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Building the birding community in New York's Hudson-Mohawk Region

Field Trips and Programs

    • 1 Apr 2024
    • 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    • Five Rivers EEC, Delmar

    The 2024 HMBC Annual Meeting of Members will take place prior to this program, from 7:00 - 7:30PM, EDT at Five Rivers EEC in Delmar and remotely via a Zoom meeting. A separate meeting notice for the Annual Meeting will be sent to HMBC members. The program below will take place immediately after the Annual Meeting concludes and is open to the public.

    Program: 

    Malaysian Borneo: a tropical dream, with Julie Hart and Daniel Schlaepfer

    Borneo is the third largest island in the world and its rainforests are among the oldest. Across lowland rainforests, large rivers, and a 13,000-foot mountain range, biodiversity is spectacular and includes over 600 recorded bird species including an endemic family with one species. This primary habitat is being lost at an alarming rate to palm oil plantation, timber logging, and other uses. For three weeks, Julie Hart and Daniel Schlaepfer visited the Malaysian province of Sabah in northeast Borneo on a guided tour across several destinations that included most major habitat types. The trip offered intimate encounters with Bornean Orangutan, Pygmy Elephants, Rafflesia flowers, and land leeches, and tallied an impressive 300 bird species.

    Julie Hart is a native Vermonter and an ornithologist by training. She coordinates the third New York State Breeding Bird Atlas. The fifth and final field season is this year and all are encouraged to go atlasing! She has worked nationally and internationally on a variety of bird research and bird conservation projects from the mountain tops in the northeast, to sky islands in the west, to expeditions in the Caribbean, to bird banding in New Zealand, and much more. Daniel Schlaepfer learned birding and its joys from Julie. His background is in plant ecology, and he works as an applied researcher informing land managers across the western US. Julie and Daniel have been members of HMBC since 2019 when they moved to the Capital Region.


    • 12 Apr 2024
    • 8:00 AM
    • 14 Apr 2024
    • 5:00 PM
    • Western NY

    Friday April 12 – Sunday April 14, BRADDOCK BAY AND LAKE ONTARIO LAKESHORE (out-of-area; multi-day trip)

    Coordinators: Gregg Recer and Cathy Graichen gregg.recer@gmail.com 518-330-4552 (GR)

    We’ll explore a number of areas along the southern shore of Lake Ontario over this weekend trip. The entire area is excellent for north-bound waterfowl migration. Spring hawkwatching can also be excellent at Braddock Bay and points east as north-bound raptors encounter the lake barrier and move parallel to the lakeshore. There will still be some opportunities for later wintering hawks and field birds in nearby farm country, and we’ll hope for a chance or two to chase something unusual such as a King Eider or vagrant seabirds. Friday will mainly be a travel day but there may be birding possibilities along the way for those interested. Limit 8 participants. By Club policy, this overnight trip is for members, with non-members accommodated if room is available and with the leader’s approval.

    RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Contact Gregg Recer by March 3rd to reserve a spot and for hotel reservation information.

    • 19 Apr 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Five Rivers EEC, Delmar

    Friday, April 19, BEGINNER BIRDER WORKSHOP - EARLY MIGRANTS AT FIVE RIVERS EEC (Albany County; morning)

    This trip is geared towards novice birders, but all are welcome.

    Coordinator: Scott Stoner 518-785-6760 scottjstoner@aol.com

    Join us for a morning walk through the varied habitats of Five Rivers as we explore fields, ponds, woodlands, and marshes and look for permanent resident birds and early migrants. Be prepared for wet trails.

    Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Five Rivers EEC in Delmar.


    • 27 Apr 2024
    • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Old Chatham, NY

    Saturday, April 27, POWELL SANCTUARY (Columbia County; morning) (joint trip with Alan DeVoe Bird Club)

    Coordinator: Kathy Schneider 518-248-8665 fallline@nycap.rr.com

    This 145-acre preserve has been owned and managed by the Alan Devoe Bird Club since 1959. It features a beaver pond with an observation blind, neighboring farm fields, and Dorson’s Rock, a sandstone ledge that offers good hawk watching and a panoramic view of the Hudson Valley. There are 3 miles of moderate, well-marked trails throughout the sanctuary, which is mostly woods. The club’s list for this site has more than 200 species, including 20 species of warblers.

    Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Wilson M. Powell Wildlife Sanctuary, 75 Hunt Club Road, Old Chatham. From the junction of County Route 13 and Albany Turnpike in the hamlet of Old Chatham, travel southwest on County Route 13 for 0.9 miles to Pitt Hall Road on the left, where two signs mark the road to Powell House and the sanctuary. Follow Pitt Hall Road 0.25 miles, then bear left (east) onto Hunt Club Road and continue 0.25 miles to the main parking lot.


    • 28 Apr 2024
    • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • New Baltimore, NY

    Sunday, April 28, HANNACROIX CREEK PRESERVE (Greene County; morning)

    Coordinator: Rich Guthrie 518-756-9094 richardpguthrie@gmail.com

    On this trip we’ll be looking for migrant warblers, vireos and of course, (New) Baltimore Orioles. The moderately easy trail goes around attractive nesting and migrant songbird habitats with a scenic creek and waterfall. Louisiana Waterthrush nest here regularly and migrant warblers are drawn to the varied habitats along the trailsides. Let's see if we can add some interesting species to the Breeding Bird Atlas and to the list of over 120 species recorded for this eBird Hotspot. We will start at the main entrance to the Preserve. If time permits, we will also explore the trail leading down to the Hudson River where Bald Eagles and migrant waterfowl are often seen.

    Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the main entrance, just off NYS Rt. 144, just south of the Albany/Greene County line (Coeymans/New Baltimore)

    • 1 May 2024
    • 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
    • Berkshire Blvd., Albany

    Wednesday, May 1, BUCKINGHAM POND (Albany County; morning)

    Coordinator: Tristan Lowery 646-323-8914 tristanlowery@gmail.com

    At first blush, Albany’s Buckingham Pond looks like an unremarkable urban duck pond, with a busy playground, picnic area, and usually a flock of Mallards of questionably wild credentials plying its calm waters or huddled on the closely-mown shoreline. But this small, unassuming city park provides some much-needed habitat variety in an otherwise residential neighborhood – and in spring, Buckingham Pond can be a surprisingly effective migrant trap, making it a productive and convenient stop for area birders. We’ll spend the early morning in search of warblers, flycatchers, vireos, and other migrant songbirds in the wooded edges of the park, while keeping an eye out for waterfowl, shorebirds, and waders on the pond.

    Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Buckingham Lake Park parking lot on Berkshire Blvd.


    • 4 May 2024
    • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Saratoga Springs

    Saturday, May 4, BOG MEADOW BROOK TRAIL (Saratoga County; morning)

    Coordinator: Ron Harrower ronharrower14@gmail.com

    Bog Meadow Brook Trail, an old rail trail just east of Saratoga Springs, runs along the northern edge of a swamp and consists of wetland habitat with two ponds with a wet mixed forest in between. This varied habitat provides a good migration stop for many warblers and other passerine species, while the ponds and wetlands will have waders and marshbirds, and shorebirds are likely if the edges are exposed.

    Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the trailhead pull-off on Meadowbrook Road, about 0.3 mile west of Stafford Bridge Rd/Rt. 67. If we have enough participants, we will stage some vehicles at the Lake Ave end to save walking the round trip


    • 5 May 2024
    • 7:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Ballston NY

    Sunday, May 5, ANCHOR DIAMOND PARK (Saratoga County; morning)

    Coordinator: Dan Leonard dannyboy67leonard@gmail.com

    246-acre Anchor Diamond Park at Hawkwood is located at the corner of Route 50 and Middleline Road in the Town of Ballston. On this trip, we’ll bird some of the network of trails that crisscross streams and wooded wetlands in this beautiful gem of a park. So, be prepared to encounter SOME mud. Past visits to this park in early May have yielded Red-shouldered Hawk, Winter Wren, Rusty Blackbird, woodland thrushes, Louisiana Waterthrush, and other spring warblers.

    Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the parking lot off Middleline Rd, about 500 ft off Route 50.


    • 6 May 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • 5 Rivers EEC

    Birding northern Belize with John Hershey. 

    Birding Northern Belize

    John will share photos and anecdotes of his birding trip to Northern Belize in March 2023. He visited the Crooked Tree Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary and the New River at Lamanai including the birdy Lamanai Archeological Reserve in search of tropical birds of all kinds. Among the amazing wading birds he will illustrate include: Boat-billed Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Pinnated Bittern, and Jabiru. Some of the raptors will include: Laughing Falcon, Bat Falcon, Snail Kite, and Black-collared Hawk. A variety of other birds include American Pygmy Kingfisher, Yucatan Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Black-headed Trogon, Red-lored Parrot, White-necked Puffbird, Yucatan Jay, Red-legged Honeycreeper, and Blue Bunting. He also may show some photos of the Mayan temples at Lamanai and the Mennonite Country.



    John is a former Secretary and a Director for the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club (HMBC). He has been leading field trips to Vischer Ferry Preserve, Peebles Island, and Fox Hill Road for many years. Birding has led him to travel throughout North America and more recently to Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, and India. He has presented a number of programs on some of his favorite birding trips as well as on local birding hotspots. He is semi-retired and works part time as a psychologist in private practice.


    • 8 May 2024
    • 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
    • Albany

    Wednesday, May 8, WASHINGTON PARK (Albany County; morning)

    Coordinator: Tristan Lowery 646-323-8914 tristanlowery@gmail.com

    At the peak of spring migration in May, even a downtown urban park can attract a variety of warblers, vireos, sparrows, and other migrating songbirds. For this special midweek trip, we’ll meet up at Albany’s historic and picturesque Washington Park for an easy morning of spring birding before beginning the rest of our days.

    Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the corner of Englewood Place and State Street on the north side of the park, opposite the University at Albany downtown campus.


    • 11 May 2024
    • 6:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Five Rivers EEC, Delmar

    Saturday, May 11, BIRDS & BREAKFAST AT FIVE RIVERS EEC (Albany County; morning)

    Coordinator: Sue Rokos szrokos@gmail.com 518-535-0006

    Our annual celebration of spring migrants will be held at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, located along Game Farm Rd. in Delmar. The center has an excellent trail system through a variety of habitats. You can expect to see and hear many resident and migrant species, including warblers, thrushes, vireos, and orioles, along with a few waterfowl and herons. A typical year results in about 70 species; a good year for migrants can top 90!

    An early group will meet in the parking lot at 6:00 a.m. Additional groups will leave at 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. You may join one of these groups or go out on your own as we try to find as many species as possible. We’ll rally at the Visitors Center at 10:30 a.m. for coffee, bagels, fresh fruit and a list compilation. The breakfast is free, but donations are welcomed!


    • 12 May 2024
    • 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Vischer Ferry, Clifton Park

    Sunday, May 12, VISCHER FERRY NATURE AND HISTORIC PRESERVE (VFNHP) MIGRANTS (Saratoga County; morning)

    Coordinators: Gregg Recer and Cathy Graichen gregg.recer@gmail.com 518-330-4552 (GR)

    This is one of the club’s most popular spring trips. We will explore this varied site for warblers and other songbirds as well as marsh species including herons and rails.

    Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the VFNHP main entrance, at the intersection of Riverview and Van Vranken Rds. in Clifton Park.


    • 18 May 2024
    • 4:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    • Greater Capital Region

    Saturday, May 18, CENTURY RUN (NYS Region 8; all day)

    Compiler: Larry Alden 518-495-6535 overlook@nycap.rr.com

    This is the Club’s 78th consecutive Century Run, where teams of birders try to find as many species of birds as possible on count day within the eleven county NYS Region 8.

    Each group must stay together and jointly identify species reported. The Century Run is not so much a field trip, but a challenge where you or your group tries to identify as many birds as possible within a set 24-hour period. A good Century Run (so named for the goal of reaching a “century”, or at least 100 species) calls for proper planning to hit a wide variety of habitats at the best time. Some groups try to cover the whole HMBC area; others limit themselves to a smaller geographic area – a single county, town, etc.

    Also, there is nothing that says you can’t go out on your own and bird where you want and at your own pace to see what you can find. Groups informally compete for bragging rights, but the results do provide a good snapshot of what birds can be found in our area in a single day.

    Reports should be emailed to the compiler by May 25th in order to be counted and published in “Feathers”, the Club newsletter. Reports should include the following: species identified, hours afield, team members, and geographical areas (counties) covered. Also, please send an e-mail to the HMBirds group (groups.io/g/hmbirds/messages) with the total number of species observed, and highlights for your group.


    • 19 May 2024
    • 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Schodack Island/Castleton

    Sunday, May 19, SCHODACK ISLAND STATE PARK (Rensselaer County; morning)

    Coordinator: Naomi Lloyd naomi_kestrel@yahoo.com

    Schodack Island State Park sits along the eastern shore of the Hudson River just south of Castleton-on-Hudson. Approximately seven miles of Hudson River and Schodack Creek shoreline bound the 1,052-acre site. A portion of the park shelters a Bird Conservation Area (BCA) that is home to Cerulean Warblers and a Great Blue Heron rookery. Resident songbirds are plentiful. Previous Club trips have seen about 50 species, including a dozen or more warbler species. Keep your windows open as you drive along the park entrance, it is a very “birdy” stretch of road. Depending upon where the Cerulean Warblers are nesting, we will walk about 3-4 miles along level paths.

    Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Schodack Island State Park main parking lot at its south end. There is no admission fee before 8:00 a.m.


    • 25 May 2024
    • 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Meet at Saratoga County Airport

    Saturday, May 25, FOX HILL RD. (Saratoga County; morning)

    Coordinator: John Hershey 518-371-3114 hersheyj@nycap.rr.com

    On this trip we will travel through the remote forested and wetland areas along Lake Desolation Rd. and Fox Hill Rd. in Saratoga County. We will bird from the roadside, and explore areas recently acquired by New York State for conservation and recreation.

    Higher elevation breeders will be the main target. As many as 15 or more breeding warbler species are possible including Nashville, Canada, and Mourning Warbler. Other breeding species that have been seen in the past include American Bittern, Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk, and Swainson’s Thrush.

    Because we will be birding from the road, it will be necessary to share vehicles and to limit the number of participants to 16. Waterproof footwear is recommended. Contact the coordinator for reservations, and other information.

    Meet at the Saratoga County Airport parking lot off Geyser Rd. at 7:30 a.m.


    • 26 May 2024
    • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Saratoga National Historical Park and Battlefield

    Sunday, May 26, BEGINNING BIRDER WORKSHOP -- SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND BATTLEFIELD (Saratoga County; morning)

    Coordinators: Gregg Recer and Cathy Graichen  gregg.recer@gmail.com

    518-330-4552 (GR)

    Saratoga Battlefield is a great location to learn many of the common grassland and open-country breeding species of the region such as Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah and Field Sparrows, American Kestrel, Eastern Towhee, and several wood-warbler species. We will cover some of the park trails on foot, as well as bird from the one-way tour road, and can expect to spend the entire morning. This trip will be geared toward novice birders, but all are welcome.

    Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot near the park’s visitor center off SR 32.


    • 27 May 2024
    • 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Lake Luzerne NY

    Monday, May 27, HIDDEN LAKE GIRL SCOUT CAMP (Warren County; morning)

    Coordinator: Kate Schnurr 518-253-6158 thekatwho@msn.com

    Hidden Lake is on 400 acres in the southern Adirondack Park, approximately 3 miles from Lake George Village. The camp has trails through wooded areas: around the main pond, camp sites and by a stream that empties into a small pond. We can expect to encounter higher elevation nesting birds. In the past Mourning, Blackburnian, Blackthroated Green, and Black-and-white Warblers, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Scarlet Tanagers have been observed.

    Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Exit 8 Park & Ride to car pool.

    If you wish to drive to camp it is 1799 NY-9N Scenic, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846


    • 3 Jun 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Five Rivers and via Zoom

    How you can help NY’s breeding birds

    Description: Learn about the third Breeding Bird Atlas in NY and how you can help this community science project. Atlasing is a great way for birders of all abilities to learn about birds while directly contributing to science and conservation. This year is the final year of the Atlas. Can you help us fill in a gap for your favorite species? Do you like to bird somewhere unique or remote? The Atlas is a statewide survey and you can participate at any time using the free eBird app. While atlasing, you will explore new areas, search for clues into the secret lives of birds, and expand your understanding and appreciation of birds. Whether you have been sitting on the fence about contributing to the project or have never heard of the Atlas before, now is your chance to contribute to the largest community science project in the state. There won’t be another atlas until 2040! Attend this talk to find out how you can participate and make an impact for bird conservation.

     

    Bio:  Julie started birding while working in Ithaca as a bird conservation intern with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. She traveled for several years doing field work around the globe, then spent several years chasing high-elevation birds around the Northeast and Hispaniola as the coordinator for Mountain Birdwatch, before she went on to earn her Master’s degree studying the impacts of climate change on Cassia Crossbill in southern Idaho. After spending several years abroad, she is now the Project Coordinator for the third Breeding Bird Atlas in NY. She also serves as the co-chair of the North American Ornithological Atlas.


    • 9 Sep 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Five Rivers EEC and via Zoom

    With Kevin McGrath - details forthcoming.

    • 7 Oct 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • via Zoom only

    Birding Madagascar, with a side of South Africa (Or, Birding Gondwana Pt 4)

    With Gregg Recer

    Lemurs, and chameleons, and bizarre weevils, oh my! Or, if you prefer, ground-rollers, and asities, and vangas, oh my! Whichever, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore. Madagascar is the third-largest tropical island, as well as the second-largest island country, in the world. Although originally at the center of the Gondwana supercontinent, it has been isolated from other land masses for about 90 million years. The result is a very high degree of endemism in its birds, as well as other fauna and flora. Five bird families (and two orders) are unique to the island and, of course, all eight families of lemurs occur (or occurred) only there as well. The diversity and uniqueness of lizards on the island is also quite stunning. Gregg Recer and Cathy Graichen visited the country on a birding tour in 2023 and this talk will share their experiences throughout the island. As a bonus, we'll throw in some scenery and birds from nearby South Africa.

    Gregg Recer is a former HMBC president. He and his wife, Cathy Graichen, have been HMBC members since 1989 and have been focused on world birding for the last 20 years.  

    • 4 Nov 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Five Rivers EEC and via Zoom

    Unimaginable- One Birder’s Big Idea, another’s Big Year

    Speaker: Drew Hopkins, Environmental Educator, NYSDEC Five Rivers


    • 2 Dec 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Five Rivers EEC

    Birding New Mexico with Sue Adair

    Details forthcoming.

    • 3 Feb 2025
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • via Zoom only

    Speaker: John Carson, details TBA




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