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 (MearnsBirdClub@groups.io), or notifying Joyce Depew (845-978-9952) so that she can send out a cancellation notice. (2) Sending a written trip report to MearnsBirdClub@groups.io.

Field Trip Schedule through March 2026

There’s no need to sign up for field trips, and you don’t have to be a club member to join us. Just show up at the designated meeting location. Any last-minute changes or cancellations will be posted in our Groups.io email group.

March

Cancelled 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!

Cancelled March 15, 2026, Sunday, 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 or text Jodi if you plan on going. If she doesn’t receive any calls or texts, 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.

April

April 11, 2026, Saturday, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. Meet Rich Van Tiegham (201-370-2721) at the Oil City Road platform at 9:00 am for ducks, gallinules, egrets, Sandhill Cranes, and more.

April 26, 2026, Sunday, 6 1/2 Station Road Audubon Refuge. Meet Liz McKnight (201-400-1428) at 8:30 am at the junction of 6 1/2 Station Road and the Heritage Trail for ducks, swallows, kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and more.

April 29, 2026, Wednesday, Stewart State Forest. Meet Bob Slechta (845-541-8210) at 8:30 am at the Barron Road north parking area for a good mix of early migrants, including warblers, flycatchers, and more.

May

May 2, Saturday, Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. Meet Joyce Depew (845-978-9952) at 8 am in the DEC parking lot on Haven Road before you cross the kill heading east. As many 70 species could be encountered on this trip!

May 8–9, Friday–Saturday, Break 100. See how many birds your team (at least 2 people) can identify in Orange and adjacent counties in any contiguous 24-hour period, starting Friday, May 8. Contact Karen Miller (845-381-3203) for details.

May 16, Saturday, Hudson Highlands Nature Center Outdoor Discovery Campus. Meet Brenda Jordan (207-461-0348) at the Cornwall dog park on Muser Drive at 8 am, and we’ll see if we can find a Cape May or Mourning Warbler.

May 23, Saturday, Stewart State Forest. Meet Bill Fiero (845-728-5208) at the Ridge Road North parking area at 8 am for a good mix of warblers, local breeders, and possibly even a White-eyed Vireo.

May 30, Saturday, Shawangunk Grasslands. Meet Tom and Jane (845-443-5440) at 8:30 am for grassland species such as Bobolinks, Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows, and Meadowlarks.

June

June 13 (tentative), Saturday, Annual club picnic at Winding Hills County Park, Montgomery. Watch Groups.io for details as the date nears.