25 Apr, 2012

Bedford Audubon Society’s annual Birdathon and More

Posted by Stacy

Bedford Audubon Society’s annual Birdathon is right around the corner; join us in May to raise funds to support Bedford Audubon’s conservation and educational programs. The Birdathon is open to everyone, regardless of skill level. This year we’ll have multiple ways to participate. Please visit our website www.bedfordaudubon.org to learn more about how to join in the fun and help Bedford Audubon at the same time! Phone 914.232.1999.

Spring Migration Bird Walk with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson at Maple Avenue, Katonah, Tuesday May 1, 7:30–9:30 am. Hone your birding skills and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring warblers and other songbirds. This walk caters to novices and experienced birders alike. Bring binoculars. No registration necessary. Rain will cancel the walk. Level of difficulty: easy. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org. Phone: 914.232.1999.

Spring Migration Bird Walk with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson at Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, Thursday May 3, 7:30–9:30 am. Hone your birding skills and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring warblers and other songbirds. This walk caters to novices and experienced birders alike. Bring binoculars. No registration necessary. Rain will cancel the walk. Level of difficulty: easy-moderate. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org Phone: 914.232.1999.

Field Trip to Garret Mountain Park, Paterson NJ with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson, Tuesday, May 8, 8 am–1 pm. Depart Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, at 6:45 am. The 568-acre park is situated more than 500 feet above sea level and provides sweeping views of northern New Jersey and the New York City skyline. It features two trails and a beautiful pond, and is an excellent site for migrating songbirds, especially warblers. Bring lunch. Please call Jeanne Pollock at 914.519.7801 or email her at jpollock@bedfordaudubon.org. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org

“The Lives of Spring Wildflowers” lecture by Naturalist and Photographer Carol Gracie

Wednesday, May 9 at 7:30 pm at Katonah Memorial House, 71 Bedford Road, Katonah.

This program is sponsored by the Bedford Audubon Society. In addition to brightening our woodland walks, each of our wildflowers plays a role in its ecosystem, providing food for insects or other animals – usually in the form of pollen, nectar, or fruits – obtaining nutrients from nearby trees and shrubs through underground fungal connections, or serving as a host for fungal pathogens or developing insect larvae. Learn about the lives behind some of our beloved spring-blooming wildflowers.

Carol Gracie is a naturalist and photographer. She is now retired from The New York Botanical Garden, where she headed the Children’s Education Program and the Foreign Tour program and also taught in the Continuing Education Program. After marrying a tropical botanist, Carol decided to work with her husband on botanical research projects in South America. She is a co-author, with her husband Scott Mori, of the two-volume Guide to the Vascular Plants of Central French Guiana. She has recently worked on plant inventories in the Caribbean and the northeastern United States, and lectures on temperate and tropical flora and other natural history topics. She has five newly discovered tropical plant species named for her. After working for two decades in the tropics, Carol’s original love of temperate flora was rekindled, and in 2006 she co-authored (with Steve Clemants)Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States. Her latest book, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, was published in March of 2012. Carol and Scott live in Westchester County, NY where she volunteers with local conservation organizations and enjoys travel, gardening, and her grandchildren. Carol was on the board of Bedford Audubon and chaired the Programming Committee for many years. Her books will be for sale and signing at the lecture.

Canoe Trip on the Great Swamp, Patterson, NY with Dr. Jim Utter, Saturday, May 12, 8:00 am–12 pm. Depart Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, at 7:15 am or meet at the Patterson Environmental Park at 8:00 am. Bedford Audubon Society member Jane Smalley will be at hand to lead the group.

During spring migration a large number of birds, including rare migrants, visit the wetlands of this unique Important Bird Area, only accessible by canoe. Our expert guide will point out the birds and other wildlife of the swamp. The trip is limited to 16 people. Cost is $39; all proceeds go to Bedford Audubon’s partner, Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS). Jim Utter is President of FrOGS, retired Professor of Environmental Sciences at SUNY Purchase, and former BAS Board Member. Deadline for registration is May 2. Level of difficulty: Moderate. To register, please call Jeanne Pollock at 914.519.7801 or email her at jpollock@bedfordaudubon.org. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org

Bird Walk in Central Park with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson and NYC Birder, Doug Kurz, Tuesday May 15, 8 am–3:30 pm. Meet at 72nd St. and Central Park West at 8 am or carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah at 6:45 am. More than 200 species of birds pass through this amazing metropolitan oasis on their migratory routes each spring and fall, and we hope to see and hear many of them. Bring lunch. Level of difficulty: easy. To register, please call Jeanne Pollock at 914.519.7801 or email her at jpollock@bedfordaudubon.org. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org

Spring Migration Bird Walk on the North County Trailway with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson, Thursday, May 17, 7:30–9:30 am. Meet at Jilco Window Corp. parking lot, 135 Mahopac Ave. in Somers. Hone your birding skills and enjoy the sights and sounds of the spring warblers and other songbirds. This walk caters to novices and experienced birders alike. Bring binoculars. No registration necessary. Rain will cancel the walk. Level of difficulty: easy. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org. Phone: (914) 232-1999.

Spring Migration Bird Walk on the North County Trailway with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson, Tuesday May 22, 7:30–9:30 am. Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of the Trailway and Route 129 in Yorktown. Hone your birding skills and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring warblers and other songbirds. This walk caters to novices and experienced birders alike. Bring binoculars. No registration necessary. Rain will cancel the walk. Level difficulty: easy. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org. Phone:(914) 232-1999.

Field Trip to Doodletown Road, Bear Mountain Park with Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson, Thursday, May 24, 7:30–11:30 am. Depart Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah at 6:45 am. Doodletown Road is part of the Bear Mountain State Park and is known as one of the best places in our area to find Hooded and Cerulean Warblers as well as many other songbirds. Enjoy the walk up the rugged trail past the ruins of a “lost civilization.” Level of difficulty: moderate-strenuous. To register, please call Jeanne Pollock at 914.519.7801 or email her at jpollock@bedfordaudubon.org. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org