Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society (DOAS) announces a series of workshops to support Bird-Friendly Homes throughout their Chapter Region. The workshops will
It is estimated that over 1 billion birds die as a result of window collisions each year in North America with 99% of these occurring
Event Details
It is estimated that over 1 billion birds die as a result of window collisions each year in North America with 99% of these occurring at residential and low-rise buildings. It is considered to be the third highest cause of bird mortality, following habitat loss and predation by domestic cats.
Up to 50% of bird-window collisions leave no evidence at all.
Many of the birds that fly away are likely to die later of their injuries.
Birds most often suffer concussions and internal injuries which can take days to kill them.
If a collision kills a parent bird, the young will most likely also die.
This is all preventable if people take action at their own homes.
Delaware Otsego Audubon Society is providing FREE workshops this Spring for homeowners in our communities to make and take home window treatments for up to three windows at their homes to help prevent collisions. Our workshop schedule is below. Pre-registration is required so that we can have ample materials available.
We have limited funds available for free window treatments, so please register early and consider a donation for providing additional materials for this program.
The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy. We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected.
We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected. The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy.
It is estimated that over 1 billion birds die as a result of window collisions each year in North America with 99% of these occurring
Event Details
It is estimated that over 1 billion birds die as a result of window collisions each year in North America with 99% of these occurring at residential and low-rise buildings. It is considered to be the third highest cause of bird mortality, following habitat loss and predation by domestic cats.
Up to 50% of bird-window collisions leave no evidence at all.
Many of the birds that fly away are likely to die later of their injuries.
Birds most often suffer concussions and internal injuries which can take days to kill them.
If a collision kills a parent bird, the young will most likely also die.
This is all preventable if people take action at their own homes.
Delaware Otsego Audubon Society is providing FREE workshops this Spring for homeowners in our communities to make and take home window treatments for up to three windows at their homes to help prevent collisions. Our workshop schedule is below. Pre-registration is required so that we can have ample materials available.
We have limited funds available for free window treatments, so please register early and consider a donation for providing additional materials for this program.
The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy. We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected.
We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected. The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy.
On Monday, April 14 from 7:00 to 8:15 PM, join Otsego Land Trust and Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society for our annual Woodcock Walk at the Parslow Road Conservation Area. DOAS locals Sandy Bright and Charlie Scheim will lead a walk to observe the spring courtship ritual of the woodcock.
The woodcock usually spends its time hidden on the forest floor probing for earthworms in moist soil, but on spring evenings males perform a dance in scrub fields to attract potential mates. This wonderful display occurs in three parts: the strut, the launch skyward, and the spiral back to earth accompanied by buzzy calls and twittering wing sounds.
The woodcock usually spends its time hidden on the forest floor probing for earthworms in moist soil, but on spring evenings males perform a dance in scrub fields to attract potential mates. This wonderful display occurs in three parts: the strut, the launch skyward, and the spiral back to earth accompanied by buzzy calls and twittering wing sounds.
The walk will begin at 7:15 PM in the parking lot with an introduction to the woodcock and its habits, and a walk on the trail listening and looking for the birds that inhabit this protected property. The sun is expected to set around 7:30 pm at which time the group will position itself in the best location to view and count the Woodcocks. The trail will be a path through forests and fields that is fairly level, although at times quite uneven, and at times muddy and wet. Note also that there are no restroom facilities at the parking lot. The round-trip distance will be approximately a half mile, and the second half of the walk will be in darkness, so it is useful to bring a flashlight. Then, participants will walk on the trail discussing the varied habitats on the property as they make their way to the best spot to observe the woodcocks. Waterproof footwear, a headlamp or flashlight, and binoculars are recommended.
American Woodcock spend most of their time hidden in fields and on the forest floor, where they probe for earthworms. But on spring nights, males perform very conspicuous displays, giving a buzzy “peent” call, then launching into the air. Their erratic display flight includes a distinctive, twittering flight sound and ends with a steep dive back to the ground. The wet thickets, shrubby swamps, and open fields at Parslow Road Conservation Area are ideal habitats for these interesting birds that have unfortunately seen a population decline over the years.
About our Guides
Sandy Bright has been a birder for over 20 years. She authors the Bird Sightings column for the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society (DOAS) newsletter and has been the Coordinator for the Oneonta Christmas Bird Count since 2013. Professionally, Sandy is a retired Oneonta elementary teacher, where she taught from 1992 till 2018.
Charlie Scheim has been a birder since college (1970s) He is now on the Board of Directors and is the Treasurer and Field Trip Coordinator of DOAS. He is also a Regional Coordinator for the NYS Breeding Bird Atlas and is the Coordinator for the Fort Plain Christmas Bird Count. Charlie is a retired math professor from Hartwick College, where he taught from 1980 to 2018.
Together they lead a number of bird walks each year, give various educational presentations, and participate in many citizen science bird surveys.
Cost: FREE
Please let us know you are coming!
For questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with info@otsegolandtrust.org.
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Parslow Road Conservation Area is owned and protected by Otsego Land Trust for public enjoyment. The mission of Otsego Land Trust is to improve the quality of life throughout the Upper Susquehanna region by working with landowners and partners to protect and conserve our farmland, forests, and waterways in perpetuity.
The Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, envisions a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected. The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy.
Join Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society (DOAS) on Friday, April 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom for a presentation called “Preventing Bird-Window Collisions at Our Homes.”
Event Details
Join Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society (DOAS) on Friday, April 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom for a presentation called “Preventing Bird-Window Collisions at Our Homes.” DOAS Education Chair Susan O’Handley will be presenting.
Birds are facing significant population challenges all over the world. Changes in habitat, seasons that are shifting, severe storms, and increased temperatures are all playing a part in an overall decline in numbers. The National Audubon Society is working to find ways to change those trajectories through significant and ambitious goals in conservation from both ends of the spectrum: increasing the chances for successful breeding bird seasons and reducing bird mortality rates.
We hear a good deal about bird-window collisions that occur in urban environments, because really, when you can show pictures of hundreds of bird deaths in a day during migration season, it becomes news. We read about it, we see pictures of it, and in response, we work to find solutions to prevent it from happening again. What we don’t hear about are the average of two birds per residence per year that occur from window strikes in suburban and rural neighborhoods. Although these don’t feel significant in comparison, if you add those numbers up, the deaths of birds as a result are staggering—more than in any city. It is estimated that over 1 billion birds die as a result of window collisions per year in North America. It is considered to be the third highest cause of bird mortality, following habitat loss and predation by domestic cats.
Susan will provide an overview of the issues that surround building collisions and actions that can be taken at our homes, businesses, schools, and other public buildings to help reduce the number of bird deaths each year.
This presentation is free and open to the public. Registration is required at https://mobilize.us/s/4Mcrr7
Accessibility: Captions can be turned on by the user.
Presenter Bio:
Susan O’Handley has been involved with local Audubon chapters for over thirty years and has served on the Board of Directors for the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society since 2012 (ten years as a co-president). Susan also works with the Audubon NY/CT Council Board, which is composed of twenty-seven Audubon chapters in NY State and six chapters in CT. She also serves on the Advisory Board for Audubon NY/CT Regional Office as the Chapter Representative. Susan owns and operates a small digital marketing agency in Hartwick, NY.
We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected. The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy.
Join DOAS Member and Area Birder, Bob Donnelly for the annual Earth Festival Bird Walk at 8am on Saturday, April 26. Participants should meet at
Event Details
Join DOAS Member and Area Birder, Bob Donnelly for the annual Earth Festival Bird Walk at 8am on Saturday, April 26. Participants should meet at the Milford Central School parking lot at 7:50am, near the Earth Festival Entrance. Carpools to Riddell State Park will leave promptly at 8am and will return in time for the 10am start of the EF Event. All are welcome to attend, regardless of age or birding experience. The walk is expected to return in time for the 10am start of Earth Festival! Look for the DOAS exhibit area in the gym when you return!
Riddell State Park offers a variety of trails from easy to moderate to intermediate, that travel through acres of forested woodlands, and wide fields and along the Schenevus Creek. Our walk should cover about 2 miles total of easy walking, on a combination of flat to rolling terrain, with some trails having slopes and roots exposed. Waterproof footwear is recommended, water and sunscreen as needed. Restrooms are available at Milford Central School before and after the trip. There is a bathroom available at Riddell.
Please direct any questions to (607) 397-3815 (voicemail only).
We envision a healthy world where people and wildlife thrive and natural resources are protected. The mission of Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is to protect our natural environment and connect people with nature to benefit birds and other wildlife through conservation, education, research and advocacy.
