar. Each walk limited to 25. Free (with Garden admission)

Monday, May 28, 2018, 8am – 9am
Birding Tours of Bryant Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Bryant Park Corporation
Meet at the Birding Tour sign at the 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue entrance to the Park. Discover the surprising variety of birds that stop in Bryant Park during migration. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Monday, May 28, 2018, 5pm – 8pm
ALS Jamaica Bay Sunset Cruise
Guide: Don Riepe with American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area
NOTE: Due to a scheduling conflict, the date of this cruise has been changed from Sunday, May 27, to Monday, May 28.
Meet at Pier 4 in Sheepshead Bay to board the “Golden Sunshine.” Learn about the Bay and its history, management, and ecology. See egrets, herons, ibis, terns, gulls, falcons, and shorebirds. Includes wine and cheese, fruit, drinks, and snacks.
For information and reservations, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 140. $55

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North Shore Audubon
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Nassau County Museum of Art
Leader: Joyce (516) 621-6678‬
Where: Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Dr, Roslyn, NY 11576, USA (map)

Please inform walk leader that you are attending.
See "Walk Locations" for directions.
Park in the circle in front of the big house.
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water. Wear long pants and socks so you do not touch poison ivy.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, May 27, 2018, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Corson’s Brook Woods Wildflower Watch
Join us as we study the progress of wildflowers over the course of the spring in this unique and undisturbed natural area. Park at Jasper Street and For­est Hill Road and meet across the street at the corner of the entrance to the College of Staten Island. Bring field guides. Regis­tration is required. Please contact Hillel at 718-477-0545 or e-mail hillel5757@gmail.com. Please provide a cell phone contact.
Read More

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Point Lookout Town Park (and Lido Preserve afterwards)
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 9:00am
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.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!

Animal of the Month Club: Great Blue Heron at Wolfe's Pond Park Comfort Station (in Wolfe's Pond Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join our park rangers at Wolfe's Pond for a chance to view and learn more about the Great Blue Heron, a little known resident species of Staten Island.
Free!

Sunday, May 27, 2018
Birding at Pelham Bay Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
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.
Free!

Monday, May 28, 2018
Bryant Park Spring Birding Tours at Heiskell Plaza (in Bryant Park), Manhattan
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Discover the surprising diversity of birds that call Bryant Park home during migratory season with guided tours.
Free!

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Wild Bird Fund
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Focus on the Birds with Charles Chessler
WHERE: Starts at Wild Bird Fund at 565 Columbus Avenue, and then travel to Central Park
COST: $20 per person, $15 for members!
Join WBF and native New York photographer Charles Chessler for a fun couple of hours learning how best to capture the beautiful birds that visit and make Central Park their home. At 10:00 AM Charles will spend a half hour discussing some basic photographic concepts and best…
Find out more » ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 18, 2018:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 18, 2018
* NYNY1805.18

- Birds mentioned
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK+
BICKNELL'S THRUSH+
KIRTLAND'S WARBLER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Sooty Shearwater
Northern Gannet
Cattle Egret
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Prothonotary Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Lark Sparrow
Summer Tanager
Blue Grosbeak

- 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, May 18th 2018 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are KIRTLAND'S WARBLER, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, BICKNELL'S THRUSH, LARK SPARROW, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and much more.

Thankfully for hundreds of birders the wonderful KIRTLAND'S WARBLER found Friday afternoon in Central Park did remain in the same general area for all of Saturday and into Sunday morning. Attracting quite a crowd the KIRTLAND'S lingered in oaks around the northwestern corner of the reservoir until sometime after 10am on Sunday morning when it moved off and could not be relocated. This constitutes the first confirmed downstate record for New York and only the fourth overall.

This exemplified by Central Park and other city parks. It was a good week for migrants in general despite some rather unfriendly and unseasonal weather, a couple of PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS were seen in Central Saturday, one also Sunday and that park also produced KENTUCKY WARBLER and a few arriving MOURNING WARBLERS plus a CERULEAN WARBLER Monday. Also noteworthy but on the unfortunate side a number of migrants were found dead Tuesday beneath a glass building at 110th Street in the northwestern corner of Central Park. One that might fortunately survive was a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER.

Central Park is a large migrant trap and thus a good barometer on regional migration did feature an expected variety of warblers with some in pleasantly high numbers including CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED, WILSON'S and others, one or two or more SUMMER TANAGERS and BLUE GROSBEAKS, a full complement of flycatchers featuring OLIVE-SIDED, ACADIAN and YELLOW-BELLIED. A variety of thrushes including a singing BICKNELL'S and even PHILADELPHIA VIREO attest to the strategic value of locations like Central and our other major city parks but even the scattered vest pocket parks can be quite productive. For instance, birds reported at Madison Square Park Wednesday and Thursday included PROTHONOTARY, KENTUCKY, MOURNING and HOODED and Bryant Park addend another MOURNING.

Another nice surprise this week was a BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK spotted Wednesday morning in a flock of Brant grazing on the ballfields at Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn. Shortly thereafter the flock was flushed and the WHISTLING-DUCK has not been relocated.

Today a LARK SPARROW was found at Shore Road Park in Brooklyn.

A CATTLE EGRET photographed on Governors Island last Sunday may be the same one showing up at Croton Point Park in Westchester today.

A seawatch from Robert Moses State Park this morning counted 19 SOOTY SHEARWATERS and 27 NORTHERN GANNETS as well as a continuation of the spring buildup of LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS but about 15 of these, mostly immatures, also noted there.

A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was present at the Rye Nature Center Wednesday morning, a KENTUCKY WARBLER was found at Watch Hill on Fire Island Tuesday and a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum.

Unfortunately the pelagic trip scheduled to leave Brooklyn Sunday evening has been canceled due to lack of participation. It seems rather shocking that given our birding populace we cannot generate enough enthusiasm to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities to get well offshore.

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

Big Day Summary

Last Saturday was World Migratory Bird Day. Created to raise awareness of the plight of bird species worldwide, it was also an opportunity to collect pledges, as well as, show off one's bird finding chops.



The Red-eyed Blearios team was composed of Chris Eliot, myself, Josh Malbin, Shane Blodgett, Mike Yuan and Heydi Lopes. Competing against several other teams in Kings County, we started our day at 4:30am at Floyd Bennett Field. Our first bird of the day was American Woodcock. We ended our day 16 hours and 134 species later. Our total was 87% of the 154 species recorded by all of the Brooklyn teams. The moneys raised in Brooklyn went to the organization Wildlife in Need of Rescue & Rehabilitation (WINORR). Below are a few pics from the day followed by our final tally of bird species. You can read a short piece on the Global Bird Day here.















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Date: Saturday, May 12, 2018
Locations: Calvert Vaux Park (Dreier-Offerman Park), Ceasar's Bay Bazaar, Floyd Bennett Field, Green-Wood Cemetery, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--Terrapin Point (Brooklyn), Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond, Plumb Beach, Prospect Park, Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, Shore Road Park
Species: 134

1) Snow Goose
2) Brant
3) Canada Goose
4) Mute Swan
5) Wood Duck
6) Gadwall
7) Mallard
8) American Black Duck
9) Lesser Scaup
10) Bufflehead
11) Red-breasted Merganser
12) Ruddy Duck
13) Common Loon
14) Double-crested Cormorant
15) Great Blue Heron
16) Great Egret
17) Snowy Egret
18) Little Blue Heron
19) Green Heron
20) Black-crowned Night-Heron
21) Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
22) Glossy Ibis
23) Osprey
24) Broad-winged Hawk
25) Red-tailed Hawk
26) Clapper Rail
27) American Coot
28) American Oystercatcher
29) Black-bellied Plover
30) Semipalmated Plover
31) Killdeer
32) Ruddy Turnstone
33) Red Knot
34) Dunlin
35) Least Sandpiper
36) Semipalmated Sandpiper
37) Short-billed Dowitcher
38) American Woodcock
39) Spotted Sandpiper
40) Solitary Sandpiper
41) Greater Yellowlegs
42) Willet
43) Lesser Yellowlegs
44) Laughing Gull
45) Ring-billed Gull
46) Herring Gull
47) Great Black-backer Gull
48) Least Tern
49) Common Tern
50) Forster's Tern
51) Black Skimmer
52) Rock Pigeon
53) Mourning Dove
54) Yellow-billed Cuckoo
55) Chimney Swift
56) Ruby-throated Hummingbird
57) Belted Kingfisher
58) Red-bellied Woodpecker
59) Downy Woodpecker
60) Hairy Woodpecker
61) Northern Flicker
62) Peregrine Falcon 63) Monk Parakeet
64) Eastern Wood-Pewee
65) Least Flycatcher
66) Eastern Phoebe
67) Great Crested Flycatcher
68) Eastern Kingbird
69) White-eyed Vireo
70) Blue-headed Vireo
71) Warbling Vireo
72) Red-eyed Vireo
73) Blue Jay
74) American Crow
75) Fish Crow
76) Northern Rough-winged Swallow
77) Tree Swallow
78) Barn Swallow
79) Black-capped Chickadee
80) Tufted Titmouse
81) House Wren
82) Carolina Wren
83) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
84) Ruby-crowned Kinglet
85) Veery
86) Swainson's Thrush
87) Wood Thrush
88) American Robin
89) Gray Catbird
90) Brown Thrasher
91) Northern Mockingbird
92) European Starling
93) Cedar Waxwing
94) Ovenbird
95) Northern Waterthrush
96) Black-and-white Warbler
97) Tennessee Warbler
98) Nashville Warbler
99) Common Yellowthroat
100) American Redstart
101) Cape May Warbler
102) Northern Parula
103) Magnolia Warbler
104) Bay-breasted Warbler
105) Blackburnian Warbler
106) Yellow Warbler
107) Chestnut-sided Warbler
108) Blackpoll Warbler
109) Black-throated Blue Warbler
110) Pine Warbler
111) Yellow-rumped Warbler
112) Prairie Warbler
113) Black-throated Green Warbler
114) Canada Warbler
115) Wilson's Warbler
116) Seaside Sparrow
117) Chipping Sparrow
118) Field Sparrow
119) White-throated Sparrow
120) Savannah Sparrow
121) Song Sparrow
122) Swamp Sparrow
123) Eastern Towhee
124) Northern Cardinal
125) Rose-breasted Grosbeak
126) Indigo Bunting
127) Baltimore Oriole
128) Red-winged Blackbird
129) Brown-headed Cowbird
130) Common Grackle
131) Boat-tailed Grackle
132) House Finch
133) American Goldfinch
134) House Sparrow ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Treehugger.com:

With a push from Apple, a "revolutionary" process removes CO2 from aluminum smelting
Lloyd Alter
May 11, 2018

Even when made using hydro-electricity, aluminum production had a big carbon footprint.

Rio Tinto Alcan and Alcoa (with a big push from Apple) have just announced "a revolutionary process to make aluminum that produces oxygen and replaces all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional aluminum smelting process."

Demand for aluminum is going up dramatically as more and more cars are made of it instead of heavier steel; there simply isn't enough recycled aluminum to go around. Making aluminum takes a huge amount of electricity (13,500 to 17,000 kWh per ton) which is why so much of it is made in Iceland and Canada, where there is a lot of water power. That's why the announcement was made in Canada. The move was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

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, May 19, 2018 to Sunday, May 20, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Saturday for a birdwatching tour to learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 7:15am - 12:00pm
Doodletown
Doodletown Road is known as one of the best places in our area to find breeding Hooded and Cerulean Warblers as well as being a fine spot for many other songbirds, migrants and breeders alike. Join Tait in a search for these feathered gems! Enjoy the walk up the rugged trail past the ruins of a “lost civilization.” Depart Bylane Farm at 6:15am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous. Register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.302.9713.
See more details

Sunday, May 20, 2018, 8:30am - 10:00am
Bedford Audubon’s Bylane Farm
35 Todd Road, Katonah, NY
In partnership with Lewisboro Land Trust. The shrub lands, wet meadows and woods around Bylane Farm hold Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Orchard Oriole, and many other migrants and summer resident birds. Meet in parking lot. Coffee and donuts. Level of Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Let us know if you’d like to borrow binoculars. Register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.302.9713.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Ridgewood Reservoir Walk
Leaders: Steve Nanz Focus: Observing spring migrants and looking for early nesters. We will also bird Highland Park if time allows. Registrar: Heidi Steiner at heidi.steiner.bklyn@gmail.com if you would like to car pool. You may also use public transportation; meet at 8:00AM at the top of the stairs of the main entrance, directly across Vermont […]

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 7:00am - 3:00pm
Michele Dreger’s Prospect Park Bird Sit
Say farewell to long time Audubon Center bird walk leader Michele Dreger, who is retiring to Florida. Stop by and help Michele and her friends celebrate her festive day. There will be food served at noon with presentations shortly thereafter. Meet 7:00 am at the Boulder Bridge (south border of Rick's Place) Map site: https://tinyurl.com/MichellesBirdsit […]

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 7:15am
Prospect Park Saturday Walk
Leader: Dennis Hrehowsik Meet at Ocean/Parkside Avenues, “The Pergola” at 7:15 am No registration necessary.

Please review our general trip information and guidelines on this page.

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Eastern Long Island Audubon Society
Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 9:00am
Birding the Fields, Woods and Bluffs of Hallockville Museum Farm and Hallock State Park
Leader: MaryLaura Lamont
This walk begins at Hallockville Museum Farm. Please park there. Diversity of habitats at the Hallockville Farm complex along Long Island Sound produces good bird sightings from warblers, swallows, vultures to kingbirds and Osprey. Program sponsored by Hallockville Museum Farm. There is an $8.00 fee which goes to their educational programs. Call (631) 298-5292 to register.

Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 7:30am
Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Beginning at 7:30 am, we will meet in the parking lot of the Refuge, and walk the approximately one mile loop around the Ice Pond. Various warbler-loving habitats — pine woods, open fields, and tangled understory — will be explored. In past years, this hidden gem has had Mourning Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and even Yellow-throated Warbler, along with the expected nesting warblers and song birds! Almost guaranteed to be tick-free (the Wildlife staff makes sure the trails are wide and brush-free), this spot is a real winner! Contact Eileen at beachmed@optonline.net for more information.

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Freshkills Park Alliance
Sunday, May 20, 2018, 8:00am
Birding Tour with NYC Audubon
Join local naturalist Cliff Hagen for “Birding Gems of Staten Island: Spring Migration at Freshkills Park,” organized by NYC Audubon.
Read More
Sign Up

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
Ranger-led nature walk.
View Details

Sunday, May 20, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Great South Bay Audubon
Saturday, May 19, 2018 to Sunday, May 20, 2018 - 7:00am
Sterling Forest and Bashakill
Leader(s): John Gluth (631-827-0120)
From Tappan Zee Bridge, take I-87 to Sloatsburg exit 15A, take the exit for Rte 72 (Sterling Mine Rd.), 1-mile up Rte 17. Continue west on Rte 72 for 3 Miles until you reach Rte 84, Long Meadow Rd. Continue up long Meadow Rd to Sterling Lake Rd (4 Mi). Turn left there and continue to Park Visitors Center parking lot on Old Forge Rd. Overnight at Wurtsboro Days Inn (845-888-8727).

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Birding in Peace
Peak Spring Migration Birding
From Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to over 20 species of colorful wood-warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the active time of day for birds.

Sunday, May 20, 2018
Birding in Peace
Peak Spring Migration Birding
From Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to over 20 species of colorful wood-warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the active time of day for birds.

Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Saturday/Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

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

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, May 20, 2018, 8:00am
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Jamaica Bay is known for its world-class shorebirding. We will walk around looking for shorebirds and other interesting migrants.
Registration: 631-885-1881
Directions: Meet at visitor center parking lot.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Doodletown
Leader: Paul Keim
Registrar: Anne Lazarus — amlazarus47@gmail.com or 212-673-9059
Registration opens: Monday, May 7
Ride: $30

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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

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: NYC Audubon 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 9:30am – 10:30am
Queens Botanical Garden Bird Walks
Saturdays, April 28, May 19, and June 9, and Sundays, May 6 and 27, 9:30-10:30am
Guide: NYC Audubon with Queens Botanical Garden
Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the valuable resources the Garden offers birds and other wildlife. Binoculars available. Register for one date or the whole series of five walks (walk-ins welcome). To register, email info@queensbotanical.org or visit www.queensbotanical.org/calendar. Each walk limited to 25. Free (with Garden admission)

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 10am – 2pm
Horseshoe Crab Festival at Jamaica Bay
Join us for a day of celebrating the annual arrival of horseshoe crabs to our local shores. During the full and new moons of May and June, these prehistoric animals, which date back approximately 400 million years, come ashore to mate. The females lay billions of eggs at the high tide line each season. At the same time, thousands of migrating shorebirds arrive in the northeast bays to feed on the eggs, regaining the body weight they lost during their long journey north. At the festival you’ll see and hold live horseshoe crabs and learn about their important ecological and medicinal values. For more info on the festival contact the American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896 or email Don Riepe at donriepe@gmail.com. The program is free, but suggested donations of $20 for adults and $10 for children to NYC Audubon are suggested to offset the festival cost.
To inquire about van transportation from Manhattan, call NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483 x304.

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 1pm – 4pm
Nesting Peregrines and Red-Tails of the Upper West Side
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Many New Yorkers are astonished to discover that their city of steel and glass is home to a diverse population of large birds of prey: the City boasts the world’s highest densities of the Peregrine Falcon—the world’s fastest flyer—and a growing population of Red-tailed Hawks (several pairs of which have reached celebrity status). We’ll visit the nesting site of a pair of each of these fascinating species, and may glimpse parents feeding their chicks. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Sunday, May 20, 2018
Shorebird Blitz
Contribute to NYC Audubon’s conservation efforts by helping us take a one-day snapshot of spring shorebird activity throughout New York City. Scheduled for May 20, the fifth NYC Shorebird Blitz is a citizen science initiative that aims to find the total number of shorebirds using our City during a 24-hour period, helping us answer important conservation questions such as how many shorebirds are coming through our area during peak spring migration, how they are distributed throughout the City, what they are doing while here, and what disturbances they face.

At last September’s NYC Fall Shorebird Blitz, 17 volunteers counted over 6,000 shorebirds in one day throughout all five boroughs (see Conservation Notes on page TK to learn what was found that day).

Whether you have been shorebirding for years or are a beginner, there are plenty of areas that need to be covered, so mark your calendars and start practicing your shorebird identification. For more information or to get involved, email citizenscience@nycaudubon.org.

Sunday, May 20, 2018, 8am – 3pm
Birding Gems of Staten Island: Spring Migration at Freshkills Park
Sundays, May 6 and May 20, 8am-3pm
Guide: Cliff Hagen with NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
Meet at the Staten Island Ferry and start your trip with a journey across the Upper Bay. From wetlands to woodlands to rich, rolling grasslands, Freshkills Park offers a diverse collection of habitats and wildlife. On a spring day, over 100 species of birds and a variety of butterflies can be seen here. Join local naturalist Cliff Hagen and NYC Parks Department staff on this special opportunity to explore the deep, secret places of the City's latest, greatest park. Transport by passenger van on S.I.from the Staten Island St. George Terminal included. Limited to 12. $50 (35)
Click here to register

Sunday, May 20, 2018, 9am – 10am
The Evergreens Cemetery Bird Walk
Guide: Corey Finger with Cemetery of the Evergreens
Meet inside the cemetery entrance at 1629 Bushwick Avenue and Conway Street. Explore the delights of this hidden gem by taking a tour of historic Evergreens Cemetery and its spring migrants. Moderately strenuous with many hills and stairs. Please click here to register. No limit. Free ($5 suggested donation)

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North Shore Audubon
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 8am – 12pm
NYIT de Seversky Center
Leader: Liz (516) 404-1984‬
NOTE: EARLY START TIME
Enter from Northern Blvd and West Rd - head south on West Rd. Proceed up the hill, and follow sign to the NYIT de Seversky Mansion on right. Park in big lot across from mansion.
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water.

Please inform walk leader that you are attending.
See "Walk Locations" for directions.
Park in the circle in front of the big house.
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water. Wear long pants and socks so you do not touch poison ivy.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, May 20, 2018, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Weed and Herb Walk at Conference House Park
Join herbal­ist Gert Coleman for a walk through the colonial paths and gar­dens at Conference House Park to identify both wild and cultivat­ed medicinal and culinary plants. Learn through discussion the benefits of such herbs and weeds and maybe find a new apprecia­tion for the “weeds” which take root in our own gardens. Meet in the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard. E-mail Gert Cole­man at gert.coleman@verizon.net for more information.
Read More

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Doodletown and Sterling Forest
Leader: Arie Gilbert 917-693-7178
Description: We'll meet at Doodletown at 7:30am. BRING LUNCH/DRINKS. then bird Sterling Forest.
more details»

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Hempstead Plains
Take Meadowbrook Parkway Exit M4, west towards Nassau Coliseum and Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Follow Charles Lindbergh Blvd. a short distance to first exit on right, East Parking Area for Nassau Community College. Turn right into East Parking Area and see entrance to Hempstead Plains ahead to the right. There is parking at the Entrance.
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 9:00am
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.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Bird Watching at the Reservoir at Ridgewood Reservoir, Queens
8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Start your day with an early morning bird watching walk led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.
Free!

Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!

Sunday, May 20, 2018
Bird Watching at the Reservoir at Ridgewood Reservoir, Queens
8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Start your day with an early morning bird watching walk led by Jean Loscalzo of the Queens County Bird Club.
Free!

Neighborhood Ecology Walk at Wave Hill, Bronx
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join a revealing exploration through the Raoul Wallenberg Forest and Abrons Woodland to see firsthand how human activity, invasive plants, and other factors have shaped the local ecology.

Family Walk: Avian Adventures at Wave Hill House (in Wave Hill), Bronx
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
On this special family walk focused on birds, families will go bird-watching, using binoculars to closely observe birds in their natural habitat, with Wave Hill Environmental… ...Read more

Migration Heats Up

A shift in the winds brought us a big increase in bird diversity and abundance over the past weekend, just in time for my back to back dawn tours at Green-Wood Cemetery. Our combined Saturday and Sunday lists totalled 86 species, 22 of which were warblers. The previous weekend we tallied 73 species. Here's a selection of photos from Jim Demers and Evan Rabeck, a couple of tour regulars:



































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Date: May 5, 2018 and May 6, 2018
Location: Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
Species: 86
Checklists: 2

Canada Goose
Wood Duck (3.)
Mallard (3.)
Common Loon (6.)
Double-crested Cormorant (6.)
Great Egret (1.)
Green Heron (2.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (1.)
Red-tailed Hawk (4.)
Spotted Sandpiper (2.)
Laughing Gull (17.)
Herring Gull (5.)
Forster's Tern (1.)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1.)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel (2.)
Monk Parakeet
Great Crested Flycatcher (2.)
Eastern Kingbird (3.)
White-eyed Vireo (1.)
Yellow-throated Vireo (1.)
Blue-headed Vireo (4.)
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo (2.)
Blue Jay (6.)
American Crow (1.)
Common Raven (2.)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2.)
Tree Swallow (2.)
Barn Swallow (5.)
House Wren (3.)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2.)
Veery (6.)
Swainson's Thrush (4.)
Hermit Thrush (2.)
Wood Thrush (3.)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (8.)
Brown Thrasher (2.)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (8.)

Ovenbird (6.)
Northern Waterthrush (1.)
Blue-winged Warbler (2.)
Black-and-white Warbler (11.)
Tennessee Warbler (1.)
Nashville Warbler (5.)
Common Yellowthroat (8.)
Hooded Warbler (2.)
American Redstart (7.)
Cape May Warbler (3.)
Northern Parula (17.)
Magnolia Warbler (4.)
Bay-breasted Warbler (1.)
Blackburnian Warbler (2.)
Yellow Warbler (2.)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (2.)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (7.)
Palm Warbler (1.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (21.)
Prairie Warbler (2.)
Black-throated Green Warbler (4.)
Canada Warbler (1.)

Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (1.)
Swamp Sparrow (2.)
Eastern Towhee (3.)
Scarlet Tanager (2.)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (12.)
Indigo Bunting (4.)
Baltimore Oriole (8.)
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow ...Read more