ESOPUS BEND NATURE PRESERVE ANIMAL TRACKING
2024-02-03 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Wintertime at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve offers a special environment for exploration. With snow blanketing the preserve, visitors may observe curious footprints on the ground and wonder what creature made them. Fox, raccoon, rabbit, dog, whose footprints are they? Where did the animal come from? Where was it going? What was it doing? With curiosity sparked, an interesting
adventure can begin.
Esopus Creek Conservancy is sponsoring an animal tracking adventure at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve on Saturday, February 03, 2024. Steve Hart will guide participants as we learn how to identify animal tracks and to observe clues to what the animal may have been doing at the time the tracks were made. In the absence of snow cover, the group will search for animal tracks along stream beds.
Pre-registration required; meeting location determined at time of registration. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them, and be prepared for potentially cold and icy trail conditions. Heavy rain or snow cancels the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, please do not bring pets.
Contact the field trip leader, Steve Hart (searunner64@gmail.com) to register or for additional information. This ECC Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public, but pre- registration is required and group size will be limited. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT ULSTER COUNTY STYLE
2024-02-16 - 2024-02-19
LEARN MORE ABOUT ULSTER COUNTY’S AVIFAUNA ALL PRESIDENT’S WEEKEND LONG!!!
Kenco Outfitters invites all Attendees of GBBC outings and events for a complementary binocular fitting and an additional 5% Off select optics
2/16 10:00 AM KENCO OPTICS DEMO/CLINIC email Wynter Kennedy wynter@kencooutfitters.com

2/16 3:30 PM BACKYARD BIRDING email Mark DeDea forsythnature@aol.com

2/17 8:00 AM WINTER WILDCARD BIRDING email Peter Schoenberger pdsis@yahoo.com

2/17 9:00 AM MINNEWASKA SPP BIRDING email Nick Martin nicholas.martin@parks.ny.gov

2/17 1:00 PM KENCO OPTICS DEMO/CLINIC email Wynter Kennedy wynter@kencooutfitters.com

2/18 8:00 AM ESOPUS BEND NP BIRDING email Steve Chorvas schorvas@verizon.net

2/18 9:00 AM KINGSTON WATERFRONT BIRDING/CHICORY NATURALIST VISIT email Wendy Tocci wtocci@gmail.com

2/19 8:00 AM SOJOUNER TRUTH S.P. BIRDING email Mark DeDea forsythnature@aol.com

2/19 8:30 AM NYQUIST-HARCOURT BIRDING email Nick Martin nickmartin@mac.com

2/19 4:00 PM SGNWR BIRDING email Dixon Onderdonk dixononderdonk@gmail.com
Please email JBNHSinfo@jbnhs.org with questions about future programming and field trips, to receive email notifications, or to join our Ulster rare bird alert.
Visit www.birdcount.org to learn more about this global event.

NYQUIST-HARCOURT SANCTUARY WINTER TREE I.D.
2024-02-24 10:00 - 12:00
Enjoy a brisk, late winter walk identifying trees by bark, structure, and bud The sanctuary is made up of a wonderful floodplain/oxbow wetland habitat and filled with flora associated with these conditions. Surely there will be interesting finds to lure one’s eye from woody to herbaceous. Contact trip leader Tom O’Dowd (tkodowd@gmail.com or 914 213-7079) to register for this outing.

EARLY MIGRANTS ON THE RONDOUT
2024-03-09 08:00 - 12:00
Join Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com ) and celebrate the approach of spring and many fond memories of this longtime JBNHS favorite. Please register with Mark for meeting location and the morning’s plans. Party will travel upstream from Rosendale to the High Falls area, noting early harbingers of spring.

SIGNS OF SPRING NATURE WALK
2024-03-17 08:00 - 12:00
The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are co-sponsoring a guided nature walk to observe early signs of spring in a variety of ecologically rich habitats in the Town of Saugerties on Sunday, March 17, 2024. Depending on available time, conditions, and participant interest, we will visit The Great Vly Wildlife Management Area, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, Falling Waters Preserve, and/or the Saugerties Lighthouse peninsula on the Hudson River. Meet in the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants can stay for the duration, or drive to each location and leave whenever necessary. Bring binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes if you have them, and be prepared for wet, muddy trails, and early spring weather conditions. Light rain often makes for excellent birding and nature observation, but heavy rain will cancel the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Please register with field trip leader, Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com) and for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

VERNAL EQUINOX WOODCOCK WALK
2024-03-19 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate the Vernal Equinox with one of the year’s great natural history events. Please register with trip leader Christine Guarino (chrissy.guarino@gmail.com ) for an evening stroll in the Shawangunk Grasslands to hear and possibly see male woodcocks perform their courting flights. We should hear early amphibians and maybe an owl or two also. Meet at the refuge entrance on Hoagerburg Road (Ulster Cty. Rt. 18), field party will make the short walk to the east (and the main refuge parking lot).

TIVOLI BAYS BIRDING
2024-03-23 08:00 - 12:00
We will explore the tidal marshes and upland habitat of this DEC property. Bald Eagles, waterfowl, and other early migrants (like Rusty Blackbird) are reasonable expectations on this walk. Please register with trip leader Jess Prockup (procolinos@gmail.com ). Field party will meet at the Bard College parking lot on Gatehouse Drive just north of sharp turn on Dutchess County Rt.103 and Cruger Island Road. The group will walk down Cruger Island road to the bays and the causeway and trails will surely be muddy. Please consider this and choose proper footwear (like muck boots).

JBNHS GENERAL MEETING
2024-03-27 18:00 - 20:00
JBNHS general meeting at the conference room of the Hudson River Maritime Museum Wooden Boat School. Meet, mingle, and enjoy a brief business meeting after Deb Weltsch’s program on the movement to save our world from plastics: “Beyond Plastics seeks to build a well-informed, effective movement to educate the public about the changes needed to save our planet, and ourselves, from the negative health, climate, and environmental impacts of the production, usage, and disposal of plastics. Deb Weltsch (JBNHS VP) is a recent graduate of the Beyond Plastics Speakers Bureau. Our ultimate goal is to end plastic pollution everywhere.” We will also hear from returnees from Tiffany Kersten’s special Nature Ninja Birding Tour for JBNHS members in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas

SPRING CATSKILL PEAK HIKE – BALSAM AND EAGLE MTNS
2024-04-13 08:00 - 14:00
The hike will begin at Rider Holllow for a distance of around 9.4 miles roundtrip and almost 3000’ elevation gain. Estimated time 6 hours. (For this reason the time spent birding will be limited.)
We will start on the Oliverea-Mapledale trail 1.75 miles to the Pine Hill-West Branch trail, then 2.1 miles south to Eagle Mt. From there we backtrack north 3 miles to Balsam Mt. We will return via the Mine Hollow trail 2.6 miles to the car. Much of the hike above 3000’ will be through first-growth forest, defined as “never cleared, barked, quarried or burned by people.” (Kudish, 2000.)
Meet to carpool at Kingston Thruway traffic circle at 7:00AM, or at Rider Hollow trailhead at 8:00. Contact Dave Hayes 845-417-9251 or vireo44@gmail.com to register. Limit 12 participants.

SPRING BIRDING WILDCARD
2024-04-20 08:00 - 17:00
The spring procession of migrants starts in earnest in this time period with new arrivals daily. Depending on recent reports or rare sightings, the destination (or destinations) of this trip will be determined just prior to the outing by field trip leader Peter Schoenberger (pdsis@yahoo.com). Please make sure to register with Peter for meet up time and location.

TIVOLI BAYS BIRDING
2024-04-21 07:00 - 12:00
Exploring the tidal marshes and upland habitat of this DEC property is always rewarding with diversity nearing it’s peak in this timeframe. Waders, waterfowl, raptors, and even some near tropic migrants (spent the winter in the southeast) are reasonable expectations on this walk. Please register with trip leader Susan Fox Rogers ( susanfoxrogers@gmail.com). Field party will meet at the Bard College parking lot on Gatehouse Drive just north of sharp turn on Dutchess County Rt.103 and Cruger Island Road. The group will walk down Cruger Island road to the bays and the causeway and trails will surely be muddy. Please consider this and choose proper footwear (like muck boots).

SPRING MIGRATION AND WILDFLOWERS IN SAUGERTIES
2024-04-28 07:30 - 12:00
The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are co-sponsoring a guided nature walk in woodlands and wetlands in the Town of Saugerties on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Late April/early May is an exciting time for neotropical migration at this latitude, and early morning is the best time to see and hear recently arrived songbirds in their brilliant spring plumage. We will explore a variety of ecologically rich habitats to experience this annual rite of spring, identifying birds by sight and sound while pausing along the way to observe a diversity of wildflowers and animal life. Meet up will be at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants can carpool and stay for the duration, or drive to each location and leave whenever necessary. Bring binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes if you have them, and be prepared for wet, muddy trails, and early spring weather conditions. Light rain often makes for excellent birding and nature observation, but heavy rain will cancel the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Please contact the field trip leader, Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com) to register and for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

ULSTER COUNTY BIG SIT
2024-05-04
JBNHS’ 9th annual Big Sit is also our BIG fundraiser for the year (that’s why we do our’s in May) but serves too as a friendly competition between the established sits. Do you have a birdy back deck or favorite patch and a cause worth birding for? Why not join the challenge and see how many species you can identify from a 17’ diameter circle and get friends and family to pledge to your effort. In the past money has been raised to help worthy endeavors like numerous enhancements at SGNWR, support the wonderful New York State Young Birders Club, installation of Where to Bird in Ulster County panels now located at four locations about the county, create Naturalist’s Backpacks for area libraries to lend out, and aid Annie Mardiney’s important educational and rehabilitation work at Wild Mountain Birds.
Donations can be based on a pledge per species (specific sit or cumulative) or flat donation. Donations can be made online (click on the Support the Big Sit button below) or by check. Please make checks payable to JBNHS and note desired sit you’d like to support. Send in donations to Treasurer Lin Fagan, 281 West Chestnut Street, Kingston, NY, 12401.

Big Sit Descriptions:
Great Vly Sit – Team Bobcat will again be birding Fradon Marsh from a pressure treated tower and greatly helping our cumulative JBNHS Big Sit total with all those wonderful marsh birds and maybe a surprise like another Black Tern. Support in 2022 allowed for the assembly and installation of over 30 Wood Duck boxes in the Vly! Last year the Bobcats worked the same magic for the Wood Ducks in Tivoli Bays. This year continued enhancements for both important NYSDEC WMA’s.
Kingston Point Sit – Team CoCo Puffs will bird from Harrison Point looking out over Kingston Point Lagoon, the mouth of the Rondout, and down river while tallying new spring arrivals and raising much needed funds for the important NYS Breeding Bird Atlas 3.
Galeville (SGNWR) Sit – Spend some time on the observation deck at Galeville (SGNWR) looking and listening for those ever important (and harder to find) grassland species. Team Shawangunk Redemption could have another Sandhill Crane up their sleeves. Pledges raised here will benefit continuing improvements at the refuge. Please contact Debbie Carney (deb.carney@gmail.com ) or Evelyn Leigh (evelynleigh11@gmail.com ) to plan and schedule your shift.
Thorn Preserve Sit – Please contact Olivia Bernard (oliviakbernard@gmail.com ) if you’d like to help. The Thorn Thrashers will bird to support JBNHS’ newest initiative and continue the assembly of Naturalist Backpacks; specifically one or more to the Olive Free Library.
Bowdery’ Homestead Sit – Lynn and Allan and gifted birding grandkiddies will bird their yard with hopes of a good feeder bird to pad our cumulative list and raise the most money we can to distribute in June to important environmental and conservation concerns in the region.
Hayes’ Homestead Sit – Dave and Tracey will bird their yard and do so for as good a cause as you could find, Wild Mountain Birds and JBNHS trustee Annie Mardiney’s awesome work.
Nyquist-Harcourt Sit – The Oxbow Oddballs will appropriately bird for our friends at the WVLT and the wonderful work they do. This is a birdy location and the more eyes and ears the better so please contact Sara DeAngelis (saradeangelis@me.com ) or Deb Welstch (dweltsch13@gmail.com ) to help or to pledge support.
Fagan Homestead Sit – One of the best views in town and a cemetery for neighbors, does it get any better? Treasurer Fagan definitely has the other Kingston locations beat in pedigree and if you support her birding could have fundraising bragging rights too.
New Location for a Sit? – Please contact Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com ) with any questions and to let us know about a new sit for promotional/ fundraising sake.

SPRING MIGRATION AT HIGH BANKS
2024-05-06 06:00 - 11:00
An early morning visit during spring migration to this Scenic Hudson property in the Town of Esopus should provide a generous selection of neotropical migrants. Please register with trip leader Jess Prockup (procolinos@gmail.com ) . There is an initial climb of 200 feet on the trail but walking is easy after that and a panoramic view of the mid Hudson Valley can be enjoyed while scanning the treetops for colorful songsters.

WARBLER WALK
2024-05-08 07:00 - 12:00
Please register with trip leader Gerhard Patsch (gerapa2001@yahoo.com ) to find out meeting location for this enjoyable outing during birder’s “holy week”. The group will visit environs near New Paltz and travel towards the Mohonk Preserve to search for neotropical migrants.

SPRING MIGRATION AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-05-09 07:00 - 12:00
Please register with field trip leader Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com) and meet Mark at the Pond Lane/Black Creek entrance of the sanctuary. This entrance is NORTHWEST of Burroughs Drive. DO NOT TURN ON TO Burroughs Drive; parking is just off Floyd Ackert Road. The field party will take the easy to navigate Pond Lane out to the sanctuary pond and trails nearby in search of neotropical migrants.

ULSTER COUNTY SPRING CENSUS: BIG DAY COUNT
2024-05-11
This is the day we all look forward to….. the holiest day of the year! Spend the whole day in the field or just a few hours….who knows what may be found. Refer to your copy of Where to Bird in Ulster County or visit www.jbnhs.org for good birding locations. Submit your report in checklist order to Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com ) or P.O. Box 214, Saugerties, NY 12477). This information is combined in a regional report published by the New York State Ornithological Association.

SPRING MIGRATION AT IMMIGRANT’S WAY
2024-05-16 07:00 - 12:00
Please register with trip leader Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.cm ) to participate on this spring migration visit to this now very much formalized addition to the Empire State Trail with hopes of the trailside woods chock full of neotrops. Trail is extremely easy and paved the entirety of the walk north to East Kingston and back to the Point. Party will meet at the Kingston Point Beach parking lot for a 7:00 A.M. start.

SUNDOWN FOREST OPEN DISCOVERY
2024-06-01 09:00 - 12:00
Sundown Wild Forest is located in the southern Catskills. We will explore the flora and fauna in this mature second growth forest. Forest succession and regrowth will be discussed. We will walk on trails for the most part, with short forays off-trail. Trail conditions are generally good, with some short steep slopes and occasional downed trees to navigate. Please register with George Moxham (gfmoxham@gmail.com) for details. Participation is limited due to parking availability.

DAMSELS AND DRAGONS AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-06-08 09:00 - 11:00
Join local aquatic ecologist and nature photographer Frank Beres (othernaturephoto@gmail.com) at Black Creek Trail parking area on Floyd Ackert Road to explore this fascinating group of insects. Learn about the natural history of one of the most ancient lineages and pick up tips to discover, identify, and photograph a diverse variety of striking and colorful species. From the flitting gleam of a bluet’s wing to a speeding darner relentlessly hunting prey, summer at Sanctuary Pond is alive with diverse, colorful, and intriguing insects: the Odonata (Dragonflies and damselflies). We will also explore the edges of the pond for biodiversity: birds, butterflies, aquatic insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Please email Frank to register for this outing or with questions.

JBNHS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
2024-06-09 08:00 - 12:00
This is the meeting at which new board members and officers are elected, representatives to the NYSOA meeting are chosen, and decisions are made about where JBNHS donations to other deserving organizations go. We will be meeting this year at the pavilion of the Catskills Visitor Center, bird walk at 8 AM, social snacking during and after. The Catskills Visitor Center is located at 5096 Route 28, Mount Tremper, NY. See you there!

BREEDING BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES
2024-06-15 08:00 - 12:00
The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are co-sponsoring a guided nature walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in Saugerties on Saturday, June 15, 2024 to observe summer breeding birds and butterflies. We will identify birds by sight and sound as we explore the Preserve’s woodlands, wetlands, and meadow, pausing along the way to observe the diversity of plant and animal life that inhabit the Preserve. As the morning temperatures rise, we will focus our attention on early summer butterflies active in the Preserve at this time of the year. Bring binoculars, insect repellant and field guides if you have them. Be prepared for potentially wet/muddy trails, tall grass, and dress according to weather conditions. Light rain often makes for excellent birding and nature observation, but will inhibit or eliminate most butterfly activity. Heavy rain will cancel the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Please register with the field trip leader Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com) to participate and for meeting time. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

TIVOLI BAYS PADDLE
2024-06-16
Tivoli Bays is one of the great natural areas in our entire region and is best enjoyed and explored with a kayak. A visit this time of year will find the tidal marsh of the north bay filled with life in all forms and often allowing for close inspection. Please register with trip leader Susan Fox Rogers (susanfoxrogers@gmail.com ) to participate and find out meeting location and time. This is a BYOB (bring your own boat) event. Registration will be limited to keep the group nimble and able to move (relatively) quietly through the marsh.

EMMONS POND BOG OPEN DISCOVERY
2024-06-23
This 140 acre Nature Conservancy property in Delaware County contains an unusual glacial kettle hole bog and the rare bog plants associated with this habitat. This is also a timely visit for breeding birds and butterflies and blooming wildflowers as well. The SUNY Oneonta Science Discovery Center has created an interpretive trail with QR code markers along the trail for added learning opportunities. Waterproof footwear is recommended for this outing. Bring along lunch or a snack to be enjoyed while at the bog. Please register with our young trip leader Logan Berrios (loganrberrios@gmail.com ) to reserve your spot on this outing and find out meeting time, location, and carpooling options.

EASTERN NABA BUTTERFLY COUNT
2024-06-29
Rain Date: Sunday, June 30
Join a field team to census butterflies in Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, or one of dozens of other local sites as a participant in the annual Eastern Catskills North American Butterfly Association (NABA) “Fourth of July” Butterfly Count on Saturday, June 29, 2024. The Eastern Catskills count circle includes a number of productive butterfly locations in northern Ulster, southeastern Greene, and western Dutchess Counties, including Poet’s Walk Preserve, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, The Great Vly WMA, Onteora State Park, Overlook Mountain, Lower Platte Clove, the eastern end of Ashokan Reservoir, and extensive open meadows in the Town of Ulster. Participants will be assigned to a field party to census one or more target locations within the 15-mile diameter count circle. Each field party will be assigned at least one individual knowledgeable in butterfly identification, so you don’t need to be a butterfly expert to participate. Full-day participation is not required, but you should be able to commit four to eight hours from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining one of the field teams, or have additional questions about participating in a NABA Butterfly Count, please contact Steve Chorvas at schorvas@gmail.com no later than June 15.

BUTTERFLIES AT THORN PRESERVE
2024-07-06 09:00 - 12:00
The Catskill Center’s Thorn Preserve can be bustling with butterflies during this timely visit while the Common Milkweed is in bloom. Please register with Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com ) who will lead this walk and provides comprehensive knowledge of butterfly life and the plants they are dependent upon. Attendance may be limited.

BREEDING BIRD ATLAS CAMPING
2024-07-12 - 2024-07-15
Spend Friday, July 12th to Monday, July 15th with other Atlas enthusiasts for three nights of camping, camaraderie and atlasing. We will set up camp at the Woodland Valley Campground (https://dec.ny.gov/places/woodland-valley-campground-and-day-use-area) in Phoenicia and atlas in small groups in nearby priority blocks. Our focus will be on nearby incomplete Central-East (CE) blocks and confirming high elevation specialists (ie. Bicknell’s, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Blackpoll Warbler).
For those of you not interested in camping please feel free to make a day trip out of it. Early registration is encouraged as campsites will fill up quickly. Please contact regional coordinator Wendy Tocci (wtocci@gmail.com) for more details if interested.

OPEN DISCOVERY AT HORTUS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDENS
2024-07-20
Located in Stone Ridge, the arboretum and botanical gardens celebrate and sustain the native, unusual, and historic plant life of our region. It’s also one of trip leader Logan Berrios’ favorite local places to visit. There is a $5 entrance fee and carpooling from Kingston Park & Ride and registration are mandatory in order to not negatively impact other visitors at this public green space. Register with Logan Berrios (logannrberrios@gmail.com) by 7/13/24 to find out meeting time and carpooling plans.

OPEN DISCOVERY AT BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE
2024-07-21
SUNDAY, JULY 21, 8:00 A.M. Bartholomew’s Cobble is a preserve in western Massachusetts. The diverse range of habitats includes floodplains, rock outcrops, mature forest and grasslands. The preserve is noted for its variety of ferns and wildflowers. We can expect a good variety of birds and perhaps other wildlife. We will meet locally and travel to the preserve. Carpooling is encouraged. Participants should be prepared for trail conditions that may include steep slopes, short scrambles, and/or mud. Ticks and biting insects may be encountered. Bring water and your lunch to eat in the field. Participation is limited. Contact George Moxham (gfmoxham@gmail.com) to register.

MOTH NIGHT AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-07-27 20:00 - 22:00
SATURDAY, JULY 27, 8:00 P.M. A fun and unusual outing for our field trip schedule and what better way to celebrate National Moth Week. Enjoy Mathew’s extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject and see if you retained any identification skills from last year! Bring along a folding chair and snack and a head lamp may come handy too. Please register with Joan Burroughs (jjjburroughs@yahoo.com) to participate and get directions to Pond House parking, and contact trip leader Mathew Rymkiewicz (dendroicist@gmail.com ) with any questions.
