Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club - Birds & Birding in Dutchess County, New York

Olive-sided Flycatcher at Cary IES;
Summer Tanager in Pleasant Valley - see our Hotline page!

As part of the Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), NYSDEC is looking for Mallard eggs for PCB contaminant analysis. DEC is allowed to collect one egg per nest in order to assess the degree to which PCB contamination in birds raised on the Hudson results from PCBs already present in eggs before hatching, versus from PCBs in the river itself. Nests need to be within 0.5 miles of the Hudson River. If you find a nest, please flag it or get GPS coordinates, so I can find the nest again and collect an egg.
Read more about the NRDA project

Club Activities

4/29/08 At our 4/28 meeting we greeted our friend Larry Federman, who usually joins us on our walks at Buttercup Farm Sanctuary and is the Assistant Warden/Educator for Audubon New York's Rheinstrom Hill, Buttercup Farm, and RamsHorn-Livingston Audubon Centers and Sanctuaries, presented 21st Century Damsels and Dragons. Larry told us about Audubon's participation in the New York State Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey. Its purpose is to document the distribution of odonates (the family name of dragonflies and damselflies), but the project had another valuable outcome. Larry brought small groups of kids from the Prospect Park Audubon Center in Brooklyn to the sanctuaries in our area for several days to help with the survey. The initial attraction was the fun challenge of catching the flying insects with nets. Then the youngsters gently placed their catches on magnet boards, held by small magnets so they could be photographed and studied. In the process they learned about the biology of these creatures and how environmental conditions affect them. The kid looking cross-eyed at the dragonfly perched on the bill of his cap won't forget it! We, too, learned about odonate life cycle, reproduction, and families as well as species found locally. Dragons and Damsels will be emerging as the birds are returning and we will enjoy these fascinating little gems all the more after seeing Larry's presentation.

Join us at our May 19th meeting, when club member and expert photographer Steve Golladay will tell us all about Red-shouldered Hawks and share with us some of the exquisite images that he captured of a nesting pair in his yard.

With the exception of a small number of special "members only" events, all of our activities, including walks and monthly meetings, are open to the public free of charge. Our monthly meetings feature speakers from various organizations who bring us fascinating presentations on wildlife and the environment. Join us at 7:30pm on the fourth Monday of each month (except in November, when our meeting takes place at the Annual Dinner, and in July and December, when there is no meeting). Unless indicated otherwise on our calendar page, meetings are held at the Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church parish hall, located on Route 55, about 3/10 mile west of the Taconic State Parkway, across from Arlington High School. Check our calendar for our schedule of meetings, bird walks, and other events.