Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail 2008

This year Seaway Trail events and exhibits will be focusing on the birds found along the Seaway Trail. Starting with our annual Quilt Show & Competition. In coordination with the show and other events, we will be auctioning off hand-painted original birdhouses by several artist who live along the seaway trail on eBay®.  For auction dates and artist information please visit our Birdhouses page.

Birding Events & Exhibits for 2008

The following events are being held at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center & Gift Shop, Corner of Ray & West Main Streets, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685. for more information, please call 1-800-SEAWAY-T or email us at peggy@seawaytrail.com. Unless otherwise noted, programs are at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center & $5.00 admission

APRIL

05: All about Bluebirds & More: John Rogers, NY State Bluebird Society, 1pm

19: Landscaping for Hummingbirds & Other Flyers: Sue Gwise, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 1:30pm

24: The Birds of Braddock Bay & Flying Wild: David Semple, Bird Coalition of Rochester, 6pm

MAY

08: Adaptation, Form & Function: The Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk & Other Birds of Prey: Colleen Bernard from New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, 6pm

29: Almost Our National Bird: The Wild Turkey: Bruce Bailey, National Wild Turkey Federation Oswego River Chapter, 6pm

JUNE

12: Why a Watchlist: The Imperiled Species of the Seaway Trail, New York State & the World: Mike Burger, Audubon New York, 6pm

14: Celebrate the 1st National Get Outdoors USA Day with a morning program and afternoon walk: The Birds of Black Pond - Chris Lajewski, The Nature Conservancy, 10am w/free Woodland & Wetland Walk at Black Pond w/Eastern Lake Ontario Dune Steward Program at 2pm

JULY

10: A Birds Eye View: Photographer Ian Coristine at Clayton Opera House, 6pm, $10 (advance tickets: 315 686-2200)

24: Birding on Fort Drum Military Installation: Fort Drum Fish & Wildlife Program, 6pm

AUGUST

07: Hawk Watching & Derby Hill: Gerry Smith, Consulting Ecologist & Onondaga Audubon Society, 6pm

21: Handling Birds of Prey: Master Falconer Rick West with live raven, owl & falcon, 6pm

SEPTEMBER

18: Journaling for Birders: Mark Baldwin, Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, 6pm

OCTOBER

09: Our 1000 Islands Bald Eagle: On the Brink of Recovery? Bud Andress, Parks Canada (Ret.), 1pm

NOVEMBER

TBA: Christmas Bird Counts on the Seaway Trail: Geoff LeBaron, National Audubon Society

Sponsors: Town of Hounsfield, Key Bank, National Grid, NYS Department of Transportation & Federal Highway Administration, North Country Bird Club, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Bird Coalition of Rochester

Other Birding Events on the Seaway Trail

Eastern Lake Ontario Dune & Salmon River Steward programs

Date: May through November
Contact Information:
www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/Pages/DuneStewardsPR012908.htm

2nd Annual Wildlife Festival

The Montezuma Audubon Center will be hosting its 2nd Annual Wildlife Festival. The Wildlife Festival will bring enthusiasts together to discover the wonders of nature, the wealth of healthy living through recreation, and the richness of history that surrounds the area. It is a family fun festival that will be active and alive with outdoor education activities, entertainment for all, and of course a place to have some good food! Admission is $1 per person.

Location: Route 89, Savannah, NY
Date: May 3rd
Time: 10:00AM 0 4:00PM

Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle

Presented by the Presque Isle Audubon Society and partner PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Enjoy the height of spring migration at Presque Isle State Park, a natural concentration point along the Atlantic flyway where 320 species of birds have been recorded. Take part in workshops and field trips geared for the beginner and the seasoned naturalist led by experts in the field such as Ted Floyd, Jerry McWilliams and Jen Brumfield. Attend the premiere of a film highlighting the birds, habitat and hot spots of Presque Isle in all seasons. Experience the rich variety of Presque Isle’s six distinct ecological zones including beaches, cattail islands, shrub lands, aquatic habitats, and deciduous and pine tree forests.

Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Date: May 9-11

Contact information:
Susan A. Smith
814-860-4091
www.presqueisle.org/audubon

Lakeshore Spring Bird Walk

Explore critical importance of the lakes’ shore to spring migration. Learn to create bird friendly landscapes. Bring field guide and binoculars. Free! Call for time and meeting place.

Date: May 10th

Contact Information:
Susan at (315) 594-1906

6th Annual BirdCOR International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) Festival at Braddock Bay

Come celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at BirdCOR's 6th annual festival at Braddock Bay Park on Lake Ontario; free admission. Live birds-of-prey-programs by Friends With Feathers; kids' crafts and games; talks by Christine Sevilla (co-editor of the upcoming book "Wetlands Stewardship" On bringing public, government, corporate, and scientific understanding to wetlands management). Exhibits by conservation organizations; art exhibits/sales featuring Ray Easton (4-time NYS "Wildlife artist of the year"); Mother's Day nature walk, music by "Son de la Tierra"; update on Rochester Peregrine Falcons and Falconcam; information on this year's IMBD theme of "Tropics to Tundra: Connecting Birds, Habitats, and People."

Location: Braddock Bay Park, E Manitou Rd at Lake Ontario State Parkway (west of Rochester)
Date: May 10-11
Time: 10:00AM to 4:00PM

Contact Information:
David Semple
PO Box 10562, Rochester, NY, 14610
585-223-8369
dsemple@birdcor.org
www.birdcor.org

Birding in Your Own Backyard with Gardner Light

Location: Zehr's on the Lake Farm Market, Burt, NY
Date: May 17

Contact Information:
Contact info@seawaytrail.com for more information.

Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival

Location: Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY
Date: June 5-7

Contact Information:
Contact info@seawaytrail.com for more information.

Basic Birding at the Battlefield & Field Trips

Join birding enthusiasts on Monday evening field trips with ornithologist Gerry Smith to discover bird varieties in the Sackets Harbor area. Field trips start at the State Historic Site. All birders welcome - beginners to advanced. Fee: $25 four sessions, $20 three sessions, $15 two sessions or $10 one session. Checks payable to "NHT." Need sturdy footwear & binoculars.

Location: Sackets Harbor and other field trip locations
Date: August 4-25
Time: 5:00PM to 8:00PM

Contact Information:
Constance Barone
PO Box 27, 504 West Main St., Sackets Harbor, NY, 13685
315-646-3634
constance.barone@oprhp.state.ny.us
www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org

Art in the Woods

Date: August 9

Contact Information:
www.jamestownaudubon.org

Roger Tory Peterson Centennial Celebration

This event marks the 100th birthday of Jamestown native, artist, naturalist, and photographer Roger Tory Peterson, author of over 50 Peterson Field Guides. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown, NY has planned a year-long centennial celebration including art exhibits, lecture series for children and adults, open house weekends, and a birding festival finale. The Roger Tory Peterson Centennial Exhibit: Original Paintings by the Master Nature Artist will kick off the celebration starting June 22, 2008 and run through October 15th. The exhibit will feature original artwork never before displayed as well as a number of Peterson’s paintings commissioned and owned by private collections all over the country.

Location: Jamestown, NY
Date: August 28

Contact Information:
www.rtpi.org

Birds of the Seaway Trail, Audubon Center and Sanctuary

You are invited to bring your own lunch and gather with the First Friday Lunch Bunch to enjoy a program on the Birds of the Seaway Trail lecture, a social hour and a walk through the sanctuary.

Location: Jamestown, NY
Date: Nov 7
Time: 11 am

Contact Information:
Jamestown Audubon Society
1600 Riverside Rd., Jamestown, NY 14701
716-569-2345
www.jamestownaudubon.org