John Burroughs Natural History Society

JBNHS ULSTER COUNTY BIG SIT
2025-05-03
JBNHS’ 10th annual Big Sit is also our BIG fundraiser for the year (that’s why we do ours 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, help the important NYS Breeding Bird Atlas, 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.
Bird Homestead Sit
Team Nature Club This 17’ circle will encourage participation of our youngest set to join this special event. Offering art activities, board games, snacks, and other science based exploration to help create some excitement during the midday doldrums, this even sounds appealing to all of us who will just be birding all day long!!! Nature Club will be birding to help stock the bird feeders at Galeville and also providing support for our favorite rehabilitator/educator Annie Mardiney (Wild Mountain Birds). Please contact Kali Bird (kalicbird@gmail.com ) if your young birder would like to join in the fun.
Bowdery’ Homestead Sit
Lynn and Allan and extended family 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.
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 in recent years have been used to install a bench on the new observation platform, a new refuge sign, and supplies for the pollinator garden. This year the Shawangunk Redemption will bird to install a new updated “Where to Bird in Ulster County” panel on the Galeville Gazebo and to support our friend (and JBNHS trustee) Annie Mardiney and her important work in bird rehabilitation and education with Wild Mountain Birds. Please contact Debbie Carney (deb.carney@gmail.com ) or Evelyn Leigh (evelynleigh11@gmail.com ) to plan and schedule your shift.
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! In 2023 the Bobcats worked the same magic for the Wood Ducks in Tivoli Bays. This year they’ll be birding to help send young master birder Zade Pacetti to the renowned Camp Chiricahua for youth birding in Arizona.
Hayes’ Homestead Sit
Morgan Hill Misfits 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.
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 doing so with a vengeance. Aside from hoping to regain bragging rights the CoCo Puffs will also bird to help one of our favorite young birders, Zade Pacetti to attend Camp Chiricahua for youth birding in Arizona.
Normann Homestead Sit Normann Conquerors
William the Conqueror may not be in Dafne and Steve’s backyard but our western most sit location is in habitat we’d all be jealous of. The conquerors will not occupy England but rather bird to create Naturalists Backpacks for libraries in Pine Hill and Phoenicia.
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.
Thorn Preserve Sit Thorn Thrashers
Please contact Dixon Onderdonk (dixononderdonk@gmail.com ) if you’d like to help. The Thorn Thrashers will bird to purchase specially designed binoculars for young birders and to be used on JBNHS field trips. The Thrashers efforts in the past provided the assembly of Naturalist Backpacks for last year’s recipient the Olive Free Library and the preserve’s kestrel box.
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.
Donations can be based on a pledge per species (specific sit or cumulative) or flat donation.
To Donate by Check:
Please make checks payable to JBNHS and note desired sit you’d like to support. Send in donations to the Treasurer
Mary T. Moxham CPA PLLC
PO Box 4223
Kingston NY, 12402
To Donate Online:
Visit our Make a Donation page. After clicking on the Donate button select Big Sit Fundraising from the Use this donation for dropdown. When prompted to Write a note add the name of the location you want your donation to be directed to.

SPRING MIGRATION AND WILDFLOWERS IN SAUGERTIES
2025-05-04 07:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
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, May 4, 2025. 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.

SPRING MIGRATION AT HIGH BANKS
2025-05-05 06:00 - 23:00
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 Jessica Cukrovany (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.

SPRING MIGRATION AT NYQUIST/HARCOURT SANCTUARY
2025-05-07 07:00 - 12:00
This Wallkill Valley Land Trust holding is a fine spot to take a morning walk in May with a floodplain forest and oxbow habitat (along with river frontage) all encapsulated in the nearly sixty acre property. Muck boots are a good idea this time of year anticipating soggy trails conditions. We will meet at the New Paltz Municipal Parking Lot on Hugenot Street. Please register with Mark DeDea (forsythnature@aol.com ) to join this short morning walk.

PEACH HILL SPRING MIGRATION
2025-05-08 07:00 - 12:00
This 159 acre park is a former apple orchard and is the highest point in Poughkeepsie. All attributes making it a great location to receive spring migrants and if conditions and timing are right, a very good fall out spot for new arrivals in the morning. Please register with Tracy Little (mycoleydog@netscape.net ) to plan your morning. Meet at Peach Hill Park (32 Edgewood Drive Poughkeepsie NY12603) at 7:00 AM or at the Kingston Thruway traffic circle park and ride to car pool at 6:15 AM

NATURE WALK KINGSTON GREENLINE
2025-05-08 08:00 - 17:00
Join in on a new series of local walks planned to start the day right with fresh air, shining sun, and birds singing. These will be short, easy strolls designed to have you home earlier to be a “productive” part of society (domestic chores) yet allowing an hour and a half of escapism and camaraderie from said society. This particular walk will explore the eastern end of the Midtown Linear Park along Kingston’s GreenLine. Please register with Charlotte Adamis (charlotteadamis@gmail.com ) to find out meet up location and other details.

ULSTER COUNTY SPRING CENSUS: BIG DAY COUNT
2025-05-10
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
2025-05-14 07:00 - 12:00
Please register with trip leader Mark DeDea ( forsythnature@aol.com ) to participate on this easy walk along the paved Empire State Trail that runs parallel to Hudson River through Ulster County’s newest state park. We will start at Kingston Point Beach and walk north to East Kingston (round trip of a little more than four miles).

NATURE WALK KINGSTON MONTREPOSE CEMETERY
2025-05-15 08:30 - 12:00
Join in on a new series of local walks planned to start the day right with fresh air, shining sun, and birds singing. These will be short, easy strolls designed to have you home earlier to be a “productive” part of society (domestic chores) yet allowing an hour and a half of escapism and camaraderie from said society. This particular walk will explore one of Kingston’s coolest green spaces; with a blend of historic headstones, specimen trees, and one of the better spots for birding in Kingston during spring migration. Please register with Charlotte Adamis (charlotteadamis@gmail.com ) to find out meet up location and other details.

SPRING MIGRATION AT BASHAKILL WMA
2025-05-17 07:00 - 12:00
The “Bash” is considered one of the best birding locations in our region, especially during spring migration with hopes of species like Prothonotary and Cerulean for the day list. It is wonderful to again have this trip on our schedule and shouldn’t be missed. Please email Tracy Little (mycoleydog@aol.com ) with questions or to register. Meet up to carpool at the Kingston Park and Ride (I-587/Exit 19 Roundabout) for a 6:00 A.M. departure or meet at the “Birder’s parking lot” (turn left off of Haven Rd. after crossing the Bashakill) for a 7:00 A.M. start time.

Pollinator Sanctuary Spring Clean-Up Party!
2025-05-17 09:00 - 13:00
Join @hvbees and our friends @johnburroughs2022 at the Pollinator Sanctuary across from JFK School (81 Gross St, Kingston) for a Spring Clean-Up Party! Enjoy community and conversation, learn with bird and bee folx, while helping us weed, spruce, and mulch the native perennial garden! Tools provided. You are welcome to bring your own tools and water bottle. #springclean #pollinatorgarden #birdsandbees

NATURE WALK KINGSTON WILTWYCK CEMETERY
2025-05-22 08:30 - 12:00
Join in on a new series of local walks planned to start the day right with fresh air, shining sun, and birds singing. These will be short, easy strolls designed to have you home earlier to be a “productive” part of society (domestic chores) yet allowing an hour and a half of escapism and camaraderie from said society. This particular walk will explore one of Kingston’s oldest green spaces; with a blend of historic headstones, grand old trees, and one of the better spots for birding in Kingston during spring migration. Please register with Charlotte Adamis (charlotteadamis@gmail.com ) to find out meet up location and other details.

NATURE WALK KINGSTON WVRT/ROCKWELL
2025-05-29 08:30 - 12:00
Join in on a new series of local walks planned to start the day right with fresh air, shining sun, and birds singing. These will be short, easy strolls designed to have you home earlier to be a “productive” part of society (domestic chores) yet allowing an hour and a half of escapism and camaraderie from said society. This particular walk on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail just outside of the City limits has a nice blend of mixed hardwood/hemlock woods and a powerline cut that runs parallel to the trail, this variety of habitat is home to quite a few breeding birds. Please register with Charlotte Adamis (charlotteadamis@gmail.com ) to find out meet up location and other details.

SUNDOWN FOREST OPEN DISCOVERY
2025-06-07 09:00 - 14:00
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.

SLIDE MTN. BICKNELL’S HIKE
2025-06-08
Our Annual hike to celebrate our namesake’s ornithological claim to fame and to be in the company of higher elevation breeders like Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, and Blackpoll Warblers and of course with luck Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Bicknell’s Thrush. We will likely encounter plenty of other breeding species highlighted by Ruffed Grouse, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, kinglets, and Red-breasted Nuthatches and maybe a porcupine too. This is an early start to get at the summit at a proper hour. Carpooling from the Kingston Park and Ride or meeting at the trailhead lot on Oliverea Rd. (Cty. Rt. 47). Email JBNHSinfo@jbnhs.org to find out more details.

TIVOLI BAYS PADDLE
2025-06-13
The best way to get a real sense of the north bay is to quietly paddle it’s tidal corridors and navigable channels. An advantage to this kind of small group outing is that wildlife encounters are often very intimate. A desired target for this trip will be the elusive Least Bittern. Contact Susan Fox Rogers ( susanfoxrogers@gmail.com ) to register and to learn meet up time and location for this evening paddle.

BREEDING BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES
2025-06-14 08:00 - 12:00
The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are cosponsoring a guided nature walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in Saugerties on Saturday, June 14, 2025 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.

JBNHS ANNUAL MEETING
2025-06-15 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. NEW THIS YEAR: Join JBNHSers to swap or purchase native or at least beneficial plants to add to your own backyard or to share for others. Bring questions regarding identification, installation, and maintenance too. Bring your labelled extra native or pollinator-friendly plants and boxes to carry away your new plants.. The Catskills Visitor Center is located at 5096 Route 28, Mount Tremper, NY. See you there!

OUTDOORS CREATIVITY/ PLEIN AIR
2025-06-21
A new offering for our field trip schedule that has been long suggested by Trustee Berrios. A location chock full of inspiration based on seasonal occurrence or nature’s sheer beauty will be decided closer to the outing. All forms of creativity and expression are encouraged by participants. Please contact Laurie Berrios ( laurieberrios@gmail.com ) to learn more about this new form of comradery for JBNHSers to enjoy.

SUMMER YOUNG NATURALIST OUTING
2025-06-22
A timely visit to Thorn Preserve can hopefully provide a real spectacle of Baltimore Checkerspots and the fragrance of blooming Milkweed in the air. Many other insects, wild flowers, and birds call the preserve’s large meadow home for the summer and will be encountered on this special outing geared to stimulate and encourage young naturalists. Please email jbnhsinfo@jbnhs.org to find out more about participating.

EASTERN NABA BUTTERFLY COUNT
2025-06-28
Rain Date: Sunday, June 29 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 28, 2025. 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 ( schorvas@gmail.com ) no later than June 15.

BUTTERFLIES AT THORN PRESERVE
2025-07-05 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.

ODONATE WALK AT BURROUGHS SANCTUARY
2025-07-12
Odonates take center stage on this outing that is co-sponsored with our host the John Burroughs Association. The sanctuary’s pond and neighboring habitat make this a prime location for Frank Beres to share his wealth of knowledge and identification skills regarding Damselflies and Dragonflies. Please register with Frank (othernaturephoto@gmail.com ) to find our meet up time and location. (RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 12TH)

OUTDOORS CREATIVITY/ PLEIN AIR
2025-07-16
A new offering for our field trip schedule that has been long suggested by Trustee Berrios. A location chock full of inspiration based on seasonal occurrence or nature’s sheer beauty will be decided closer to the outing. All forms of creativity and expression are encouraged by participants. Please contact Laurie Berrios (laurieberrios@gmail.com ) to learn more about this new form of comradery for JBNHSers to enjoy.

OPEN DISCOVERY AT BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE
2025-07-20
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
2025-07-26 20:00 - 22:00
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.

BUTTERFLIES AT SOJOUNER TRUTH STATE PARK
2025-07-27 09:00 - 12:00
Widespread wildflower introduction lining the parking lot and path to the Empire State Trail along with historical presence of a Juniper Hairstreak colony have made this new park a good spot to bfly in the summer. Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com ) will share in depth knowledge of butterfly life and identification.

WADERS AND ICE CREAM (NEW DATE)
2025-08-06 18:00 - 20:30
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. 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.

BUTTERFLY WILDCARD
2025-08-09 09:00 - 12:00
Nice to have a little freedom on a butterfly walk and hopefully identify a location that may have freshly emerged butterflies or blooming wildflowers. Please contact Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com ) to register and receive instructions for where to meet.

FERN WALK AT JOPPENBERG
2025-08-10 10:00 - 12:00
The area between the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and Joppenbergh Mountain in Rosendale has moist shaded habitats which support a nice variety of ferns and other lime-loving plants. Join George Moxham and Lynn Bowdery for a leisurely walk exploring the diversity of ferns and whatever else is interesting. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, insect repellant and field guides as desired. Binoculars as well as magnifying glasses can be useful, too. We will be walking on dirt footpaths with a few steep places. Register with Lynn Bowdery for meeting place (lynn.bowdery@gmail.com)
