Scan the skies! at chestnut ridge hawkwatch – wrapping up this month

As we enter the final weeks of this year’s Hawkwatch season, join Bedford Audubon staff and volunteers for our 44th year of formal fall raptor monitoring at our Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch. Our data contributes to population and migration analyses that guide raptor conservation locally and across the hemisphere. November at the watch sees good numbers of Red-shouldered Hawks, and the first half of the month offers a chance for a Golden Eagle. Stop by and meet our Lead Counter Chris Waas, who is happy to answer questions about raptors and the science behind our research. 

Takes place daily through mid-November from 9:00am-3:00pm (weather permitting) at Arthur Butler Sanctuary, 265 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco. The viewing platform is open to the public so registration is not necessary. Check our program list for our end of season wrap up.

For more information, learn about Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch on our website, or email info@bedfordaudubon.org.

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First Wednesday’s Bird Walk

As we move through the seasons, come with us on our regular First Wednesday’s Bird Walk at Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center in Yorktown Heights. Naturalist Tait Johansson will lead us on the trails around the farm’s open fields and woodland edges. We will be on the lookout for late fall migrants such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Field Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. This walk is suitable for birders of all levels and often fills up quickly.

Wednesday, November 4, 7:30-9:30am.
Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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FIELD TRIP TO CROTON POINT PARK

We’re heading to a beautiful, capped landfill!Join us for our fall Field Trip to Croton Point Park with Naturalist Tait Johansson who will lead us around the former landfill, now part of this 405-acre park, a vast meadow abundant in species of birds and butterflies. Early November may include many sparrow species including some more sought-out species like Vesper Sparrow, and the large grassland at Croton Point should hold open-country species like Northern Harrier, American Pipit, Horned Lark and Eastern Meadowlark.

Friday, November 6, 8:00am-12:00pm.
Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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special event: where the wild birds are with noah strycker

Take a whirlwind tour of the world from a birder’s-eye view. Noah Strycker roams the many habitats that wild birds call home to bring you the ultimate guide to birding planet Earth. This presentation – based on Noah’s groundbreaking National Geographic book, Birder’s Atlas of the World – will broaden your horizons and give you a fresh perspective on where the wild birds are. He’ll also update us on his worldwide Big Year and what he’s been up to since that record-breaking adventure in 2015.

Called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek, Noah Strycker is a writer and bird man based in Eugene, Oregon. In 2015, during a quest spanning 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding 6,042 species of birds in one calendar year, as recounted in his popular book, Birding Without Borders.  He is Associate Editor of Birding magazine and has guided nearly 100 trips to Antarctica and the Arctic—literally spreading the joy of birds from pole to pole! 

In-Person Presentation on Saturday, November 7th at 1:00pm. Jointly sponsored by all Westchester Audubon chapters, this event will be held at the Grinton I. Will Public Library inYonkers, NY. Light refreshments will be served; this event is free and open to the public. 

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HABITAT RENEWAL VOLUNTEER SESSION

Volunteers needed! Roll up your sleeves for our monthly Habitat Renewal Volunteer Session and join Naturalist and Board member Steve Ricker as he leads this vital restoration work to enhance the quality of the rare habitat that surrounds the historic Bylane Farm. Steve will provide tips on how 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, November 14, 11am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-Moderate (depending on the work needed on this day). Please email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org.

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PROJECT FEEDERWATCH AT BYLANE FARM

We’re excited to be kicking off this year’s Project FeederWatch – join our count! 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.

Join our count at Bylane Farm to contribute to this large-scale project by watching, listening, and sharing your observations about the natural world! Bring your favorite warm beverage and spend an hour with us as we count the birds we see in and around Bylane Farm.

We will be counting every month November through April so look for all the upcoming dates!

Sunday, November 15 & Monday, November 16, 9:00-10:00am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email us to register for one or both counts: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES :
hawkwatch 2026 season round-up

Bedford Audubon participates in the global network of hawk watches that, annually, compile hemispheric-wide population indexes of all migratory raptors. As we near the end of this year’s count period, come hear about the season’s highlights from Lead Counter Chris Waas, Naturalist Tait Johansson and Bedford Audubon Executive Director Medha Pandey, who will share the data we have gathered, and give insights in how our Hawkwatch integrates into the broader network across the Americas spanning from Quebec in Canada to the pampas in Argentina. Enjoy raptor imagery and information as we celebrate the end of the season and the volunteers who helped make it a success.  

Wednesday, November 18, 7:00pm at the Katonah Village Library Garden Room. Cost: Free. Advance registration is not required, all are welcome. Please join us for refreshments at 6:30pm ahead of the presentation at 7:00pm.

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THIRD THURSDAY’S BIRD WALK

Join Naturalist Tait Johansson on our other regular, monthly walk as we mark the passing of the seasons and changing of the birds on our Third Thursday’s Bird Walk in the Cross River Dam area of Katonah. We’ll be on the lookout for Bald Eagles and waterfowl such as Common Merganser and Bufflehead that should be starting to arrive from the north. We may also see lingerers like Winter Wren, Eastern Towhee and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This is an easy and friendly walk, great for beginners and experienced birders alike.

Thursday, November 19, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org.

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special field trip: leader’s choice bird walk

The destination is part of the adventure!  November is the best month for rarities – while we may not be chasing a Forked-tailed Flycatcher, Tait will scout out the latest and greatest for the group to see and make the decision on where we are headed closer to the trip date, based on recent bird sightings, rarities, and his local knowledge.

Sunday, November 22, time TBD. Please email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org
Time and location will be shared closer to the date. We will start early morning, and travel within 1 ½ hours’ drive of Bylane. 

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bylane book club: birding under the influence by dorian anderson – last of 2026!

For our final Bylane Book Club of the year, join Melanie Brocklehurst as we discuss the book Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery by Dorian Anderson, a candid, honest look at Dorian’s double life of academic accomplishment and addiction. In this unique birding memoir, Dorian Anderson, a neuroscience researcher on a pressure-filled life trajectory, walks away from the world of elite institutions, research labs, and academic publishing. In doing so, he falls in love and discovers he has freed himself to embrace his lifelong passion for birding.

We will meet at Bylane at 6:30pm on Monday, November 30 (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. Melanie will also bring a selection of books for consideration and we will choose our 2027 reads together!

Monday, November 30, 6:30pm at Bylane Farm. Cost: Free.
Please email to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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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!