Parent Thrasher Feeding Juvenile. John Hannan @ Bylane Farm
July 2025 Programs
Registration is required for all programs by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org unless otherwise specified.
We have binoculars!
If you’d like to borrow a pair, please ask when you register.
If a Brown-headed Cowbird lays its eggs in the nest of a Willow Flycatcher, the flycatcher may bury the cowbird eggs in the nest’s lining to prevent them from hatching (All About Birds)
Come explore woodland, grassland, water, and wetland habitats in Somers on our popular First Wednesday’s Bird Walk with Naturalist Tait Johansson. If we’re lucky this month, we’ll see the Willow Flycatcher and hear its distinctive song, a tune that flycatchers hatch already knowing (they don’t learn it from their parents as most birds do). Other possibilities, according to Tait, “include Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker, Willow Blue-winged Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Indigo Bunting, and also a chance of hearing Virginia Rail.”
Wednesday, July 2, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate (there is a steep incline on the trail). Please email Susanto register.
Unlike lightbulbs which lose energy to heat, firefly bioluminescence is nearly 100% efficient – almost all the energy used to produce and emit light is converted to light.
Catch the sparkle of nature’s fireworks on a summer Firefly Walk while learning about these magical beetles. With the beautiful Bedford Audubon Native Habitat Garden as the backdrop, Naturalist Tait Johansson, together with Field Biologist Kimberley Jordan and Summer Garden Intern Isabella Shinkar, will talk about their biology and ecology and ways for you to provide them habitat to help keep summer lit. The trio will guide everyone throughout the grounds around Bylane Farm for the greatest opportunity to see the fireflies light up the night!
Tuesday, July 8, 8:00pm-9:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register.
Shimmering wings, ancient origins, and aerial acrobatics – what’s not to love about dragonflies and damselflies?
These interesting insects aren’t just fun to look at – they’re fierce predators with a history that goes back hundreds of millions of years! In Damsels & Dragons: Discovering the Wetland World of Odonates, Naturalist Tait Johansson will explore the fascinating world of local damselflies and dragonflies. This two-part workshop will begin with an info session at Bylane Farm where Tait will unveil the identification and rich natural history of dragonflies and damselflies, followed by a field trip to Rhinoceros Creek Preserve and Dean’s Bridge in Somers for hands-on identification practice.
Saturday, July 12, 10:00-11:15am (classroom portion); 11:30am-1:00pm (field trip). Cost: $20.00 for members; $55.00 for non-members (includes a one-year membership); fees include a take-home info packet with flight periods and habitats of each species. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register or click here to sign up online.
Female Spotted Sandpipers establish and defend territory while the males incubate the eggs and cares for the young.
We likely won’t see the ravens on this month’s Third Thursday’s Bird Walk (the babies have fledged) but hope to see Spotted Sandpipers! Please join us for this easy and friendly walk guided by Naturalist Tait Johansson – it’s the perfect before-work outing that’s great for new or experienced birders. We’ll also check out the Cliff Swallow colony at the Cross River Dam and be on the lookout for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Pine Warbler, Indigo Bunting, and hope to see a Bald Eagle.
Thursday, July 17, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register.
Paint, sip, and soak in the scenery…
We excited to welcome back artist Charlotte Holden for Brushes & Birds: Summer Paint Night on the Patio. This open-air art experience will be set against the backdrop of our native habitat garden and surrounding sanctuary. On the patio outside our headquarters, the historic Bylane Farm, Charlotte will provide guidance to create a beautiful nature-themed painting. You don’t have to be an experienced painter to participate! Each guest will receive an individual canvas, easel, brushes, and a curated paint palette. Charlotte Holden holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and works as a botanical illustrator/graphic designer for New York Botanical Garden. She has been a scientific illustrator for American Museum of Natural History and her illustrations have been published in Living Bird Magazine.
Thursday, July 17, 6:30-8:00pm. Cost: $35.00 for members; $45.00 for non-members. Please email Susan to register or click here to sign up online. Fee includes all the materials needed to create a painting. Light refreshments will be served.
Soar on over to explore Bylane Farm…
Join us for Into the Wild: Bylane Farm Community Day – an exciting day for exploration of Bedford Audubon, one of the oldest local Audubon chapters right here in Northern Westchester. Participate in activities for adults and kids alike, including an Ask Me Anything garden stroll, a tour of the historic Bylane Farm and John Bull Library, guided birding on our sanctuary, children’s story time, scavenger hunt, nature app tutorials, and so much more!
Saturday, July 19, 9:00am-12:00pm. Cost Free.Please email Susan to register.
What do the raven, dodo, Emperor Penguin, Snowy Egret, and Bald Eagle have in common?
They are among the birds included in Ten Birds That Changed the World by Stephen Moss. Join Board Member Melanie Brocklehurst for this month’s Bylane Book Club discussion of this “exploration of the deep and complex relationship between birds and human beings.” Moss, a British environmentalist and writer, is a “captivating storyteller” whose book tells the gripping story of this long and intimate relationship through key species from all seven of the world’s continents. Don’t miss this discussion that will take place in-person at Bylane Farm.
Monday, July 21, 6:30pm. Cost: Free. Please email Susan to register.
Get your feet wet with shorebirds!
Summer is the perfect time to explore the coast and identify the fabulous birds that call it home. Please join us for Naturalist Tait Johansson’s new Wading into the World of Shorebirds workshop. It will begin with an engaging info session at Bylane Farm during which Tait will dive into key characteristics, habitats, and behaviors of various shorebird species. Then, we’ll put our new knowledge to the test during a field visit to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where we’ll identify shorebirds in their natural environment. The program is timed to coincide with high tide at Jamaica Bay, when hundreds Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Least Sandpipers are expected to gather on the East Pond, along with many other shorebird species, often including a few Stilt Sandpipers and sometimes something rarer!
Wednesday, July 30, 8:00-9:30am (classroom portion), 11:00am-2:30pm (field trip). Cost: $25.00 for members; $60.00 for non-members (includes a one-year membership); fees include a take-home shorebird ID resource packet. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register or click here to sign up online.
