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

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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 […]

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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
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

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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
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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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
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

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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

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

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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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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
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

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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

Happy Holiday

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Earther:

The Most Memorable Environmental Justice Wins of 2017
Yessenia Funes

This year’s been a tough one for environmental justice. Consider the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their allies, who ended 2016 on a high note when the Army Corps of Engineers rejected the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Then, President Donald Trump happened. Within four days of his inauguration in January, he was signing presidential memoranda to push through the DAPL and the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Since then, lots of bad stuff has happened—but lots of good stuff, too. And the good stuff is worth celebrating in a time when the current administration is neglecting the environment, and the poor people and communities of color who are suffering along with it. (Ahem, Puerto Rico?)

Here are some of the year’s environmental justice wins.

The March for Science meets equity

The March for Science, which took place back in April, caused quite a bit of controversy throughout its planning process, especially in how it dealt with race and gender. Some in the field don’t think scientists should get mixed up in the drama of politics. But not all scientists feel they have a choice, especially those who are not white or male (or either).

March organizers, at first, were all for supporting marginalized people, but as soon as a scientist challenged that philosophy, the organization took down a tweet that conveyed a supportive message, in what was just the beginning of a months-long controversy. However, this resulted in some successes.

In March, about a month before the event, organizers added two women of color as national co-chairs. Both were, of course, respected scientists: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who helped expose the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff, a molecular and cellular biologist.

While the March for Science has continued to struggle with diversity issues since its April event, this was a step in the right direction. So was the growth of 500 Women Scientists, another grassroots effort that sprung out of a desire for more inclusivity in science. And whatever winds up happening with the March, the fact that it sparked a national conversation about race in science is important. Whenever science recognizes the need for more diversity, that’s a win in my book.

Progress in the Flint water crisis

Make no mistake: The fact that people in Flint, Michigan, still can’t drink their water shouldn’t be considered a win. The ongoing water crisis in Flint resulting from lead contamination is heartbreaking, especially when you take a look at how families have to spend the holidays.

All I’m saying is, you gotta’ find some light in the darkness. And Flint has seen some progress this year. For one, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the city a $100 million grant in March to help it rebuild its water infrastructure. Now, that process hasn’t left resident without any qualms, but the city is on its way to meeting its goal of replacing 18,000 lead service lines by 2020.

In theory, no more lead pipes should mean no more lead-tainted water. Getting the community to drink tap water again, though, is going to take much more than that. Maybe the city can prioritize some trust building come 2018.

America’s youth take the climate fight to court

Meet the so-called climate kids.

These 21 young people—who range from 10 to 21—are challenging the federal government in the district court for the action (or lack of it) on climate change. They’re arguing that the government’s failure to properly act on the global crisis is threatening their right to life, liberty, and property.

The Trump administration has been trying to prevent the case from going to trial, but, in December, a panel of judges seemed to think the case was too young to kill. (See what I did there?)

Trial was originally scheduled to begin in February. That’ll likely get pushed a bit as the parties wait for the judges to issue their formal decision. Right now, though, the case looks like it’ll get there.

Watch out, Trump. These kids are on a mission.

Latin America’s year of renewable success

The U.S. federal government isn’t all that interested in renewable energy these days, but that’s why we have the rest of the world. Other nations can be the leaders, and the United States can watch opportunities slip by.

So let’s look to Mexico and Costa Rica. They lit the path for renewables this year. Costa Rica’s electricity ran entirely on renewable energy for at least 300 days this year.

The country announced this milestone back in November, so that number is probably higher by now. About 79 percent of the clean energy came from hydropower, and about 10 percent from wind. The sun-lit Central American country generated very little from solar, but that’s where Mexico killed it.

This year, it sold the cheapest solar project—ever.

An auction back in November resulted in a project that’d produce electricity for $17.70 per megawatt hour. During that same auction, another 15 bids went down, and the average price for the projects amounted to $20.57 per megawatt hour. This is cheap as hell for solar power. This move toward renewables is not only good for the planet; it’s good for our economy.

¡Viva América Latina!

The world’s polluters “overachieve”

China and India, two of the world’s worst polluters right now, are on track to “overachieve” their goals set forth in the Paris Agreement, according to a Climate Action Tracker study released in May. Yaaaas!

Of the world’s three top emitters—the U.S., China, and India—the U.S. is the only one steering completely off track to meet these targets. I mean, Trump is withdrawing us from the Paris Agreement completely attempting to dismember the Clean Power Plan bit by bit, so no surprise.

The good news is that with China and India severely cutting their carbon emissions, emissions worldwide should fall, too. And that’s thanks to their shift toward renewables and away from coal. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Trump administration wants to go back to the days of when coal hailed (and killed). Sigh.

Divestment movement snubs Big Oil

From banks to international institutions to entire cities, 2017 was the year of fossil fuel divestment. Maybe they finally realized their money would be better spent elsewhere? Or maybe they simply didn’t want their money going toward Big Oil anymore.

In any case, the year started with the Seattle City Council unanimously voting to end its relationship with Wells Fargo because of its financing of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Then came Davis, California. It’s opting to go with a new bank or credit union instead.

Cities aren’t alone, though. A Norwegian investment group, Storebrand, which manages the pensions of 1.2 million Norwegians, announced in March that it had sold all its shares in the companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. This included Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, and Enbridge.

Then, in November, the pension fund decided to drop 10 coal companies from its $80 billion portfolio. Take that, climate change.

The World Bank announced in December that it will end its financial support of oil and gas projects come 2019. While none of these moves in themselves will have a major impact on these companies’ bottom lines, but they send a clear message: Fossil fuels don’t make sense in the long term.

Canadian First Nation treaty rights

Here’s a key fact about tribal nations people often forget: They’re sovereign, and federal governments (like the U.S. and Canada) have signed treaties with them. Y’know, treaties like countries sign with each other. And these documents carry legal merit.

Tribes have won environmental cases in the United States based on treaties, and the same happened in Canada this year.

In December, the Supreme Court in Canada ruled in favor of the Yukon First Nations in a five-year legal battle to protect the Peel watershed, nearly 68,000 acres of pristine land. Back in 2011, an independent commission was all like, “Let’s protect, oh, about 80 percent of this land from development.” But the territory’s governments didn’t approve. It wanted to protect just 30 percent of the land, so it went ahead and created its own land use plan.

Long story short, that move was illegal because of the Yukon’s Umbrella Final Agreement, a treaty signed in 1990. It requires the government consult with tribes on such decisions. So this Supreme Court decision doesn’t mean that the government must use the plan the commission laid out in 2011. Rather, it brings the parties back to that point in the land-use planning.

Now, the government has to work through the process. That means tribal consultation and actually listening to what the First Nations have to say. The government may go ahead and reject that plan, anyway, but at least relevant stakeholders can give it a piece of their mind first.

Standing Rock fight lives on

The year 2017 began with a dark cloud over our heads. The remarkable fight for indigenous rights at Standing Rock came to an immediate halt with Trump in the White House. Except, not really.

Maybe federal support was gone, but now the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is trying to make its case in court. And that’s not over. In fact, this year, the lawsuit has seen some incredible advances that spark hope—even if that damn pipeline is now up and running.

In June, Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Trump administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it quickly issued the pipeline’s permit. He explicitly mentioned “environmental justice” in his opinion, too, writing:

“Although the Corps substantially complied with NEPA in many areas, the Court agrees that it did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipeline’s effects are likely to be highly controversial.”

Then, just earlier this month, the court decided pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners must come up with an oil spill response plan. The Keystone Pipeline (not to be confused with the Keystone XL) saw a major oil spill in November, and the court acknowledged that. Now, the court wants to see Energy Transfer Partners be prepared for anything similar and file regular reports on any incidents or pipeline repairs.

That lawsuit is ongoing, too, so you never know. It could lead to some more success stories next year. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, December 23, 2017 to Sunday, December 24, 2017:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, December 23, 2017, 12 pm – 1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a birdwatching walk and learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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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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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Ranger's Choice: Birding Van Tour: Owls at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Winter is the best time of year to spot owls. Registration is required.
Free!

Birding Jamaica Bay at Bay 32nd Street and Beach Channel Drive (in Bayswater Park), Queens
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Our Rangers will guide you t the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free! ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, December 16, 2017 to Sunday, December 17, 2017. Most organizations are participating in this year's annual Christmas Bird Count, however there are still a few trips for those not counting birds this weekend:

Alley Pond Environmental Center
Saturday, December 16, 2017, 7pm – 9pm
Stargazing - Winter Solstice
For more information and to register visit www.alleypond.com/adults

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Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, December 16, 2017, 12 pm – 1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a birdwatching walk and learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Evening Owl Prowl
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Junior Rangers and their families are invited to an owl adventure.
View Details

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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
Saturday, December 16, 2017, 9:00am – 4:00pm
The Freshwater Ponds of Long Island's South Shore
Guide: Tod Winston
Visit up to seven South Shore freshwater ponds that provide refuge to a surprising variety of wintering waterfowl—and great viewing opportunities to birders. Possible sightings include hooded mergansers, green-winged teal, ring-necked ducks, northern pintails, and redheads. We’ll also make a short stop or two by the bay to look for loons, grebes, and sea ducks.
Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $94 (66)
Click here to register

Saturday, December 16, 2017, 9:00am – 10:30am
Winter Walk in Van Cortlandt Park
Guide: Nadir Souirgi
Enjoy this ecologically diverse park with extensive woodlands and the Bronx's largest freshwater lake. Look for rarities such as wintering owls, land birds like snow buntings and Lapland longspurs, or even spot the odd migratory goose species like cackling goose, barnacle goose, or greater white-fronted goose. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Sunday, December 17, 2017, 10am – 1pm
Winter Waterfowl ID Workshop Trip
Thursday, December 14, 6-7:30pm (class) and Sunday, December 17, 10am-1pm (trip)
Guide: Gabriel Willow
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck . . . but is it a dabbling duck or a diving duck? Or could it be a grebe? This class will help you distinguish between ducks, geese, loons, grebes, and more. Following our class, we'll put our newfound skills to work as we seek out the diverse mix of dabbling ducks, bay ducks, sea ducks, grebes, loons, and cormorants to be found in Central Park's Reservoir.
Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, December 17, 2017, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Wolfe’s Pond Park Ancient Trees
Walk the end-of-autumn woods of this park made famous for its ancient trees, notably Tulip and Oak. We may also explore placid Acme pond. The entrance to the park is from Cornelia Avenue off Hylan Blvd. Park closest to the restrooms, where we will meet.
For more information, contact Hillel Lofaso at 718-477-0545.
Read More

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, December 17, 2017
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.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Nature Walk: Birds and the Winter Garden at Wave Hill House (in Wave Hill), Bronx
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Take a guided, brisk walk to see birds and bird habitats in the garden. Along the way, hear about fascinating adaptations that help birds survive the cold.
Free!

Birding: Waterfowl at 155th Street and Baisley Boulevard (in Baisley Pond Park), Queens
11:00 a.m.–12:30 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.
Free!

Nature Walk: Birds and the Winter Garden at Wave Hill House (in Wave Hill), Bronx
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Take a guided, brisk walk to see birds and bird habitats in the garden. Along the way, hear about fascinating adaptations that help birds survive the cold.

Sunday, December 17, 2017
Birding: Waterfowl at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
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. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels. Beginners are welcome.
Free! ...Read more

118th Christmas Bird Count Info

The 118th Annual Christmas Bird Count begins Saturday, December 16, 2017. If you'd like to participate with one of the many groups of birders in our area (of all skill levels) here is an abbreviated listing of the local counts. Below only includes the team coordinator information for the 5 boroughs of New York City, as well as, Long Island. A comprehensive listing for New York State can be found here.

Count Code Count Name Contact Email Phone Saturday, December 9, 2017(not part of the official CBC) Saturday, December 16, 2017 NYBR Brooklyn L.I. Bobbi Manian roberta.manian@gmail.com NYNN Northern Nassau County Jennifer Wilson Pines jwpines@gmail.com 516-767-3454 Sunday, December 17, 2017 NYCA Captree L.I. Shai Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu NJLH Lower Hudson NJ/NY Kaitlyn Parkins kparkins@nycaudubon.org NYQU Queens County Corey Finger 10000birdsblogger@gmail.com Tuesday, December 19, 2017 Friday, December 22, 2017 Saturday, December 23, 2017 NYBW Bronx-Westchester Region Michael Bochnik http://www.hras.org/bwcbc.html 914-237-9331 Sunday, December 24, 2017 Tuesday, December 26, 2017 Wednesday, December 27, 2017 NYCS Central Suffolk County L.I. Eileen Schwinn beachmed@optonline.net Saturday, December 30, 2017 NYOR Orient L.I. Patrick Hanly pat@mattpres.com 631-312-0824 NYSN Southern Nassau County L.I. Patricia Lindsay pjlindsay@optonline.net

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website "Earther":

Wind Farms Can Now Produce More Electricity Than Coal Plants In Texas
Brian Kahn
Thursday 11:20am

The war on coal is alive and well in Texas. Yes, Texas.

Wind power capacity has officially topped coal generating capacity according to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Wind farms are popping up across the state and coal plants are shuttering, largely due to economics that increasingly favor low cost renewables.

The wind revolution in Texas has been swift. Wind power accounted for just 2 percent of Texas’s power generation a decade ago according to the Houston Chronicle, but it now accounts for more than 15 percent. In real numbers, wind capacity stands at 20,102 megawatts, enough to power roughly four million homes by the Chronicle’s estimate. ERCOT data shows that capacity could top 21,000 megawatts by the end of the year.

It now stands as the second-largest source of electricity capacity in Texas, trailing only natural gas. Coal, however, still accounts for a larger overall share of electricity generated in Texas, but that will likely change within the next few years.


Image: ERCOT

While wind power has blown up, coal generation has fallen across Texas. The latest casualties are the Big Brown and Sandow coal-powered plants, which are slated to close in 2018.

“Trump can repeal environmental rules, but he can’t repeal economics,” Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, told E and E News when the decision to shutter the plants was announced last month. “I think you’re seeing market forces take over on this.”

And that’s exactly what’s happening. Cheap natural gas has made coal increasingly uncompetitive. Columbia research published earlier this year found that 49 percent of the drop in coal use in the U.S. from 2011-2016 was due to low-cost gas.

At the same time, wind power has never been cheaper. The declining cost of renewable energy over that period is responsible for 18 percent of coal’s decline, according to the Columbia research.

In contrast, environmental regulations have played a very tiny role, despite the Trump administration’s argument that they’re killing coal. Texas—a state where “regulation” is akin to a four-letter word—has become the wind capital of the U.S. due to these economic factors and its abundance of wind. That means it’s highly unlikely that Trump’s push to roll back fossil fuel regulations will mess with the Lone Star state’s wind revolution.

Texas is a microcosm of what’s happening across much of the U.S. and the world. The fastest growing jobs in the country are in wind and solar and renewables are being installed at record rates around the globe. Mexico auctioned off the cheapest solar project on the planet earlier this month. The pace, however, will need to quicken to ensure we don’t suffer the worst impacts of climate change. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, December 9, 2017 to Sunday, December 10, 2017:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, December 9, 2017, 12 pm – 1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a birdwatching walk and learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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Bedford Audubon Society
Sunday, December 10, 2017, 8:30am - 11:00am
Deans Bridge and Titicus Reservoir with Naturalist Tait Johansson
Somers, NY, USA

Join Tait in exploring these excellent winter waterfowl spots in Somers and North Salem. This is perfect for beginning birders. Meet at the end of Dean’s Bridge Road in Somers.
Level of physical difficulty: Moderate.
Please 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, December 9, 2017
A Duck Walk Marathon of Southern Jamaica Bay
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: Duck species of fresh and salt waters
Registrar: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: Dec 2nd - Dec 7th
Trip Details: The walking tour distance is about 9 miles. Starting at Jamaica Bay Refuge Visitors Center (From A train Broad Channel station), the walk-– after a loop of the West […]

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Winter Bird Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge visitor center for a slide program on winter birds and wildlife followed by a walk around the ponds and gardens with Jamaica Bay Guardian Don Riepe.
View Details

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Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, December 9, 2017, 9:00am
Montauk
Leader(s): Bob Grover (516-318-8536) Ken Thompson (631-612-8028)
Meet at Lighthouse parking lot. Latecomers can still join in the vicinity of the restaurant overlook.

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, December 10, 7:00am
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

For this program you will check in at the Gothic Arches, right at the main entrance.
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
Saturday, December 9, 2017, 10am – 1pm
America Littoral Society's Winter Birds at Jamaica Bay
Guide: Don Riepe with American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for a slide program on winter birds and wildlife followed by a walk around the ponds and gardens. Learn about bird migration, survival, and adaptation to cold temperatures and look for owls, raptors, finches, and waterfowl.
For info and reservations, contact Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com. No limit. Free

Sunday, December 10, 2017, 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

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, December 10, 2017, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Conference House Park
What do burnt cornflakes, worts, and ski trails all have in common? They are identifying characteristic of tree bark at Conference House Park. Participants will learn to identify trees in the winter using their bark including the persimmon, a native tree species that is threatened in New York State. We will meet at the parking lot near the Visitors Center, 7455 Hylan Boulevard. For more information contact Will Lenihan at wleni5584@gmail.com.

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Liberty State Park
Leader: Bob Dieterich (848) 468-7207
Liberty State Park, 200 Morris Pesin Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07305, USA (map)

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, December 10, 2017
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.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Birding: Owls at Parking Area (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Be wise and join this Urban Park Ranger-led hike, as we listen for calls and look for this nocturnal bird of prey.
Free!

Sunday, December 10, 2017
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. ...Read more