Look for the unexpected…
Start your month bright and early with the birds and join us for our First Wednesday Bird Walk at Deans Bridge in Somers. Along with the more expected winter birds like Bufflehead & Ring-necked Duck, some possibilities this month are Lesser Scaup, Redhead, & Canvasback, all of which are less usual and have all been present in the area this winter.
Wednesday, March 1, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Moderate. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Join our flock!
Do you want to help protect native habitats, support educational outreach and help connect people to nature? Become a Bedford Audubon volunteer… we have many opportunities for teens and adults alike. Stop by our table at the Lewisboro Library Volunteer Fair, now back in-person for its 15^th year. Meet Executive Director Bill Cavers and/or Board of Directors president Susan Fisher and tell us how you would like to help.
Saturday, March 4, 11:00am-1:00pm. Lewisboro Library. Registration is not needed.

Visit a sanctuary that had its geological origin in sand and rock outflow from the last glacial age.
If that sounds good, join Naturalist Tait Johansson for his Field Trip to Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary and Marshlands Conservancy. National Audubon Society of New York has recognized this as an Important Bird Area (IBA) due to its significant habitats and flyaway. Why don’t you come along? This trip is a favorite among members. We’ll be on the lookout for waterbirds like Common Loon, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Killdeer, and possibly Greater White-fronted Goose. If we’re lucky, we may even see a Great Horned Owl!
Sunday, March 5, 8:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Through the lens…
Don’t miss Bedford Audubon’s first Members’ Photo Exhibit: Celebrating the Beauty and Diversity of Birds in our Region. You’ll recognize the species but are sure to be wowed by the artistry of the images, all captured by our members. We hope this exhibit inspires people to protect birds and their habitat while appreciating the beauty that exists in our backyard. Prints will be available for sale.
Friday, March 10-Saturday, March 11, 10:00am-5:00pm. Katonah Village Library, 26 Bedford Road, Katonah. Cost: Free.
Tuesday, March 14-Saturday, March 18, and Monday, March 20-Friday, March 24, 10:00am-4:00pm. Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah. Cost: Free.

Double Exposure!
You’ve been out on a BAS walk or had a great bird in your backyard, you got the image but it is just not perfect. What can you do to make it into the picture you want to frame? Join Bedford Audubon member and photo enthusiast John Hannan for his Workshop: Tips & Tricks to Make Your Photos Stand Out. John will lead you through the steps to pick the right image; tweak light, color, sharpness, and noise options so the image pops; and then crop and size for best subject placement. Whether you use a Mac or Windows machine, free or paid software, this workshop will give you the tools to start making your best images ”picture perfect” and save those frustrating “almost perfect” shots into great photographic memories. Have double the fun by checking out our first Members’ Photo exhibit in the Garden Room after the workshop.
Saturday, March 11, 10:30-11:30am. Cost: Free. Katonah Village Library. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Did you know the Wallkill River flows north between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers?
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson as we head to a Field Trip to Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge and Black Dirt Region for a late winter excursion. Since 1990, the refuge has been a haven for more than 225 species of birds, including 21 species of waterfowl. We hope Snow Geese will still be around in large numbers (there have been flocks of thousands there this winter), as well as flocks of waterfowl like Northern Pintail and Green-winged Teal, and many open country species like Rough-legged Hawk, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspur.
Saturday, March 11, 8:30am-2:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org. 

“Enthralling…” – Kirkus Reviews
Lose yourself in The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston and then join Melanie Brocklehurst for the Bylane Book Club discussion of it. “Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained–the coast redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air. Until recently, redwoods were thought to be virtually impossible to ascend, and the canopy at the tops of these majestic trees was undiscovered. In The Wild Trees, Richard Preston unfolds the spellbinding story of Steve Sillett, Marie Antoine, and the tiny group of daring botanists and amateur naturalists that found a lost world above California, a world that is dangerous, hauntingly beautiful, and unexplored.”
Monday, March 13, 7:00pm. Cost: Free. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org. Participants will be notified nearer the time whether the discussion will take place in-person at Bylane or on Zoom.

Curious about the secret lives of wildlife?
Learn how wildlife cameras can be used to peek into the private lives of our non-human neighbors at our Monthly Lecture Series: Wildlife Cameras with Leah Cass. Leah will discuss types of wildlife cameras, who uses them, what types of questions they can answer, how to design a wildlife camera study, and how to interpret the data your camera collects. As a participant, you will get to see real wildlife camera footage, examine a wildlife camera in person, and learn how to apply what you learn in your own backyard!
Leah Cass is a curator in the Westchester County Parks Conservation Division where she works on county-wide conservation projects including wildlife population monitoring, natural resource management plan development, and of course, wildlife camera studies. Leah is also a graduate student at Pace University studying Environmental Science where she is focused on human-wildlife conflict research.

Take a Chance! We’re having a special raffle ahead of the presentation with the winner taking home their own trail camera, ready to set up immediately (prize value $75). Raffle tickets are $5 each and can be purchased in advance at Bylane Farm, at many of our programs, and at the library prior to the program. Winner does not need to be at the lecture to win. Questions? Email info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Wednesday, March 15, 7:00pm (lecture); 6:45pm refreshments. Cost: Free. Katonah Village Library Garden Room. Registration is not necessary.

Don’t miss the official last bird walk of Winter ’23!
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for our ever-popular Third Thursday’s Bird Walk in the Cross River Dam area. We are hoping to see regulars such as Bald Eagle, Common Raven, and Common Merganser, and maybe even a few early spring migrants like Tree Swallow and Eastern Phoebe.  This easy walk is great for beginners as well as experienced birders.
Thursday, March 16, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Work and learn with us!
Get some exercise and fresh air while learning about habitats when you join Naturalist & Properties Committee Chair Steve Ricker for our monthly Habitat Renewal Day.  You’ll learn about invasive plants, including identification and their negative effect on the ecosystem while working to remove the invasives in our sanctuary and gardens. Tools and gloves will be provided, or you can bring your own. (Loppers and hand pruners are the most used tools). Plants with thorns and poison ivy may be present.
Saturday, March 18, 11:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Spring is just a hop, skip, and a jump away…
And so is our Nature Walk to Explore Vernal Pools! We are very pleased that long-time Bedford Audubon member Paul Lewis will once again lead this annual favorite for adults and children alike. Vernal pools are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. Paul will guide us to these hidden treasures deep in the forest and learn about the vital importance of these seasonal wetlands as spawning grounds for salamanders and other amphibians. Family friendly for children 10 years of age and older, must be accompanied by an adult.
Sunday, March 19, 1:00-3:00pm.  Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

Fact: There is a plump little shorebird whose eyes are positioned high and near the back of its skull, giving it the ability to multitask… search for food with head down while watching for danger above.
We’re referring to the American Woodcock, and it’s that time of year again for Naturalist Tait Johansson’s magical Bird Walk: Dance of the Woodcock. Along with Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Program Administrator Jeff Main, Tait will guide us into the reservation to wait for and hopefully witness the “sky dance” of the male American Woodcock. It’s an extraordinary courtship ritual that tales place at dusk and dawn, when the bird “peents”, struts, hurls himself into the evening sky, and glides back down to the ground again, all in hopes of attracting a mate. Register early – this walk always fills up quickly!
Tuesday, March 21, 6:45-8:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org.

One-third of all tree species are endangered. And this poses a threat to global health.
Healthy Trees provide essential ecosystem services like clean air and water, fertile soil, plentiful habitat, and increased biodiversity. Learn how to support healthy ecosystems, promote biodiversity, and take impactful steps to benefit our families, our community and our planet at The Power of Trees – a Bedford 2030 Community Forum. Bedford Audubon is proud to be a partner at this important event!
Saturday, March 25, 9:00am-1:00pm, Fox Lane High School. Cost: Free for the Expo, where Bedford Audubon will have a table (so please stop by!). You can also purchase tickets that will give you access to amazing speakers, breakout sessions, and more. Visit the Bedford 2030 website for full details and to purchase tickets: https://bedford2030.org/gva_event/the-power-of-trees-a-bedford-2030-community-forum/

Banner Photo: Sandhill Crane (AdobeStock)