About Us

Club Activities

During the spring, winter, and fall, club members lead weekly birding field trips in and around Orange County. In addition, we hold monthly meetings, which feature a presentation on birding-related topics, such as habitat, ecology, and travel. We take part in the statewide Audubon Christmas Bird Count, as well as the winter waterfowl count for Orange County. The club is also a member organization of the New York State Ornithological Association (Region 9–Hudson-Delaware) and a partner organization of the New York State Young Birders Club. Mearnsers are integral participants in the hawk watches at Mount Peter and Bear Mountain and assist with the Hawk Migration Association of North America‘s winter raptor survey.

How to Join

The Mearns Club welcomes new members—please join us! Membership entitles you to attend all club events and field trips, and you’ll also receive our semiannual newsletter, “The Orange Feather.” Annual dues are $20 for an individual membership, $30 for a family membership, and $8 for a student membership. Please mail a completed membership form, along with a check made payable to E. A. Mearns Bird Club, to the club treasurer: Linda Strohl, 8 Park Road, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577.

MEMBERSHIP FORM

  • Merlin. Photo by Dave Baker.

Email Discussion Group at Groups.io

You can receive e-mails about Mearns Bird Club business and activities by joining the club’s email discussion group at Groups.io. On this platform, the club also maintains records and information about birding in the Hudson Valley. To join the discussion group and access group content, you’ll need a free Groups.io account (email address and password required). After creating an account, request to join the E.A. Mearns Bird Club group. Note that you don’t have to be a member of the Mearns Club to join the email discussion group.

GROUPS.IO

  • Snow Geese. Photo by Karen Miller.

WhatsApp Bird Alerts

Dues-paying members can participate the club’s WhatsApp bird alert system to be notified about rare or uncommon birds in the area (Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster counties). Want to know how to reply privately to a WhatsApp message, instead of to the entire group? Read the instructions here.

WHATSAPP GUIDELINES

Board of Directors

President: Joyce Depew
Vice President: open position
Treasurer: Linda Strohl
Secretary: Johanna Bloomfield
Chair of Outings: Bob Slechta
Program Chair: open position
Membership Chair: Della Wells
Christmas Bird Count Coordinator/Compiler: Karen Miller

  • Ovenbird. Photo by Dave Baker. "During the day, it utters a loud chant; always monotonous, and sometimes positively disagreeable to the weary listener." —EA Mearns