John Burroughs Natural History Society

DAMSELS AND DRAGONS AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-06-08 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
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.

WADERS AND ICE CREAM
2024-08-09 18:00 - 20:00
August may be hot and humid but “fall” migration is underway and the Esopus Meadows can often harbor large concentrations of waders like Great Egrets and if, water chestnut harvesting provides landing pads, shorebirds (not always easy to locate in county) too. After a tough evening of scanning the river for peeps and waders we recommend you try to recuperate over a soft serve cone post-outing at one of the local ice cream establishments. FIELD TRIP IS LIMITED TO 12 PARTICIPANTS. Contact Wendy Tocci (wtocci@gmail.com ) to register. Scenic Hudson’s Esopus Meadows Preserve is located at 269 River Road in the Town of Esopus.

BUTTERFLIES AT JUNIPER FLATS
2024-08-10 09:00 - 12:00
This Scenic Hudson property can often provide a nice variety of butterflies with a good selection of host plants and flowers to nectar upon. Please contact Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com) to register and receive instructions for where to meet.

FERN WALK AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-08-11 09:00 - 12:00
Join Lynn Bowdery and George Moxham to explore the beautiful diversity of ferns that grace the rocks, slopes and wetlands of this special place. Bring your fern guide and a magnifier if you have one, and binoculars are useful, too. While ferns are our focus, there’s no reason we can’t notice and discuss other things that attract our attention. Please contact Lynn Bowdery (lynn.bowdery@gmail.com) to register for this trip, which is a joint offering with the John Burroughs Association

GREIG FARM BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES
2024-09-01 08:30 - 12:00
Please contact Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com or 246-5900) to register and learn meet up details. The property owner has graciously allowed birders (and b-fliers) to explore this open agricultural habitat for fall shorebirds, grassland sparrows, and good late season butterflies.

FALL MIGRANTS AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2024-09-07 08:00 - 12:00
PRE-REGISTER with Joan Burroughs (jjjburroughs@yahoo.com) for field trip details of this JBA/JBNHS co-sponsored Hudson River Ramble event. We will meet at the Black Creek Trail/Pond entrance on Floyd Ackert Road. The mature woods of the sanctuary provide respite for neotropical migrants on their way to wintering grounds. Hopefully we will encounter a mixed foraging flock or two as we stroll Pond Lane.

AUTUMN CATSKILL PEAKS HIKE
2024-09-14
This hike will tackle Hunter Mountain, 2nd highest peak in the Catskills at 4030′. The distance is 3.5 miles to the fire tower at the summit, which should be open for spectacular views. Ascent to this point is 1900′. From there, depending on group consensus, we can simply return (7 miles round trip) OR continue on to climb Southwest Hunter, which adds only about 300′ of climbing but does add distance (10.3 miles round trip). Meet at 7:00AM at the Kingston Thruway traffic circle park & ride lot to carpool, driving time is about an hour. Contact: Dave Hayes vireo44@gmail.com 845- 417-9251

HAWK MOUNTAIN FALL MIGRATION
2024-09-20
A visit to the famous Kempton PA. sanctuary in this timeframe can provide a spectacle of Broad-winged Hawks overhead and lots of neotrops in the woods nearby. This outing includes a special opportunity to stay at the Hawk Mountain Bed and Breakfast but spaces are limited so be sure to sign up with Debbie Carney (deb.a.carney@gmail.com ) today.

GREIG FARM BIRDWALK
2024-09-28 07:00 - 12:00
This property has fast become a special place to visit particularly as fall migration progresses. Please contact Peter Schoenberger (pdsis@yahoo.com) to register and find out details on meeting location.

AUTUMN WILDCARD BIRDWALK
2024-10-05 07:30 - 12:00
We’ll let trip leader Peter Schoenberger (pdsis@yahoo.com or 914 466-2707) decide the direction this field trip will go but he does love a good weedy patch full of sparrows (who doesn’t)? Maybe a “farm” visit or will a place like the
Ashokan Reservoir offer the birdiest option come field trip day? Please register in advance to find out pertinent details.

SPARROW WALK AT THE FARM
2024-10-06 07:00 - 12:00
PRE-REGISTER with the Hudson Valley Farm Hub’s Applied Farmscape Ecology Program Manager Anne Bloomfield (anne@hvfarmhub.org) for field trip meeting details. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the wonderful habitat that has been created on this private property by practices Anne can discuss along the walk. Targets for this trip are sparrows and their allies. We will visit farmland habitat and weedy edges for LBJ’s and maybe a skulker or two.

AUTUMN TREE ID AT NYQUIST HARCOURT SANCTUARY
2024-10-19 10:00 - 12:00
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN LOCATION AND TIME FROM ORIGINAL SCHEDULE
Let’s ID trees by bud, bark, and structure (with a little help from fallen leaves) on this one to two mile walk around the sanctuary loop. Meet up will be at the New Paltz municipal parking lot (53 Huguenot St). Pre-registration is required with trip leader Tom O’Dowd (tkodowd@gmail.com 914-213-7079)

LICHENS/MOSSES ON THE O&W RAIL TRAIL
2024-10-20 09:00 - 12:00
Explore a stretch of the O & W Rail Trail in Marbletown through mixed hardwood and hemlock forests, along shale outcrops, to a beaver pond. This area is rich in just about every living thing, including mosses and lichens. Join Lynn Bowdery and George Moxham, both engaged in learning about the intriguing non-animal life blanketing trees, rocks and soil. Of course, other things will attract our attention and appreciation as we saunter along the shady rail trail. Bring binoculars, hand lenses, and insect repellant. Group size is limited, Please contact Lynn Bowdery (lynn.bowdery@gmail.com) to register for this trip.

ELECTION DAY SPARROWS AT JUNIPER FLATS
2024-11-05 08:00 - 12:00
PRE-REGISTER with Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com) and find out meeting location. Fulfill your civic duty and join JBNHSers at the “old IBM Rec Center”. This Scenic Hudson property might sound more like a Utah sub-division but in approximately ten years of keeping track of bird sightings here has moved into 15th place on the list of birdiest places in Ulster County. Muck boots are recommended to keep feet dry from the morning dew/frost and dress in layers as temperatures could greatly change from start time to early afternoon.

ELECTION DAY SPARROWS AT JUNIPER FLATS
2024-11-05 08:00 - 12:00
PRE-REGISTER with Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com ) and find out exact meeting location. Fulfill your civic duty and join JBNHSers at the “old IBM Rec Center”. This Scenic Hudson property might sound more like a Utah sub-division but in approximately ten years of keeping track of bird sightings there the property has moved into the top twenty on the list of birdiest places in Ulster County so says eBird. Muck boots are recommended to keep feet dry from the morning dew/frost and dress in layers as temperatures could greatly change from start time to wrap. Halloween candy will be on the menu and the Western Kingbird will finally make an appearance.

ASHOKAN RESERVOIR BIRDING
2024-11-16 08:00 - 12:00
Contact Dixon Onderdonk (dixononderdonk@gmail.com ) to register for this field trip with a focus on looking for eagles, loons, grebes, and waterfowl. Dress warmly and anticipate windy conditions. A spotting scope will help make this trip a better experience. Dixon will also disclose meeting location when birders register.

JBNHS NOVEMBER MEETING
2024-11-21 18:00 - 20:00
Come to the last JBNHS meeting of 2024 at the conference room of the Hudson River Maritime Museum Wooden Boat School. Meet, mingle, and enjoy a brief business meeting after the program. Debbie Van Zyl will be presenting a talk about birding in South Africa. Debbie is an active member of the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club and chairs their May Census Committee.

KINGSTON POINT BIRDING ON IMMIGRANT’S WAY
2024-11-24 08:00 - 12:00
Contact trip leader Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com) to register for this outing. We will start our day at Kingston Point Beach and walk north along the old Immigrant’s Way (now part of the paved Empire State trail) which often harbors late migrants and holdovers/half-hardies while providing views of the Hudson. Waterfowl and eagles can be expected as well. Please dress warmly and bring along your spotting scope. A caloric, warm breakfast snack and beverage will be provided to start our day and help us fondly remember our favorite Beatle.

NYML CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
2024-12-14
Contact Steve Chorvas (246-5900 or schorvas@gmail.com ) for possible assignment in the Mohonk Lake/Ashokan Reservoir count circle no later than Saturday, November 30th. Reports from feeder watchers in the count circle are also desired. A post count compilation gathering will follow at the Hasbrouck Park Stone Building in Kingston. Contact Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com ) for details or if you plan on attending.

NYUD CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
2024-12-28
Contact Mark DeDea ( forsythnature@aol.com ) for possible assignment in the Ulster/ Dutchess count circle no later than Saturday, December 21ST. Reports from feeder watchers in the count circle are also desired. A post count compilation gathering will follow at the Hasbrouck Park Stone Building in Kingston. Contact Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com) for details or if you plan on attending.
