First Wednesday Bird Walk

Our popular First Wednesday Walk has a new home! Join us at Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown Heights for a morning of winter birding through a mix of open fields and woodland edges. This varied landscape offers excellent opportunities to observe both resident and wintering birds as we take a relaxed walk together. We’ll be on the lookout for species such as Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Swamp Sparrow, with the chance of spotting Fox Sparrow or White-crowned Sparrow as well. This walk is suitable for birders of all levels and is a great way to explore a new location while enjoying the rhythm of a familiar monthly outing.

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

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Habitat Renewal Volunteer Session

Did you know that even in winter, there are things you can do to enhance the environmental value of your garden, patio or yard to welcome more birds, bees and other pollinators in the spring? 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, how to identify and remove invasive plants, and why this is so vital to a healthy ecosystem. Tools and gloves are provided, but you can bring your own. Loppers and hand pruners are the most used types. Plants with thorns and poison ivy will be present.

Saturday, January 10, 11:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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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 January 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, January 11 & Monday, January 12, 9:00am-10:00am. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Cost: Free. Email Susan to register for one or both of the counts: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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Third Thursday’s Bird Walk

We have the perfect local outing for new and experienced birders alike. Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for his always-popular Third Thursday’s Bird Walk in the Cross River Reservoir area of Katonah. This is the perfect time of year to spot wintering waterfowl on the reservoir including Common Merganser and Pied-billed Grebe and even Bald Eagle, especially if there is some unfrozen open water. We might also spy Common Raven, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and possibly Eastern Towhee.

Thursday, January 15, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org.

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EagleWatch

Wondering where to find raptors in winter? Take part in Science (and Advocacy) in Action this winter by joining Naturalist Tait Johansson and the team from Bedford Audubon and Saw Mill River Audubon for EagleWatch. We will be monitoring roosting Bald Eagles within the Lower Hudson Valley Important Bird Area (IBA) to facilitate decision-making that impacts this Important Bird Area. This event is family-friendly and a fun way to introduce ecology to your kids!

Thursday late afternoons from January 15-February 19, approximately 1.5 hours before sunset. If you’re interested in checking it out, call 914-232-1999 or email Tait directly at tjohansson@bedfordaudubon.org.

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Winter Birding Weekend

There are only two spots left on our winter birding trip to Cape Ann & Newburyport, MA! Act now if you’d like to join expert naturalist Tait Johansson on this special trip around the region in search of such stunners as Harlequin Duck, King Eider, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Red-necked Grebe, Rough-legged Hawk, Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, Purple Sandpiper, Black Guillemot, Black-legged Kittiwake, Razorbill, Snowy Owl and so much more. The exact itinerary for the weekend will be crafted closer to the departure date in order to optimize specific birding locations based on the most updated migration information.

Friday, January 16 – Monday, January 19. Cost: $165 (members); $200 (non-members and we’ll credit $35 toward an annual membership). Email Susan for more information: info@bedfordaudubon.org.

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Public Lecture Series: Stop the Strike! 

Our first Katonah Village Library Lecture of 2026 is an important and timely presentation you won’t want to miss. An estimated 1 billion birds die from window collisions each year in North America – with 99% of these strikes happening at residential and low-rise buildings. Calculations show an average of 10 birds per residential home die annually in the United States. These deaths are preventable if people take action at their own homes! Please join us for a crash course on bird-window collisions: Stop the Strike! Creating Bird Friendly Windows at Home. Former board president Susan Fisher will break down why birds fly into windows, how big the problem really is, and most importantly, what simple steps homeowners can take to stop these deadly strikes.  

After moving out of Manhattan in 2005, Susan Fisher discovered a deep love for nature in her own backyard. Inspired by her Aunt Vilma, a lifelong birder, and a family of Barn Swallows that nested on her porch for five years, she became deeply involved in local conservation. Susan is a longtime Bedford Audubon volunteer and former board president, and she currently works for Westchester Tree Life, where her love of nature continues to shape her path.

Wednesday, January 21, 7:00pm. Cost: Free. No registration is required, all are welcome. Please join us for refreshments at 6:45pm ahead of Susan’s presentation at 7pm.

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Field Trip to Greenwich Point 

Register now for our popular winter Field Trip to Greenwich Point with Naturalist Tait Johansson – there are only a few spots left! Designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), Greenwich Point’s peninsular geography and rich variety of coastal, pond, and upland habitats make it an exceptional location for birding during the winter months.

We’ll spend time scanning offshore waters and Eagle Pond, where good numbers of waterfowl often gather, looking for Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Great Cormorant, Horned Grebe, Common and Red-throated Loons, Ruddy Turnstone, and, of course, Brant. As we explore the shoreline and interior paths, we may also be rewarded with sightings of Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, and Snow Bunting. This trip offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about coastal winter birding while enjoying one of the area’s most scenic and productive birding destinations.

Saturday, January 24, 8:00am-12:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Please email Susan to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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Bylane Book Club

Kick of your reading in 2026 with a glorious celebration of the dark from a New York Times bestselling nature writer! Our first selection of the year is Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark by Leigh Ann Henion.

We are delighted that Leigh Ann Henion will join our discussion on Zoom, giving participants the opportunity to hear directly from the author and ask questions about her work and inspiration!

Her beautifully written book celebrates the richness of life after sunset, through stories of fireflies, bioluminescent fungi, and night-blooming plants, Henion blends science and storytelling while thoughtfully addressing the impacts of light pollution on wildlife and people.

Monday, January 26, 6:00pm*. Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Please email Susan to register: info@bedfordaudubon.org *Book club regulars: please note the earlier time.

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Fundamentals of Birding

Designed for birders of all experience levels, our Fundamentals of Birding workshop reinforces core techniques and blends clear, practical instruction from Naturalist Tait Johansson with real-world application, helping participants refine their skills, fill in gaps, and become more confident, thoughtful birders.  Whether you’re just getting started or have years in the field, everyone benefits from revisiting the “back-to-basics” fundamentals that sharpen skills and deepen understanding. 

We will begin at Bylane Farm for the classroom portion of the workshop, and then we will head out into Bedford Audubon’s sanctuary and surrounding areas to practice the skills we’ve learned in the field.

Saturday, January 31, 8:00am-12:00pm. Location: Bylane Farm. Cost: $10 per person. Please email Susan for more information: info@bedfordaudubon.org

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Voices of Bedford Audubon

For the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing letters of support from members of our community. Each one tells a deeply personal story — a spark of discovery, a growing connection to nature, or a lifelong commitment to conservation — that led them to support Bedford Audubon.

We’ve gathered these testimonials in one place for you to enjoy. Click the button below to hear from community members and discover the impact of Bedford Audubon through their voices.

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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!