A Holiday Walk, 2 Christmas Bird Counts & More!

Come take a Holiday Walk in High Falls with JBNHS!  Sunday, December 9th, 8 a.m. to noon.

And not one - but TWO Christmas bird counts!!  Participate in the longest running citizen science effort in the world:   Saturday, December 15th  and/or Wednesday, December 26th

For details on these events/trips, and more listings, please visit the "December 2012 Field Trip" page on the right

A Saw-Whet Eve....

JBNHS members (and friends of members) visited Mohonk last Friday and Saturday nights to observe Dr. Glen Proudfoot band Northern Saw-whet owls.   The hand belongs to our very own JBNHS secretary, Christine Guarino, who has been assisting Dr. Proudfoot.

Don't forget about this weekend's birding adventure:  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 9:00 AM – NOON ASHOKAN RESERVOIR WATERFOWL
Join Glen Van Gorden (lucaspets@hotmail.com or 331-2469) to look for eagles, loons, grebes, and waterfowl. Meet at the parking area in the aeration basin on the south side of the reservoir. Take Rte. 28 west from Kingston, turn left onto Reservoir Rd. at Winchell’s Corner. Cross the reservoir, turn left, and go down the hill. At the first intersection, bear right on Rte. 28A, and soon turn right into parking area.

November Field Trips Posted (see list on right...)

Plus:   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 7:00 PM—GENERAL MEETING. Meet upstairs at the New Paltz Village Hall, Plattekill Avenue, New Paltz. The Village Hall is located in the same building as the New Paltz Fire Station, near the SUNY campus. Park and enter on the east side of the building. Noted author Susan Fox Rogers and wildlife photographer Peter Schoenberger will present a program about their June trip to Alaska.


And a gentle reminder: The field trips of JBNHS are oriented to nature study. They are free and open to the public. Children are very welcome on field trips, but pets are not. Although there is a brief courtesy waiting period for latecomers, the meeting times are important: please arrive in time to sign up with the leader.

Another Change for Oct. 20th

This weekend's sparrow walk originally scheduled to visit Southlands Farm in Rhinebeck has changed (again).  All participants attending should still meet at Kingston's Park and Ride at 7:30 a.m. to carpool to private property in Marbletown that Peter has gained permission to bird.  Our destination is a special place, rich in sparrow habitat and it is a privilege to have access there.   Please contact trip leader Peter Schoenberger (914 466-2707 pds@netstep.net ) with any questions regarding this outing.

Change of place for Oct. 20th event

PLEASE SEE POST ABOVE - NEW SPOT FOR THIS EVENT, SAME TIME!  

 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 8:00 AM – NOON —  SOUTHLANDS HORSE FARM   NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR THIS OUTING...WE ARE NOW GOING TO GREIG FARM IN RED HOOK INSTEAD...PLEASE CONTACT PETER FOR DETAILS
 Great sparrow habitat and much more!   Maybe even another Nelson's Sparrow!  This vast horse farm in Dutchess County has miles of trails that are waiting to be birded. Meet Peter Schoenberger (pds@netstep.net  or 914 466-2707) at Kingston’s Park and Ride at 7:30 a.m or at Southlands at 8:00 a.m.  Southlands Horse Farm is located on the west side of Route 9, south of the Village of Rhinebeck.

October Events!

(Please do check out our October Field Trips by clicking the link in the Nav bar on the right of this page...)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M. —TOURS AT WOODCHUCK LODGE, ROXBURY Free guided tours of Woodchuck Lodge, the summer home from 1910 to 1920 of naturalist John Burroughs (1837-1921). Picnickers welcome at Burroughs Memorial Field a short walk up the road where you can sit on Burroughs Boyhood Rock and enjoy the serenity of his gravesite. Rt. 30 north of Roxbury, turn right on Hardscrabble Rd. then Memorial Drive.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, NOON TO 4PM — OPEN HOUSE AT SLABSIDES At the woodland cabin of naturalist/author John Burroughs. The program will feature a speaker followed by guided nature walks on trails. The Pond House will be open around 2 P.M. with photos to view and light refreshments. Rain or shine. Directions: Take Rt. 9W to West Park, turn west between the Global Palate Restaurant and the Post Office onto Floyd Ackert Road, cross railroad tracks, go up hill to Burroughs Drive on left. Park and walk up 1/3 mile to Slabsides, a 20 minute walk. (limited parking at entrance for about 20 cars). Bring lunch, bug repellent, folding chairs if desired.

Great fall weekend to get outside!!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 9:00 AM - NOON — ESOPUS BEND NATURE PRESERVE MUSHROOM WALK
Autumn can be a very productive time of year for mushrooms, and the moist woodlands of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve often host more than 100 species of Mycelium.  The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are co-sponsoring a guided mushroom walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in Saugerties on Saturday, September 15, 2012.  We will explore the woodlands of the preserve in search of ground and wood-dwelling mycelia.  Meet 9:00 AM 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.  Bring field guides and cameras if you have them.  Be prepared for potentially wet/muddy trails, cool weather conditions, and light to moderate rain.  Heavy rain cancels the walk.  Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets.  Contact the field trip leader, Henry Halama (henryhalama@verizon.net) for additional information or directions.  This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public.  Pre-registration is not required, but recommended in the event of unforeseen changes or cancellation.  For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.                                       

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM — BASHAKILL FALL MIGRANTS
Meet trip leader Tom Crepet (255-0324) at the “birders parking lot” on the east side of the Haven Rd. causeway.  To reach the parking lot a Bashakill WMA, head south on Rte, 209, through Wurtsboro, continuing on Rte, 209 2miles south of Rte. 17, turn left on Haven Rd. drive across the causeway and turn left onto the first dirt road.  A good variety of neotropical migrants can be found on this easy walk.