The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State, published in December, reports the results of fieldwork conducted by 1,200 volunteers from 2000 to 2005. Kim Corwin, Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator and co-editor of the book, will be our guest at brunch at the Grafton Inn. Route 2, on Sunday, May 17. Corwin discuss what the Atlas tells us about New York’s birds, including birds such as Carolina wren and red-bellied woodpecker that have expanded their range in Rensselaer County since the first Atlas in the 1980s.
For those who would like an “in the field” complement to Kim’s talk, there will be a birding trip at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, located in the center of the Rensselaer Plateau. Its large blocks of forests, many wetlands and ecological similarities to the Adirondacks have led the Plateau to be designated as an Important Bird Area by Audubon New York. Under the guidance of accomplished birder Tray Biasiolli of NY State Parks, we hope to see and hear a great variety of spring migrants, including veery, hermit thrush, magnolia and Blackburnian warblers and scarlet tanager, as well as year round residents such as woodpeckers and raven. All levels of birding experience are welcome. You may come to both the field trip at 7 am and the brunch at 10 am, or to just one.
For the brunch, capacity is limited and reservations are required by Tuesday, May 12. The all-you-can-eat brunch begins at 10 am and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. For reservations contact Nick Conrad at 518-279-1963 or email nbconrad@msn.com.
The Grafton Inn is on NY Route 2 about a mile east of the Town of Grafton’s village green and Town Hall.
For the birding trip, reservations are not required. We will meet at 7 am at the main parking lot of the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center For further information on the bird trip, contact Nick Conrad at 518-279-1963 or nbconrad@msn.com.