Bylane Book Club

Please join Melanie Brocklehurst for our next Bylane Book Club where we will be discussing Birding to Change the World: A Memoir by Trish O’Kane. We will meet at Bylane at 6:30pm on Monday, December 1 (just after Thanksgiving), and enjoy a little end-of-year celebration together as we have the past couple of years, with some drinks and nibbles. 

In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment. Trish O’Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades as an investigative journalist, she’d never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrina destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an emotional tailspin. Enter a scrappy cast of feathered characters—first a cardinal, urban parrots, and sparrows, then a catbird, owls, a bittern, and a woodcock—that cheered her up and showed her a new path. A warm and compelling weave of science and social engagement, this is the story of an improbable band of bird lovers who saved their park. And it is a blueprint for muscular citizenship, powered by joy.

Melanie will also bring a selection of books for consideration and we will choose our 2026 reads together.

Monday, December 1, 6:30pm. Location: Bylane Farm. Cost: free. Please email Susan to register.

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First Wednesday’s Bird Walk

Join us for our last First Wednesday’s Bird Walk of the year — and the last First Wednesday walk at Deans Bridge in Somers. That’s right, coming in the new year, we will switch up the location for this regular walk to a new hot spot: Hilltop Hanover Farm. Look for details in the next program email. But for December, please join Naturalist Tait Johansson at Deans Bridge. We’ll be hoping to see the resident Great Blue Heron, Gadwall and other waterfowl, Swamp Sparrow, Winter Wren, Belted Kingfisher, and more.

Wednesday, December 3, 7:30am-9:30am Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate
(due to a steep incline on the trail). Please email Susan to register.

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Project FeederWatch

Join our count! And join thousands of people in watching, learning, and contributing observations about the natural world. Bring your coffee, and spend an hour with us on one of both of our December days as we count the birds we see in and around Bylane Farm. Project FeederWatch is a community science project that enlists thousands of people across North America to count the birds they see at their feeders, backyards, and local green spaces each winter. The project is a collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada. We will be counting every month November through April so look for all the upcoming dates.

Sunday, December 7 and/or Monday, December 8, 9am-10am. Cost: free. Location: Bylane Farm. Please email Susan to register.

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Winter Waterfowl Workshop

The excitement of fall migration might be winding down, but winter birding offers an excitement of its own: excellent opportunities for up close looks at waterfowl in their vibrant breeding plumage. Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for our Winter Waterfowl Workshop and learn how to get the most out of winter birding. The program begins at Bylane Farm with an interactive, informational session introducing you to the key features used to identify waterfowl. The workshop will cover how to recognize species by shape, color patterns, behavior, and habitat, and will also touch on natural history. The second part of the program takes place at Edith Read Sanctuary, where you will put your new skills into practice in the field. Guided by Tait, the group will observe and identify waterfowl in their natural habitats. We’ll be on the lookout for Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Brant, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead and others.

Wednesday, December 10, 8:00am-1:00pm. Cost: $25 (Members); $35 (Non-members). Location: Bylane Farm and Edith Read Sanctuary. This workshop is limited to 8 participants. 

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Nature of Nature Film Screening

Join us for a free community screening of The Nature of Nature: Biodiversity in the Hudson Valley at the Katonah Village Library. Directed by Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Laura deNey and produced by Flicker Filmworks, The Nature of Nature was created in collaboration with Laura Heady of the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University. The film showcases the extraordinary plants, animals, and habitats of the Hudson River estuary watershed and highlights the ecological richness of our region.

Following the 30-minute screening, attendees are invited to join a panel discussion exploring the “nature of nature” in and around Bedford. Bedford Audubon Board President John Hannan, and Board Member Steve Ricker will be among the esteemed panel of local environmentalists. Panelists will share insights into ongoing conservation efforts, including wildlife corridors, migration projects, biodiversity monitoring, and other local initiatives. The discussion will highlight the many ways residents can support native habitats and strengthen our local ecosystems.

For a preview of the movie click here.

Wednesday, December 10, 6:30pm-8:00pm. Location: Katonah Village Library. Cost: free. Register by clicking the link below.

Nature of Nature Screening

https://katonah.librarycalendar.com/event/movie-7292

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Habitat Renewal Volunteer Session

Join Naturalist and Board Member Steve Ricker to work in and around Bedford Audubon’s Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden and learn how the elements of a good native habitat garden work together to provide essential resources for native birds and other wildlife. Several work projects are underway including a new Accessibility Trail and Inclusive Teaching Garden, and a project to enhance the quality of the rare shrub habitat on the sanctuary for our bird and pollinator friends. This is a great and fun way to get some exercise, fresh air, and contribute to the communities’ wild animals and plants. Plants with thorns and poison ivy will be present. Tools will be provided, or bring your own.

December 13, 2025, 11:00am – 12:30pm. Cost: free. Location: Bylane Farm. Please email Susan to register.

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Third Thursday’s Bird Walk

Join Naturalist Tait Johansson in marking the passing of the seasons and changing of birds on our monthly Third Thursday’s Bird Walk in the Cross River Dam area of Katonah. We’ll be on the lookout for Bald Eagle and waterfowl such as Bufflehead and Common Merganser returning from the north; we may also find lingerers like Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, and Eastern Towhee. This is an easy and friendly walk, great for beginners and experienced birders alike.

Thursday, December 18, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Email Susan to register.

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Christmas Bird Counts

For more information about this hemispheric community science project click here. To participate, email the compiler for the selected date/location (addresses below).

Sunday, December 14
Greenwich-Stamford, CT
Count circle includes Armonk and parts of Bedford and Pound Ridge.
Compiler: Cynthia Ehlinger: cynthia.ehlinger@gmail.com

Saturday, December 20
Peekskill, NY
Count circle includes Yorktown Heights, Mohegan Lake, Crompond, Shrub Oak, Jefferson Valley, Granite Springs, Amawalk, part of Mount Kisco.
Compiler: Sean Camillieri: scamillieri@gmail.com

Sunday, December 21
Putnam County, NY
Compiler: Kyle Bardwell: ktbardwell@gmail.com
Thursday, January 1
Pawling, NY Count circle includes Patterson and parts of Carmel and Brewster.

Co-compilers: Carena Pooth (NY): pawlingcbc@watermanbirdclub.org  and Angela Dimmitt (CT): angeladimmitt@aol.com

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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!