First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join us as we head back to Deans Bridge in Somers for this month’s First Wednesday Bird Walk with Naturalist Tait Johansson. We will be approaching peak fall migration for many songbird species, there should definitely be Wood Ducks around, and if we’re lucky, possibly some early-migrating waterbirds like Pied-billed Grebe, Blue-winged Teal, and Green-winged Teal, as we check out a variety of habitats including water, wetland, shrubland, and woodland areas.

Wednesday, September 3, 7:30 – 9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate – the trail is steep in places, and can be slippery depending on the weather.

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Raptor ID Workshop and Field Trip

Sharpen your raptor identification skills and pick up expert tips in this two-part Raptor ID Workshop and Field Trip with Naturalist Tait Johansson. The program will begin with an info session at Bylane Farm during which Tait will guide you through various traits and behaviors of raptors that will help you identify them in flight. The group will then head to the viewing platform at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at Arthur Butler Sanctuary in Mount Kisco to put new skills into practice. Workshop limited to 8 people; register early.

Saturday, September 6, 9:00am – 2:00pm. Cost: $25 members; $35 non-members. Level of Difficulty: Moderate (the trail to the platform is somewhat steep in parts).

[THIS WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT. EMAIL SUSAN TO BE ADDED TO WAITLIST: info@bedfordaudubon.org]

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Bedford Audubon in Bedford Hills

Come out and join us for the first of our Sunday Afternoon in the Park with Bedford Audubon monthly series! Bring your family and friends and step outside with us to rediscover the wonder of the birds and wildlife found right in your own backyard. We’ll help newbies spot and identify common backyard birds — and help seasoned birders see them in a whole new way. We’ll have:

• Binoculars to borrow and a viewing scope to get closer looks
• A guided nature walk with Naturalist Tait Johansson
• Activities for the whole family
• Educational materials in English and Spanish

This program is the first in a series co-sponsored by the Town of Bedford Department of Recreation and Parks and is free and open to all ages. Families are welcome! Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Sunday, September 7, 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Registrations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome!

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Field Trip to Central Park

Birds migrating along the East Coast in fall flock to Central Park as a welcoming place to rest and store up energy for the next leg of their journey. Join Tait Johansson on our fall Field Trip to Central Park to discover the ecological value of the park’s man-made bird habitats, which include meadows, grassy knolls, rocky outcrops, woodlands, ravines, streams, ponds, lakes, and a reservoir. The park is a truly exceptional birding location for migrating warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and many other songbirds. The group will meet at 7:15am at 72nd Street and Central Park West, the entrance to Strawberry Fields. We’ll stop at the boathouse where you can purchase lunch or bring your own.

Wednesday, September 10, 7:15am – 1:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. 

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Habitat Renewal Volunteer Day

Naturalist and Board Member Steve Ricker leads our Habitat Renewal Day — join him to learn as you work to enhance the quality of the rare shrub habitat for our bird and pollinator friends here at Bylane Farm. Several work projects are underway including the creation of a new accessibility path garden area and the removal of non-native shrubs and plants from a historic farmhouse stone wall with a unique carriage stone. Bring your questions to ask Steve about creating and maintaining a native habitat, removing invasive plants, and enhancing your garden to support local wildlife. Tools and gloves are provided, but you can bring your own. Loppers and hand pruners are the most used types. Plants with thorns as well as poison ivy will be present.

Saturday, September 13, 9:00am – 11:30am Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy.

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Fall Warbler ID Workshop and Field Trip

Turn warbler confusion into clarity! Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for a special two-part Fall Warbler ID Workshop and Field Trip designed to help birders of all levels sharpen their skills in identifying warblers during the unique challenges of fall migration. As these colorful songbirds make their southbound journey, they trade their bright breeding plumage for more subtle hues, making identification tricky even for experienced birders. During this workshop and field trip you will learn tips and tricks to recognize fall warblers in the field. Workshop at Bylane Farm, field trip the next morning on Reservoir Road in Katonah. Workshop limited to 8 people; register early.

Wednesday, September 17, 10:00am – 12:00pm (workshop at Bylane Farm) and Thursday, September 18, 6:30am – 7:30am (field trip to Reservoir Road). Cost: $25 members; $35 non-members. Level of Difficulty: Easy.

Mysterious Birds with Lee Schlesinger

After our summer break, join us back at Katonah Village for the first of our new Public Lecture Series. We’re excited to welcome Lee Schlesinger, who will delve into the fascinating world of Mysterious Birds. Birds have always carried an air of mystery — they vanish into the skies, sing strange songs, and are sometimes rediscovered after being declared extinct. In this talk, we will explore two compelling cases: the puzzling birds depicted by John James Audubon that may never have existed, and the elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker — perhaps the most intriguing avian mystery of our time.

Lee Schlesinger taught Literature at Purchase College (SUNY) for a half-century. His life-long birding association is with the New Haven Bird Club, which he served as president.  He has birded in, among other places, Panama, Costa Rica, Sweden, Hungary, the Falkland Islands, south Texas, the Pacific Ocean, and Iceland.

Wednesday, September 17, 7:00pm (refreshments at 6:45pm). Katonah Village Library Garden Room. Cost: Free. No need to register, all are welcome.

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Third Thursday Bird Walk

Our regular Third Thursday Bird Walk will coincide with the peak of fall migration for many bird species, including most warblers.  On previous September walks at this location, we have also spotted Bald Eagles, Belted Kingfisher, the local Common Ravens, and much more. This popular, easy-going monthly walk takes place in the Cross River Dam area in Katonah and is a favorite for birders of all levels.

Thursday, September 18, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy.

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Garden Open House

Step into a beautifully designed ecosystem where native plants provide essential habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Explore the Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden at Bylane Farm during our Garden Open House and witness ecological beauty in action. Docents will be on site from 11:00am-2:00pm to answer questions and give tips on how to create a vibrant, bird-friendly habitat in your own yard!

Saturday, September 27, 11:00am- 2:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. No registration is required, just drop in!

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Bylane Book Club

We are excited to share our 50th book with readers this month, since starting the Bylane Book Club in November 2018. Please join Melanie Brocklehurst for our discussion of This Is How a Robin Drinks by Joanna Brichetto, a “delightful, engaging, and insightful introduction to urban natural history” (Doug Tallamy). In This Is How a Robin Drinks, Brichetto weaves observation, reflection, and commentary with unsentimental wit and an earthy humor into an urban almanac, a collection of 52 essays about the world “under our feet, over our heads, and beside us; the very places we need to know first.”. The book is available to borrow from Westchester Library System, and is available as both e-book and audiobook.

Monday, September 29, 6:30pm.

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Birds in Flight Workshop and Field Trip

Identifying birds in flight can be a challenge, even for very experienced birders. In our newest two-day workshop and field trip, Identifying Birds in Flight, you will learn to tune in to differences in speed, rhythm, intermittent vs. continuous wingbeats, shape, behavior, the plumage characters likely to be visible in flight, the difficulties of judging size at a distance, differences in display flights, etc. The workshop will largely focus on non-raptors. Workshop limited to 8 people; register early.

Thursday, September 25 10:00am-11:30am (Workshop at Bylane Farm)

Friday, September 26, 7:00am-9:30am. (Field Trip to Croton Point) Cost: $25 members; $35 non-members. Level of Difficulty: Easy.

Chestnut Ridge HawkWatch

Each autumn from late August to late November, Bedford Audubon staff and volunteers run our Chestnut Ridge HawkWatch located in Bedford Corners, New York. Going into our 44th year of formal raptor identification during the fall migration period, our data is combined with other HawkWatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitat, and contributes to a hemispheric raptor conservation effort – and you can be part of it!

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 is not necessary.

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Memberships Matter

Bedford Audubon memberships help make all of these programs possible. To become a member, just click the box below. Do you have questions, suggestions, or other thoughts? Call the office at 914-232-1999 or email info@bedfordaudubon.org. We’d love to hear from you!