Rockland County, New York

Prairie Warbler and Kentucky Warbler, from “The book of birds, common birds of town and country and American game birds” (1918), Cornell University Library

Doodletown, which is part of Bear Mountain State Park, was once an inhabited settlement (1762–1965) but is now abandoned. The meeting spot for Doodletown field trips is a small parking area on the east side of Route 9W north between Iona Island and the Bear Mountain circle.

Nearly 200 species of birds have been recorded at Doodletown. This spring migrant trap draws many species of wood warblers. Cerulean Warblers and Hooded Warblers nest here, and Kentucky Warblers have been known to stop for a day or two. Doodletown is an Audubon Important Bird Area. and a New York State Bird Conservation Area (map).

Cerulean Warbler. Photo by Alan Wells.

Worm-eating Warbler. Photo by Ken Kijewski.

Black and White Warbler. Photo by Bill Fiero.

Yellow-throated Vireo. Photo by Dave Baker. “The Yellow-throated Vireo is a noisy, chattering species, capable of producing a very fair musical entertainment when so disposed.” —EA Mearns

Prothonotary Warbler. Photo by Alan Wells.

Palm Warbler. Photo by Alan Wells.

Louisiana Waterthrush. Photo by Alan Wells. “Even a casual allusion to this little bird recalls…a bright picture of clear mountain streams, with their falls and eddies, their dams of rocks and fallen tree-trunks, their level stretches flowing over bright, pebbly bottoms, with mossy banks and rocky ferneries, and their darting minnows and dace.” —EA Mearns

Prairie Warbler. Photo by Alan Wells.