www.hobaudubon.org 1

March – April 2013 Volume 1, No. 4

Huntington–Oyster Bay Audubon Society A chapter of the National Audubon Society

Serving Huntington and Northern Oyster Bay Townships

Birdathon 2013

It’s that time of year again! The

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon

Birdathon and Fundraiser will be

held on May 11th

. We invite you to

join a HOBAS team, for all or part of

the day, to bird locations across Long

Island as we strive to “get” as many species as possible.

(Typically, that is over 100!) Whether you can or can’t

join us on that day PLEASE consider a donation in support

of our efforts. A donation of any amount helps your

chapter sustain the important work of environmental

education and stewardship.

All who donate are eligible to win wonderful prizes,

generously provided by local artists and businesses, at our

prize drawing held at the June membership meeting. You

do not have to be present to win.

Please join in celebrating the beauty and song of birds this

spring by sending in your donation today! Contact

Ginger Mahoney at 516-922-4599 if you have any

questions or to join a Birdathon team. Thank you!

Pulaski Road

Adopt-A-Highway Program

After a break in January and

February, our monthly highway

cleanups will begin again in March.

We are always looking for new

volunteers to help us with our

monthly debris removal efforts.

Please consider joining us for our spring cleanups as we

continue to beautify our stretch of Pulaski Road. For

more information please send an e-mail to Simone

(s.daros@aol.com).

Cleanups are conducted at 7:30 AM and usually

take only about an hour and a half. Meet at the

WPW Growers parking lot across from Wicks Farm.

The next cleanup days are: Saturday, March 2

Sunday, April 7

Sunday, May 5

Bronx Zoo Needs Your Old Perfume

As part of the Animal Enrichment Program, the

Bronx Zoo's Mammal Department uses perfumes

and colognes to encourage exploratory behavior

and stimulate the senses of big cats, wild dogs,

and other animals. Please look in your closets,

your drawers, and under the bathroom sink. Ask your

friends and family to look also. We have donated over 300

bottles of perfume to the zoo over the last several years

thanks to several prior perfume drives. The animals at the

zoo would be VERY grateful. Bring your unwanted

bottles to our monthly meetings. Peter Clyne, our May

speaker, will pick up the donations.

Thank you to everyone who has donated in the past.

Special thanks to the Mineola High School Environmental

Club and Terry Canavan and the court reporting students

of Long Island Business Institute who ran perfume drives

to support this effort.

SCREEN-FREE WEEK April 29 - May 5, 2013

Screen-Free Week is a national celebration

where children, families, schools, and

communities spend seven days reducing screen-

based entertainment media and turn on life. It

is a time to BE SCREEN SMART and find

alternative activities that stimulate a child's

learning and creativity, and spend time with family and

friends. For more information visit www.screenfree.org.

HOBAS will be kicking off Screen-Free Week a little early

with our April children's program. See page 8 for details.

Killdeer

Inside This Issue

Northern Nassau Christmas Bird Count .................... 2

From the President .......................................... 3

Hurricane Sandy and Jamaica Bay ......................... 4

Out on a Limb, Birders’ Box ................................ 5

Meetings and Events ......................................... 6

Field Trips and Activities ................................... 7

Young Naturalist Programs.................................. 8

Killdeer Mar – Apr 2013

2 www.hobaudubon.org

2012 Northern Nassau County

Christmas Bird Count Bill Reeves

On December 15, 2012, a warm day, North Shore and

Huntington–Oyster Bay Audubon Societies conducted the

2012 Christmas Bird Count. The 69 observers in 13

parties traveled 85 miles by foot and 135.5 miles by car

from 4:00 AM to 4:30 PM. We identified a total of 45,242

individual birds of 114 species in the 15 mile diameter

count circle with an area of about 176.7 square miles,

much of it in Long Island Sound where most of the

waterfowl were seen. The species count was among the

highest ever for our count circle.

The co-compilers, Mary Normandia and Glenn Quinn,

noted that the following species were unusual. The

number of individuals is shown in parentheses:

Cackling Goose (1) House Wren (1)

American White Pelican (1) American Pipit (1)

Bald Eagle (1) Nashville Warbler (1)

Red-shouldered Hawk (1) Nelson’s Sparrow (1)

Razorbill (9) White-winged Crossbill (6)

Common Raven (1)

Species denoted as having unusually high counts were:

Gadwall (363) Razorbill (9)

Red-throated Loon (137) Winter Wren (45)

Common Loon (231) Pine Warbler (7)

Killdeer (100)

Species listed as having an unusually low count this year

were:

Common Merganser (1) Cedar Waxwing (1)

The most numerous species seen on the count day was

Greater Scaup with a total of 14,693 individuals, which

was 32.5% of all the birds observed. However, this was

not an unusually high count for Greater Scaup when

compared to the number seen on previous Christmas Bird

Counts.

Pat Aitken, a HOBAS member, hosted the compilation

meeting at the headquarters of Friends of the Bay in Oyster

Bay after our full day of birding. Members of North Shore

Audubon provided a delicious evening meal for the hungry

and happy birders after a successful day of birding. All

HOBAS birders are invited in December 2013 to

participate in the largest citizen science project in the

history of the world with a tradition of 112 years of

counting that accurately defines the winter ranges of all the

avian species of North, Central, and South America, the

Caribbean, and Hawaii. It’s fun too!

The mission of the Huntington-Oyster Bay

Audubon Society is to increase community

awareness about the environment and to

encourage others to enjoy and protect birds and

other wildlife in their natural habitats.

Killdeer is the newsletter of the

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society

P.O. Box 735

Huntington, NY 11743-0735

a chapter of the National Audubon Society and is

published five times a year.

Officers

President Stella Miller 516-682-5977 Vice President Vacant

Secretary Ginger Mahoney 516-922-4599

Treasurer Cathy Fitts 631-427-8623

Newsletter

Editor Charlotte Miska 516-922-9710

For Distressed Wildlife Call

Volunteers for Wildlife 516-674-0982

You can find us on the Web at

www.hobaudubon.orgH

e-mail us at has@huntingtonaudubon.org

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS Cold Spring Harbor Public Library

7:00 PM Refreshments

7:30 PM Speaker

Wednesday, March13, 2013:

The Wildlife of Rwanda with Graeme Patterson, Ph.D.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013:

Long Island: A Migratory Motel with John Turner

See page 6 for details.

Mar – Apr 2013 Killdeer

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From the President Stella Miller

Underhill Preserve “Anyone can love a mountain, but it takes soul to love a

prairie” - unknown

As a little girl I devoured the Little

House in the Prairie book series by

Laura Ingalls Wilder and dreamed

of seeing the western prairies one

day. It wasn’t until 2007 that I was

able to do so when I visited Prairie

State Park in Missouri. I tend not to

use the word awesome very often,

but believe me when I tell you what

lay before us was indeed awesome.

Tall grasses and wildflowers were gently blowing in the

breeze while birdsong filled the air. Grasshopper

Sparrows, Meadowlarks, and Dickcissels sang together in

a splendid chorus. Bison roamed the short-grass areas,

snorting and kicking up dust in their path. We had only

allotted one day to visit this preserve and knew

immediately that it was just not enough. While we stood

watching the sunset we were treated to a sight that will

remain with me forever – as the blazing red and orange sun

descended into the horizon, the silhouette of a deer

appeared, surrounded by tall grass and perfectly backlit by

the flaming orb behind it. As we stood watching in awe,

the deer turned and bounded into the sunset, as if

swallowed up by a giant fiery ball of fire. It was pure

magic. Thus began my love affair with grasslands. I have

since traveled to grasslands in Oklahoma, Kansas,

Colorado, and Texas, each time marveling anew at the

abundance of wildlife and beauty before my eyes.

Unfortunately, grasslands have been declining faster than

any other habitat in the United States, if not the world.

Human use and sprawl development has taken its toll on

our grasslands, with only about 4% remaining. While

grassland habitats modified by humans for agriculture had

replaced some areas of grasslands to an extent, they too are

now disappearing. As grasslands decline, so do the

wildlife species that depend upon them. Grassland birds

are among the fastest and most consistently declining birds

in North America; 48% are of conservation concern and

55% are showing significant declines.

Right here on Long Island, grasslands were once a

significant feature of our landscape. Unfortunately, most

have been developed into residential, industrial, or

commercial real estate or converted to ball fields and other

intensely used recreational areas. For this reason it is

crucial that all efforts should be made to restore and

reclaim potential habitat as grassland whenever possible.

There are still scattered grasslands across the island, but

even when protected, they face a grave threat: non-native

invasive species. One such already protected area in

trouble is Underhill Preserve in Jericho. This 75-acre

preserve, protected as open space in 2002, contains almost

35 acres of grassland, with a mix of native and non-native

grasses. Unfortunately, much of it has now been overrun

by invasive non-native plant species. Several years ago I

fell in love with this parcel and have watched with concern

as each year it has become more degraded by this invasion

as well as the encroachment of successional habit. Thanks

to the efforts of Senator Carl Marcellino, I was able to sit

down with the property’s owners (NYSDEC, Nassau

County, and the Town of Oyster Bay) to encourage them

to create a plan to manage and restore Underhill. During

this meeting, HOBAS was asked to take the lead to

develop such a plan. The DEC has already named us

stewards of their portion of the preserve and we are

hopeful we can obtain the same designation from the other

entities. The funds raised at our first Run/Walk for

Conservation in the fall of 2012 are dedicated to this

project. We recently applied for a grant to develop and

implement a comprehensive restoration plan. As of this

writing, we have not received word yet on the grant, but

our fingers are crossed. If we are not awarded this grant,

we will continue to explore other funding opportunities.

The expansion of Underhill’s grasslands and meadows

would attract a greater diversity and abundance of

butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, thereby creating a

wildlife haven which could potentially attract nesting

grassland birds such as Eastern Meadowlarks. In addition,

shrubland birds are also on the decline and providing

healthy native edge habitat for birds such as these is

equally vital.

Over 100 species of birds have been documented at the

preserve, including two grassland species that are in

decline: Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks. There is an

abundance of Eastern Bluebirds in the meadows and the

numerous kettle ponds provide habitat to waterfowl,

including Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, arguably

our most beautiful North American ducks. Blue-winged

Warblers are most likely nesting here and during the

winter months, this is possibly the best spot around for

Fox, American Tree, and Field Sparrows. In addition,

Underhill could have potential as a future introduction site

for Northern Bobwhite, a bird that has seen a 65% decline

over the last 20 years. Various species of turtles such as

snapping, painted and eastern box (a NYS Species of

Special Concern) have been documented at Underhill.

Grasslands not only host birds and mammals, they support

butterflies and insects. The iconic monarch butterfly is

declining due to habitat loss in the United States as well as

its wintering grounds in Mexico. Milkweed is an important

host plant for monarchs and there are several species

growing in Underhill, including the only known Long

Island colony of whorled milkweed as well as a colony of

green comet milkweed, which is listed as NYS Rare.

Killdeer Mar – Apr 2013

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From the President (continued from page 3) Horace’s duskywing, a butterfly considered rare in Nassau

County, utilizes the meadows, as does the red-banded

hairstreak, another butterfly which was considered rare at

one time but is now increasing in numbers.

An abundance of plants play host to numerous insects,

which in turn, provide food for breeding birds. All told,

Underhill has an impressive list of natural resources. In

addition to the over 100 species of birds and almost 200

species of insects, close to 300 plants and 7 species of

reptiles and amphibians have been recorded since 2008.

Unfortunately, these natural resources are in danger of

being swallowed up by non-natives such as Japanese

honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, mile-a-minute,

porcelain berry, multiflora rose, and autumn olive. In

addition, trees are taking root in some areas of the

grassland and should be removed. Currently we are

working on setting the wheels in motion for a management

plan that will include a restoration project and are hopeful

that NYS, the Town, and County will support this

endeavor. While we will never be able to restore Underhill

back to its former glory, we hope to give back its dignity

by allowing native vegetation to flourish, thereby

providing critical habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Tall-grass, short-grass, and mixed grasslands contain a

remarkable and diverse number of species, from plants to

reptiles to birds to mammals to insects. It is true that

anyone can love a mountain a forest or a shoreline. Their

beauty is in your face and splendid. It takes soul to look

beyond the obvious. A prairie must be understood to be

loved, for once you have experienced the magic and subtle

grandeur that is a prairie you will never be the same.

Hurricane Sandy and Jamaica Bay Don Riepe, Jamaica Bay Guardian, American Littoral Society

The impacts of the huge mega-storm known as Hurricane

Sandy on the Jamaica Bay environment were minimal.

Hurricane Sandy was a human tragedy not a natural one.

A day after the storm, I inspected the marshes and

shorelines of the bay and found that everything was

practically intact from an environmental perspective. Yes,

there was debris. There was heating oil in the water.

Some shorelines were changed. But overall, the waterfowl

and marine life survived with little loss. I didn't see one

dead bird or fish kill and the marshes were fine as they are

designed to deal with flooding. At the Jamaica Bay

Wildlife Refuge, the East Pond was breached in at least

two places and bay water poured into the pond adding to

its salinity and a 50-foot channel was carved into the West

Pond changing it into a tidal lagoon. As these ponds were

artificial impoundments, it was just nature's way of

returning things to the way they were originally designed

to be by removing the fill. The National Park Service is

considering alternatives to repairing the West Pond. One

would be to build a bridge connecting the trail system

again; another would be to look at the possibility of

creating a channel through the opposite side of the breach

and allowing bay water to flow through. A third

alternative is to construct a fresh water pond at the eastern

section of the West Pond and creating a raised trail with

blinds and boardwalks while allowing the rest of the West

Pond to become a saltmarsh lagoon. A good amount of

money is expected to be given to the park from the 50

billion dollar Sandy fund so now is the time to think big

and "out of the box" as to how to restore the area.

Jamaica Bay at Sunset

My main point is that Hurricane Sandy, while devastating

shoreline homes, including mine in Broad Channel, was

nature's way of "clearing the air" and restoring the

dynamic conditions such as breaches, overwash, and

shifting sands that barrier islands such as Rockaway Beach

have endured over the millennia. This was no accident or

unusual event. It was destined to happen; a 100-year

storm. The full moon, sea-level rise, and global warming

perhaps intensified the power of Sandy making the severe

flood waters more akin to a category 3 storm, rather than

the actual (almost) category 1 event it was according to

sustained wind velocity.

The greatest threat to Jamaica Bay is not from hurricanes,

nor'easters, syzygy*, or other natural events, but continued

population growth and shoreline development. Barrier

islands and buffering marshes should have been left intact.

Unfortunately, poor planning has allowed us to build

intensely populated developments in areas that should have

been left as natural areas and parkland. Will we in the

northeast experience more of these storms in the near

future? No one knows for sure, but given that the oceans

will continue to rise and most likely increase in

temperature we had better be prepared. Hopefully, more

effort will be made to restore protective salt marshes and

to enact a moratorium or strict guidelines for coastal

development in NYC and Long Island.

*Syzyzy - An unusual alignment of the sun, moon, and

planets causing very high tides. One such event occurred

in 1989.

Mar – Apr 2013 Killdeer

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Out on a Limb Alex McKay

Pebble Mine - sounds innocuous but the proposal for an

open pit mine for gold, copper, molybdenum, and

porphyry deposits in southwest Alaska has been a

contentious issue for several years and has heated up

recently as national environmental organizations have

joined native Alaskans, Trout Unlimited, American Rivers,

and others opposed to approval of the massive mining

operation that could ruin pristine rivers and wetlands and

threaten the world’s largest run of sockeye salmon in this

wild and undeveloped corner of the nation.

The Bristol Bay salmon run of as many as 40 million fish

is valued as a $400 million fishery and species such as

Dolly Varden and rainbow trout attract thousands of

fishermen that support a local recreational industry. The

fishery provides over 14,000 jobs and over 80 percent of

local residents oppose the project that would destroy their

traditional way of life. A majority of other Alaskans also

are against the development.

Situated in the headwaters of the Kvichak, Nusagak,

Mulchatna, and Koktuli rivers, the pit would stretch for 3

miles wide and 4,000 feet deep. Ten billion tons (or about

1,000 pounds for every person on earth) of toxic wastes

would be stored “forever “ behind earthen dams and tailing

ponds over 700 feet high (higher than Hoover Dam) and 4

miles wide in an area that could experience seismic

activity. With a thirst for billions of gallons of process

water annually, the site would dry up feeder streams and

wetlands in the watershed and destroy habitat for the

abundant wildlife of the region. Effluents containing toxic

wastes could escape these man-made lakes and dams,

causing more destruction.

Beyond the mine itself, the enterprise would involve

construction of a port site in Cook Inlet, a 100-mile two

lane road around Lake Illiamna, Alaska’s largest lake,

bridges over waterways, two pipelines for slurry, overhead

power lines, and other support facilities. Truck traffic

transporting fuel and industrial chemicals and supplies add

to the potential for additional disruption and pollution of

the waterways and further complicate the risks the

international conglomerate known as Pebble Limited

Partnership (PLP) is willing to take to get at the estimated

$300 billion deposit of recoverable minerals – another

Alaskan gold rush.

The EPA, in a preliminary review, concluded there would

be “catastrophic risks to this national treasure” from the

mine. A New York Times editorial stated, “just about

every factor involved – the location of the mine, the

mining industry’s poor environmental record, the value of

the fishery that could be harmed – suggests the risks are

too high.” On the risk-reward scale, even with promises of

jobs, a tax bonanza for Alaska (the site is on state-owned

land), thousands of jobs during and after construction, and

a potential reduction of American dependence on foreign

resources, the Pebble Mine fails.

Given the value of the minerals and the millions already

invested in planning and testing for the mine, the investors

and corporations expecting enormous profits are not going

to pack up and leave. The EPA has authority under the

Clean Water Act to kill the project, and the current effort is

to persuade the President to direct the EPA to exert that

authority.

You can help by Googling “Pebble Mine,” opening the

website, “Robert Redford: It’s Time to Stop the Pebble

Mine,” and at the end linking to and signing the NRDC’s

petition to the President. A small donation to their national

campaign to advertise the issue would also help.

Birders’ Box

Saturday, January 5 – Montauk. Sharon Brody had 8 participants join her as they explored Montauk and other spots on the South Fork. Many waterfowl and shorebirds were seen. Some of the great sightings were Great Cormorant, Common Eider, all 3 Scoters, Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Iceland Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, and Razorbill.

Sunday Feb. 10 – Point Lookout. Blair Broughton and 2 others tramped through the snow and were rewarded with some good birding. Seen were Red-throated Loon, Brandt, Horned Grebe, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, and American Oyster Catcher. A side trip to West End Jones Beach produced a Coopers Hawk, Snow Bunting, American Tree Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow.

Species seen on 2013 HOBAS trips: 54

Killdeer Mar – Apr 2013

6 www.hobaudubon.org

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Membership meetings and most activities of the Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society are free to members and nonmembers.

Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at the Cold Spring Harbor Library except for the months of July and August.

Our refreshments will be set up and ready for you at 6:45 PM so that you will have ample time for socializing, meeting Board members,

and perusing the printed materials available. The program starts promptly at 7:30. For full program descriptions as well as speaker

biography, please go to www.hobaudubon.org.

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00 PM – Membership meeting

at the Cold Spring Harbor Library. The Wildlife of

Rwanda with Graeme Patterson, Ph.D. Despite a decade of

war and environmental devastation, Rwanda has a long,

proud conservation history. Rwanda's environment is a rich

tapestry of habitats and its government is striving to build a

post-conflict ecotourism industry. Tonight we will hear

something of the history of conservation and of current

efforts to secure the protection of the rich wildlife estate of

Rwanda. Graeme Patterson is a Deputy Director of the

Wildlife Conservation Society Africa Program based at the

Bronx Zoo.

Wednesday, March 20, 7:15 PM – Meeting of the Board of

Directors at the Cold Spring Harbor Library.

Monday, April 8 – Deadline for the May-June-July

Killdeer.

Wednesday, April 10, 7:00 PM – Membership meeting at

the Cold Spring Harbor Library. Long Island: A

Migratory Motel with John Turner. Long Island provides

permanent, year-round habitat for many species of wildlife

such as chipmunks, deer, raccoons, Black-capped

Chickadees, and Downy Woodpeckers. What is less

appreciated is the role the Island plays in providing

essential habitat for a wide variety of migratory species.

This lecture introduces you to the fascinating stories of two

dozen species that migrate through or to Long Island.

Wednesday, April 17, 7:15 PM – Meeting of the Board of

Directors at the Cold Spring Harbor Library.

Service Days – Invasive Pulls Call Stella Miller (516-695-0763) to register.

Shu Swamp - Join the Shu Crew to help restore one of

the finest preserves on Long Island.

Snacks will be provided. Bring garden

gloves; wear clothes and shoes you don’t

mind getting muddy.

March 10 Ivy Pull at 9:30 AM

April 13 Ivy Pull at 10:00 AM

May 4 Garlic Mustard Pull at 2:00 PM

Directions to Shu Swamp: From Route 25A in East

Norwich, take Route 106 north to Oyster Bay. Make left

on to Lexington Ave then another left on to West Main

Street. At the Mill Pond (on the left), bear to the right as

if to go to Bayville. At first traffic light (water will be on

your right) make a left onto Cleft Road. Take Cleft Road

to Frost Mill Road, make a left. (If you wind up on the

causeway going over Beaver Dam, you have gone too

far.) Shu Swamp will be on your right after you go under

the train trestle.

Underhill Preserve - Join us as we begin our

restoration project at Underhill Preserve in Jericho. For

more information, see the President's Message on page 3.

March 16 Invasives Removal at 10:00 AM

April 14 Invasives Removal at 9:30 AM

Directions for Underhill: Due to the sensitive location,

we will meet and then carpool at a nearby spot. Please

meet in front of the Starbucks in the Whole Foods

shopping center in Jericho on Route 107.

For $20 a year you can be a member of Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society. Your membership will help support

conservation efforts, and educational and youth programs. As a member you will receive our newsletter, an open invitation

to our monthly guest lectures, field trips, and events, along with special member’s only discounts and events.

Please fill out this form and mail with your

check payable to:

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society P.O. Box 735 Huntington, NY 11743-0735

HOBAS never sells or shares your personal information.

Name

Address

City

State Zip

e-Mail

THANK YOU!

HOBAS Membership Form

Mar – Apr 2013 Killdeer

www.hobaudubon.org 7

FIELD TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES

Field trips are free, unless otherwise specified, and open to the public. Newcomers are welcome. Binoculars are advised. Carpooling is

possible, gas and tolls are shared. The trip leader is not responsible for arranging carpools, but will provide names of others who are

interested in carpooling. Registration is necessary. Call the trip leader by 9:00 PM Thursday for a Saturday trip and by 9:00 PM Friday for a

Sunday trip. You may participate if you didn’t register, but we will not be able to notify you of any changes or cancellations without your

phone number. Call the leader if in doubt about the weather. For the comfort and safety of all participants, there is no smoking on field trips.

River Otter Adventure Saturday, March 9, 10 AM. Biologist Mike Bottini leads

us along the North Shore, looking for signs of Long

Island's favorite comeback kid, the river otter! Co-leader:

Stella Miller. Call 516-695-0763 to register.

Directions: Upper Francis Pond in Mill Neck - From

Route 25A in East Norwich, take Route 106 north to

Oyster Bay. Make left on to Lexington Ave then another

left on to West Main Street. At the Mill Pond (on the left),

take the middle road, up Mill Hill. Follow Mill Hill to the

bottom and continue on Oyster Bay Road. You will

eventually see Upper Francis Pond on your right. Go to the

T in the road with the blinking light and make a right.

Very shortly thereafter, you will see the entrance to Upper

Francis Pond Preserve on your right.

Sunken Meadow State Park Sunday, March 10, 9 AM. Look for lingering winter

ducks on the ponds at the park and in Long Island Sound.

Leader: Mary Normandia. Call 516-965-2282 to register.

Directions: From Northern State Parkway, take exit 45

toward Sunken Meadow Park N. Merge onto the Sagtikos

Parkway, continue onto Sunken Meadow Parkway, and

follow the parkway into the park. Turn in to the first

parking lot on the right. Meet in the southwest corner.

Jones Beach Saturday, April 6, 9 AM

Look for early migrants, including oystercatcher, heron,

egrets, kinglets, warblers, and sparrows. Leader: Sharon

Brody. Call 516-433-5590 to register.

Directions: Take either Meadowbrook Parkway or

Wantagh Parkway to Ocean Parkway. Follow signs for the

Coast Guard Station at the West End of Jones Beach.

Meet at the parking lot by the restrooms.

Greenwood Cemetery Sunday, April 14, 9 AM. Beautiful scenery, famous

monuments, and some of the best bird watching in the city.

The must-see birds are the Monk Parakeets. Leader:

Blair Broughton. Call 631-885-1881 to register.

Directions: LIE westbound to 48th

St exit to the Brooklyn

Queens Expressway south to the Hamilton Avenue exit.

Continue on Hamilton Avenue until it becomes Third Ave.

Continue on about 8 blocks to 25th

St. Turn left at 25th

St.

and go two blocks. Cemetery entrance is straight ahead at

Fifth Ave and 25th

St.

Jamaica Bay Sunday, April 28, 9 AM. Come and assess the damage

caused by Super Storm Sandy while looking for early

spring migrants. Leader: Blair Broughton. Call 631-885-

1881 to register.

Directions: Southern State Parkway to Cross Bay Blvd

South, exit 17S. After crossing the bridge, look for

parking lot entrance on right side 1.25 miles from bridge.

Turn right at the traffic light. Meet in the parking lot.

Sagamore Hill Saturday, May 4, 9 AM. Explore the grounds of Sagamore

Hill National Historic Site. Leader: Mary Normandia.

Call 516-965-2282 to register.

Directions: Take either Northern State Parkway to exit

35N or the Long Island Expressway to exit 41N. At those

exits, take Route 106 North for 6 miles into downtown

Oyster Bay. Turn right onto East Main Street (at Nobman's

Hardware Store) and travel 2 miles. Turn left onto Cove

Neck Road and drive 1.5 miles to Sagamore Hill.

Central Park Sunday, May 5, 8 AM. One of the finest spots around the

metropolitan area for warblers and other spring migrants.

Leader: Sharon Brody. Call 516-433-5590 to register.

Directions: Meet at the Boathouse, easily accessed from

the pedestrian entrance on 5th

Ave near 76th

St. Walk

downhill veering left past the Alice in Wonderland statues,

by the right side of the sailboat pond toward the right, up

the hill, cross the roadway and to the Boathouse.

Birdathon Saturday, May 11. Special all day event fundraiser. See

article on page 1 for details.

Doodletown Sunday, May 19, 8 AM. Great spot to see upstate birds.

Cerulean and Hooded Warblers are possible. If time, we

will visit Sterling Forest for Golden-winged Warblers.

Leader: Blair Broughton. Call 631-885-1881 to register.

Directions: Travel west over the Tappan Zee Bridge to

exit 13. Take the Palisades Interstate Parkway north. Go

north to Route 6 to the Bear Mountain traffic circle. Leave

the circle at the first exit, the Bear Mountain State Park

exit. At the light, follow the left fork south along 9W.

Within less than 1 mile there will be several small parking

areas near two, white concrete abutments indicating the

bridge over Doodletown Brook. Park along the road.

www.hobaudubon.org 8

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society P.O. Box 735 Huntington, NY 11743-0735

Printed on recycled paper.

Young Naturalist Programs For ages 5 and up. Group size limited to 20.

Presented by Stella Miller and Tesi Copa.

Call 516-695-0763 to register. No unregistered siblings please.

Signs of Spring

Saturday, March 30, 10:30 AM at Bailey Arboretum

Join us as we celebrate the coming of

spring. Before venturing outdoors, we

will turn crafty and create special paper

bag animal puppets. While the glue is

drying, we will venture into the woods

(remember to bring clothes that are

weather and woods appropriate) to do

some exploring as we search for signs

of spring. Each participant will be provided with material

for their craft.

Our Feathered Friends: Discovering Birds

Sunday, April 28, 10:30 AM at Bailey Arboretum

Join us today as we learn all about our

feathered friends – birds! How are

birds different from other animals?

How are they the same? Are all birds

the same? Why do the males and

females sport different coloration

from each other? How far can a bird really fly? After a

lively lesson on what makes a bird a bird, we will turn crafty

and make a springtime bird craft. While the glue dries, we

will head outside to see how many birds we can spot.

Directions to Bailey Arboretum: Long Island Expressway to exit 41 North or Northern State Parkway to exit 35 North.

Proceed north on Route 106 towards Oyster Bay. Make left onto Northern Boulevard/Route 25A (west). By the police booth,

make a right onto Wolver Hollow Road. Make a right on to Chicken Valley Road. Continue to Oyster Bay Road. At Bayville

Road (Barney’s restaurant is on corner) make a right. Continue to Bailey Arboretum.

Killdeer Non-Profit

Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Huntington, NY Permit No. 546

March – April 2013