Let’s Go Birding Together is presented in conjunction with OCCA’s Queer Outdoors Program and the Oneonta Pride Alliance. Join Jane Bachman, DOAS Director, at the Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway for a 1.5 hour walk to view returning migrant birds.

Participants will meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot by the fields near the school district bus garage, just past the transfer station on Silas Lane, off Rte. 205 in Oneonta.

This is an easy hike on unpaved but level ground which may be slightly muddy. No restrooms are available. There are a few benches along the way.

For more information: contact jbachwim60@gmail.com

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In collaboration with Otsego Land Trust

REGISTER to attend at https://otsegolandtrust.org/events/hike-to-a-blue-heron-nesting-grove
Space is limited, so please register as soon as you can – 11 spaces remaining on 3/14/24.

On Sunday, April 28th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, join Otsego Land Trust and Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society for a unique perspective into the world of nesting Blue Herons at a privately conserved property in Van Hornesville. DOAS co-president Andy Mason will lead a walk to observe the Great Blue Heron Rookery. 

About our Guide

Andy Mason is co-president of the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society.  He is past chair of the Audubon Council of NY State, and past president of the NY State Ornithological Assoc.  He has been an active birder for over 30 years, participated in the NY State Breeding Bird Atlas, and has lead bird workshops for the Appalachian Mountain Club. He also serves as president of the Schoharie Land Trust.

Cost: FREE

Please let us know you are coming!
REGISTER to attend at https://otsegolandtrust.org/events/hike-to-a-blue-heron-nesting-grove
Space is limited, so please register as soon as you can – 11 spaces remaining on 3/14/24.

For questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with cherise@otsegolandtrust.org.

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Otsego Land Trust is a community-based nonprofit that protects fields, forests, waterways, and scenic views 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.

REGISTER to attend at https://otsegolandtrust.org/events/hike-to-a-blue-heron-nesting-grove
Space is limited, so please register as soon as you can – 11 spaces remaining on 3/14/24.

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Join DOAS Board Director, Charlie Scheim and Member Sandy Bright on Saturday, May 11 at 8:00am for a walk to view returning migrant birds on the Susquehanna Greenway Trail. This is an easy hike on unpaved but level ground which may be slightly muddy. No restrooms are available. There are a few benches along the way.

Participants will meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot by the fields near the school district bus garage, just past the transfer station for a two-hour walk to view returning migrant birds on the Greenway trail, located on Silas Lane, off Rte. 205 in Oneonta. Contact Charlie Scheim at 607-434-4880 or scheimc@hartwick.edu for more information.

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Join DOAS Co-President, Andy Mason on Sunday, May 12 at 8:00am for a spring bird walk. Returning migrants at this location should include warblers, vireos, orioles, tanagers, and possibly waterfowl and raptors. The walk will last approximately two hours, and will require some hill-climbing and hiking over uneven and possibly muddy ground. A handicapped accessible port-a-john is available on site. Participants willl meet at 8am at the DOAS Sanctuary, park on the left side of the driveway on Grange Hall Road Spur. For further information, contact Andy Mason, 607- 267-8491. Directions to the DOAS Sanctuary can be found at the doas website: https://doas.us

Image: Black-throated Blue Warbler, Photo by Lorraine Minns, Audubon Photography Awareds 2016.

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Join long-time birders and DOAS members Suzanne Gaynor and Sarah Root on Wednesday, May 15 from 8:00-10:00am at lower Riddell State Park. This will be a mostly-flat, half-mile walk along field hedgerows, along the Schenevus Creek, and through mature forests. A raised railroad bed makes it possible to see treetop warblers and other special migrant birds more readily than usual. We expect to see and hear a good variety of birds throughout. Meet at 8am in the parking lot just north of I-88’s Exit 17, off Rt 28 North. Wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for one wet spot in the trail. There are a few benches along the trail, and an outhouse at the parking lot. Contact Sarah Root at 607-433-2831 or sarah@radiantalignment.com for more information.

The walk will be on unpaved paths through forest and field, with some slight inclines or declines. The path may be muddy in places. There is a rest room at the parking area and a few benches along the way.

Image Above: Aud_APA-2019_Eastern-Towhee_A1-9473-5_TS_Photo-Jesse-Gordon

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On Friday, May 17, 2024, at 7:30pm, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society will host Dr. Carmen Greenwood, Professor and Insect Ecologist at SUNY Cobleskill at the Elm Park United Methodist Church in Oneonta, NY for a special presentation about the American Burying Beetle. Attendees are encouraged to arrive between 7:00 and 7:20pm for the program. The program is FREE and open to the public. Refreshments will be available.

The American Burying Beetle is an iconic figure in the history of the Endangered Species Act. Learn how this species, once prevalent throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada, was lost, and how a dedicated team of researchers is working to bring it back to its historic homeland.

This program is available via Zoom. Pre-registration is required at the link below.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM PROGRAM.

About the Presenter

Carmen M. Greenwood, Ph.D. Professor and Insect Ecologist at SUNY Cobleskill has been working on insect conservation for 15 years. She received her B.S. in Biology at Western Carolina University, M.S. in Environmental Studies at Longwood University and Ph.D. in Entomology at North Carolina State University.

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Saturday, May 18 is this year’s Big Day for DOAS.

The Big Day is a group effort in which birders, working alone, in pairs, or in small groups, can maintain social distance and adopt infection-avoidance procedures while enjoying the outdoors. We will try to locate as many bird species as we can in a single fun day on Saturday May 20. Birders can spend any amount of time they choose within that 24 hours, and report on their efforts to the Big Day coordinator, Charlie Scheim.

Everyone is welcome, novice or experienced.  If you are interested and have not participated before, please contact Charlie at 607-434-4880 (voice or text) or scheimc@hartwick.edu to get information on joining in the fun.

DOAS Bird Checklist – revised 2020.

DOAS BIG DAY BIRD COUNT RULES (Modified from ABA):

A Big Day Count is a single-team effort in which the primary objectives are (1) to identify as many bird species as possible during a single calendar day and (2) to strive to have all team members identify all species recorded.

Counting

1. Count only species listed in a recognized field guide.
2. Birds must be conclusively identified by sight or sound. Use common sense: if in doubt about the bird’s identity, don’t count it.
3. An introduced species may be counted. 
4. Birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Domestic species are not to be included. Birds attracted to tape-recorders or feeders may be counted. Injured birds may be counted if wild and unrestrained. Eggs do not count as birds.

Time – All counting must be within a single 24-hour period, on a single calendar day, determined by where the Count begins or ends.

Area– Any geographic area within the region served by DOAS may be covered. A team’s coverage area may overlap that of other teams.

Travel – Travel may be by any means, provided that all participants remain within direct voice-contact distance during all travel (except for separate motorized travel or for “timeouts” for gas, food, rest, etc.).

Participants

1. Any number of participants may constitute a team.
2. Nonparticipating companions may accompany the team and may record or may drive vehicles. 

Conduct

Each participant must:

1. remain within direct voice-contact distance of all other participants at all times, except during time-outs.
2. make every reasonable effort to identify personally and to help other team members identify every species counted by the team.
3. count only birds personally and unquestionably identified.
4. review the Big Day Count Rules before the start of the Count.

Outside Information

1. During the Count, teams must make every reasonable effort to avoid receiving bird-finding help from nonparticipants.
2. Any information received prior to the Count may be used during the Count.
3. Ethics– Each participant should strive to maintain proper birding ethics at all times.

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Charlie Scheim and Sandy Bright will lead a bird walk on Saturday, May 25, 2024, 8am at the West Branch Preserve, located in the Town of Hamden, about 10 miles southeast of Delhi. Meet at 8 AM at the preserve entrance and parking area, on NY Rt10, about 0.9 miles west of the intersection with County Route 26. The parking area is adjacent to the Watershed Agricultural Council building at 33195 NY-10. The walk will be on unpaved and at times uneven paths through the fields and forests of the Preserve and will likely last about 1.5 hours. There will be a certain amount of moderate uphill and downhill walking. There are no restrooms at the preserve and no resting benches along the path. For more information, contact Charlie Scheim at 607-434- 4880 or scheimc@hartwick.edu. See website below for more information. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/eny-west-branch-nature-preserve/?en_txn1=bl.ch_ny.eg.x.g

The walk will be on unpaved and at times uneven paths through the fields and forests of the Preserve and will likely last about 1.5 hours. There will be a certain amount of moderate uphill and downhill walking. There are no restrooms at the preserve and no resting benches along the path.

Image: Scarlet Tanager, Photographer Unknown.

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Join long-time birders and DOAS members Suzanne Gaynor and Sarah Root on Wednesday, May 29 from 8:00-10:00am at Hartwick College’s Pine Lake Environmental campus in Davenport Center. We can expect warblers, ducks, other songbirds, and possible Bald Eagles who nest nearby.

Meet at 8am in the Pine Lake parking lot at 1894 Charlotte Creek Rd, Oneonta, NY. Contact Suzanne Gaynor at 607-435-2939 for more information.

This will be a 1 1/2-mile walk past a variety of habitats including Pine Lake, Charlotte Creek, woods, a swamp, and open field. There is one moderate climb and much of the walking is on uneven woodland trails. Sturdy footwear is recommended. A restroom is available at the start and end of the walk.

Image: Yellow Warbler on native Willow Tree by Keith Williams, Flickr CC(NC2.0)

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Join DOAS Director Charlie Scheim, Bird Sightings author Sandy Bright, and local birder Jeanne Ellsworth on Saturday, June 8, 2024, for a birding walk in Kirkside Park, Roxbury, NY. We will meet at 8:00am in the Kirkside parking area accessed via Kirkside Driveway. The walk will last about 1 ½ hours and will wander through the park along level unpaved pathways, looking for the birds of late spring and early summer. Restrooms are available near the parking area. For more information or for any last-minute weather concerns, contact Charlie Scheim at 607-434-4880.

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June 10-14, 9am-5pm Daily

Details can be found at https://doas.us/ee2024/.

June 10-14, 9am-5pm Daily

Details can be found at https://doas.us/ee2024/.

June 10-14, 9am-5pm Daily

Details can be found at https://doas.us/ee2024/.

June 10-14, 9am-5pm Daily

Details can be found at https://doas.us/ee2024/.

June 10-14, 9am-5pm Daily

Details can be found at https://doas.us/ee2024/.

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society will host a morning bird walk starting at 8am on June 15 in conjunction with Exploration Days at Hanford Mills. Veteran birders Suzanne Gaynor and Kathryn Davino will co-lead the walks around the Hanford Mills property. We invite both beginners and experienced birders. The walk covers fairly level terrain and will last about 90 minutes. The trail traverses a variety of surfaces: grass, gravel, and boardwalk, and does include an occasional step up/down and a few gentle slopes. The total distance traveled is about .5 miles. There are no rest areas along the route, but there are benches near the pond, and picnic tables at the parking lot. Accessible bathrooms are available. Participants should meet in the event parking lot (south side of Rt. 12, opposite museum buildings) and bring binoculars, insect repellent, water, and curiosity about birds! When we return to the parking lot, we invite folks to join us as we drive a short distance to see a Bald Eagle nest that currently has a pair of adults caring for one or more fledglings. This is a free program. Call Kathryn Davino (607-746-7396) with questions.

Image: Yellow-rumped warbler; Photo by Landa Palmer, 2019.

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Join DOAS Director Charlie Scheim, Bird Sightings author Sandy Bright, and the Environmental Director of the Uplands Center Renee Hardenkamp for a morning bird walk at the Uplands Center in Walton, NY (2641 Dunk Hill Road) on Saturday, June 29 at 8:00am. Our focus will be on observing birds and their breeding behaviors., will accompany us on this walk. The Uplands Center (www.uplandscenter.org) has acres of fields and forests, great habitat for breeding birds. We will meet just outside the main lodge. The walk will begin on a mostly level grassy path through a large field where we will likely find a number of grassland species. We will then follow a path through a wooded area with some gentle uphills and downhills, seeking woodland inhabitants. There are accessible rest rooms at the walk’s beginning and end and some rest spots along the way. The walk will likely last about an hour and a half. This program is free and there is no pre-registration required. You may call Charlie Scheim at 607-434-4880 for more information or for any last minute weather concerns.

Image: Bobolink; Photographer Unidentified.

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(For children entering grades 3 & 4 in the Fall.)
July 8, 9, 10 & 11 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 3 & 4 in the Fall.)
July 8, 9, 10 & 11 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 3 & 4 in the Fall.)
July 8, 9, 10 & 11 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 3 & 4 in the Fall.)
July 8, 9, 10 & 11 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 5 & 6 in the Fall.)
July 22, 23, 24 & 25 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 5 & 6 in the Fall.)
July 22, 23, 24 & 25 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 5 & 6 in the Fall.)
July 22, 23, 24 & 25 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 5 & 6 in the Fall.)
July 22, 23, 24 & 25 – 9:30am-3pm each day

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 1 & 2 in the Fall.)
August 5, 6, 7 & 8 – 9:30am – 1:30pm at Oneonta World of Learning, Fortin Park

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 1 & 2 in the Fall.)
August 5, 6, 7 & 8 – 9:30am – 1:30pm at Oneonta World of Learning, Fortin Park

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 1 & 2 in the Fall.)
August 5, 6, 7 & 8 – 9:30am – 1:30pm at Oneonta World of Learning, Fortin Park

View Full details at the link below:

(For children entering grades 1 & 2 in the Fall.)
August 5, 6, 7 & 8 – 9:30am – 1:30pm at Oneonta World of Learning, Fortin Park

View Full details at the link below: