Birders of ALL levels—from beginner to expert—are welcome on Mearns Club field trips. Please join us!

In January 2009, the Mearns Club adopted the American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics. Please keep the tenets of the code in mind when participating in Mearns Club field trips.

Information, including maps, for the birding locations mentioned in the list of field trips here can found on the pages of the Birding Areas section of this website (see the navigation menu).

The leader’s phone number is included for each trip so that you can call if you have any questions. Any changes to the field trip schedule will be announced via the Mearns Groups.io group.

Field trip leaders are responsible for the following: (1) Sending out a trip cancellation notice, if necessary, via Mearns Groups.io, or notifying Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) or Joyce Depew (845-978-9952) so that they can send out a cancellation notice. (2) Sending a written trip report both to Groups.io and, more importantly, to Rich VanTieghem (rich.w2vt@gmail.com) for inclusion in the next Orange Feather.

Field Trip Schedule through March 2026

Please note that there is no need to sign up for field trips; you can just show up at the designated meeting location. Any last-minute changes or cancellations will be posted in our Groups.io email group.

October

October 4, 2025, Saturday, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Outdoor Discovery Campus (formerly Kenridge Farm). Meet Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) Amy Greher (845-774-9399) at the Cornwall dog park (off Muser Drive) at 9:00 am to look for Lincoln’s Sparrows and Palm Warblers.

Cancelled October 12, 2025, Sunday, Goosepond Mountain State Park. Meet Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) at 9:00 am in the parking lot next to the Chester McDonald’s to bird this seldom-visited location of mixed habitats.

October 18, 2025, Saturday, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. Meet Johanna Bloomfield (541-778-1754) at the refuge platform on Oil City Road at 9:00 am for a good mix of birds, including LeConte’s Sparrow perhaps.

October 25, 2025, Saturday, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Outdoor Discovery Campus (formerly Kenridge Farm). Meet Brenda Jordan (207-461-0348) at the Cornwall dog park (off Muser Drive) at 9:00 am, and we’ll see how the variety of bird species has changed since the spring trip here.

November

November 9, 2025, Sunday, Black Dirt Region. Meet Dave Baker (845-527-7508) in the parking lot of the Jolly Onion restaurant in Pine Island at 9:00 am to search for Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Northern Harriers.

November 15, 2025, Saturday, Southern Orange County Lakes. Meet Rich VanTieghem (201-370-2721) in the parking lot next to the Chester McDonald’s at 8:30 am to search for Ring-necked Ducks, mergansers, Buffleheads, and more.

November 23, 2025, Sunday, Eastern Orange County Lakes. Meet Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) in the parking lot of the Station Road Square mini-mall at the intersection of Rte 94 and Orrs Mills Road at 9:00 am, and we’ll see how what we find today compares to what was found on the previous week’s southern Orange County lakes trip.

November 29, 2025, Saturday, Shawangunk Grasslands Wildlife Refuge. Meet Tom and Jane (845-443-5440) in the refuge parking lot at 3:30 pm for Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls.

December

December 5–7, 2025, Friday–Sunday, Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Annual trip led by Jodi Brodsky (845-282-1058, jsbbirder@Gmail.com). If you’re interested in going on this trip, please contact Jodi in advance. We’ll look for eiders, scoters, and Harlequin Ducks, for starters.

December 20, 2025, Saturday, Audubon Christmas Bird Count! If you want to participate in this annual national bird census, please contact Karen Miller (845-381-3283).

January

January 17, 2026, Saturday, New York State Waterfowl Count. Contact Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) if you’d like to participate.

January 24, 2026, Saturday, Eagle Trip, Putnam/Westchester Counties. Meet Gerhard Patsch (845-258-0620) at 9:00 am at the scenic overlook on Rte 6/202 three-quarters of a mile south of the eastern end of the Bear Mountain Bridge—100+ eagles are possible!

March

March 7, 2026, Saturday, Black Dirt Region. Meet Joyce Depew (845-978-9952) in the parking lot of the Jolly Onion restaurant in Pine Island at 9:00 am to search for Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, and lots of blackbirds!

March 14, 2026, Saturday, Rye, New York. Meet Jodi Brodsky (845-282-1058) at 9:30 am at the northern end of the Rye Playland parking lot for loons, Long-tailed Ducks, grebes, and Purple Sandpipers. Call Jodi if you plan on going. If she doesn’t receive any calls, there will be no trip!

March 21, 2026, Saturday, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. Meet Johanna Bloomfield (541-778-1754) at the Oil City Road platform at 9:00 am for a great variety of waterfowl and, hopefully, Sandhill Cranes.

March 29, 2026, Sunday, Eastern Orange County Lakes. Meet Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the Station Road Square mini-mall at the intersection of Rte 94 and Orrs Mills Road, and we’ll scan the local lakes for waterfowl.

Note that the printable schedule is not updated as often as the schedule on this web page.