Hawkwatch is heating up!
Spectacular flocks of Broad-winged Hawks pass through our area in mid-September, but accipiters such as Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks provide the most consistent flight throughout the fall hawk-watching season. Join us for Science in Action: Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
Hawkwatch takes place daily through mid-November from 9:00am-5:00pm (weather permitting) at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary, 265 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco. The viewing platform is open to the public so registration not necessary. Check our program list for organized field trips to the platform this month.

In fall, as Scarlet Tanagers get ready to migrate south, “males molt into an olive-green and black plumage very like that of the females. When they are only part way through this process, the remaining red feathers are interspersed with the new green ones, creating a chaotic-looking but striking patchwork of premature Christmas colors.” – Tait Johansson
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for his First Wednesday’s Bird Walk in Somers to experience fall migration and a chance see a Scarlet Tanager and other species as they head out. This walk offers water, wetland, grassland, and woodland habitats – the perfect setting to glimpse a variety of species! Many warblers are still moving through in early October including Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blackpoll Warblers, and Northern Parula. (Yes, parulas are warblers –  small and plump and the size of a kinglet.) There are also lots of other possibilities for sightings of migrant passerines this month such as Swainson’s Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Wednesday, October 2, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate – the trail is steep in places and can be slippery depending on the weather. Please email Susan to register.

Let’s make like a bird and head (a little) south for a weekend…
Fall migration is the perfect time for an Extended Trip to Cape May, a first-class birding hot spot on the Jersey Shore. Our Naturalist-in-Residence, Tait Johansson, will lead this small group excursion throughout the area in search of migrating raptors, migratory and resident passerines, and waterbirds. On this trip, we can expect to encounter over a hundred different bird species and explore a range of habitat locations!
Friday, October 4- Monday October 7. The program fee for this trip is $150 (members); $185 (non-members and we’ll credit $35 toward an annual membership). Cost does not include hotel, transportation, or meals but does include Tait’s expertise for full days of birding, welcome reception, bonding over daily recaps, and more. Click here for more details and to register, or email Susan. Better hurry – the trip is nearly full with only a couple of spots available.

There’s more than one way to connect with nature…
Take an hour out of your busy schedule for our October Nature Meditation with Master Reiki Practitioner and newly certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guide, Catherine Downs. We start with a seated, guided reiki inspired meditation, and finish with an immersive slow walk in the garden and sanctuary focusing on using the senses to connect to the natural world around us. The session will take place outdoors in the lower part of our Hunt-Parker Sanctuary
Thursday, October 10, 10:00-11:00am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-Moderate (may include an incline on the trail). Please email Susan to register.

A little dirt never hurt!
Volunteers needed for Habitat Renewal Day! Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in with Naturalist and Board Member Steve Ricker who leads this vital restoration work to enhance the quality of the rare habitat that surrounds Bylane Farm. Various projects are underway, and work may include transplanting native plants, removing invasive vines and rescuing native habitats from other invasive species. At the start of the session, Steve will provide tips to discern native plants from invasives and will be happy to answer questions throughout the session. 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, October 12, 11:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Please email Susan to let us know you are coming.

What do you know about the illegal trading of wildlife?
We’re thrilled to announce this month’s Public Lecture: Exposing the World’s Environmental Criminals: a journalist’s experience investigating animal trafficking, poaching, and commercial exploitation of nature with award-winning author and investigative journalist Rene Ebersole. See the sidebar to the right for full details on this special presentation.
Wednesday, October 16, 7:00pm, Katonah Village Library. Cost: Free. All are welcome – no need to register. Join us from 6:45pm for refreshments in the Garden Room ahead of the 7pm presentation.

Hermit Thrushes sometimes forage by “foot quivering,” where they shake bits of grass with their feet to get insects.
Calling all birders to our Third Thursday’s Bird Walk – the perfect outing for beginner to experienced birders! Naturalist Tait Johansson will guide us in searching for Hermit Thrush and other mid-October migrants such as Eastern Towhee and Pine Warbler, and we may even see a Bald Eagle! This local walk is quite popular and works well for people to join before heading off to work.
Thursday, October 17, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. C

Bedford Audubon is heading to Lasdon Park!
For the final time this year, the Friends of Lasdon Park and Arboretum have invited our Naturalist Tait Johansson to lead a guided Bird Walk at Lasdon Park and Arboretum. Tait will be especially on the lookout for Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Golden-crowned Kinglet for an exploration of Lasdon’s 234-acre property consisting of woodlands, open grass meadows, and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world.
Saturday, October 19, 8:00-10:00am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-Moderate. Registration is limited and no walk-ins will be accepted. Register HERE  through the Friends website.

Join us for breakfast… it’s our tweet!
Hawkwatch is still on, and if you haven’t made it to the viewing platform (or even if you have!), our popular Breakfast with the Hawks is a great time to visit. Enjoy coffee and homemade breakfast goodies while learning about Bedford Audubon’s role in Hawkwatch research with Naturalist and Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch Site Coordinator Tait Johansson, Counter Rich Aracil, and Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management at Westmoreland Sanctuary Steve Ricker. This much-loved event is timed to take advantage of peak Red-shouldered Hawk migration to offer a better chance of seeing a Golden Eagle! Perfect for families (children must be accompanied by an adult). This event is cosponsored by Westmoreland Sanctuary.
Sunday, October 20, 9:00-11:00am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate – the ¼ mile trail to the platform is somewhat steep in parts with exposed root and rocks, including some smaller loose rocks in places. Please email Susan to register.

We’re heading to a beautiful, capped landfill!
Join us for a Field Trip to Croton Point Park with Naturalist Tait Johansson will lead us around the a former landfill, now part of this 405-acre park, a vast meadow abundant in species of birds and butterflies. Late October include many sparrow species including some more sought-out species like Vesper Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow, and the large grassland at Croton Point should hold open-country species like Northern Harrier, American Pipit, and Horned Lark.
Thursday, October 24, 8:00am-12:00pm. Cost: Free.  Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register.

Dive into watercolors and learn about the beautiful colors of birds!
Explore watercolor techniques a new Workshop: Birds in Watercolor, in a trilogy of classes with Charlotte Holden that will provide instruction on creating a beautiful painting of a bird. Charlotte will give a brief watercolor tutorial and touch on color theory and how it applies to birds. You’ll create a drawing from provided photos, then transfer the drawing to watercolor paper for a more finished painting. You’ll learn how birds get their beautiful colors and the way it applies to painting them.

Charlotte Holden is an award-winning artist whose scientific illustrations have been featured in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird magazine as well as publication projects from the New York Botanical Garden, the American Museum of Natural History, and others.

Saturdays October 26, November 9 & 23, 10am-12pm at Bylane Farm, Katonah. Series Cost: $135 (Bedford Audubon members), $185 (non-members; includes an annual membership). Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced (or anyone from Charlotte’s first drawing workshop). Fee includes three 2-hour workshops, all art supplies, and materials. Please email Susan to register or visit our website to register online.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cardinal in Crabapple Tree/Susan Fisher