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new 1/15/10

February & March
events now posted

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Calendar of Events


new 1/15/10

Wings Over Dutchess
January 2010

PHOTOS COMING SOON!
(For Members Only)


Monthly Records

 NovemberNEW1/19
Ring-necked Duck, female, photo by Steve Golladay
Ring-necked Duck (female)
photo by Steve Golladay

OctoberNEW1/19
Nelson's Sparrow, photo by Gene McGarry
Nelson's Sparrow
photo by Gene McGarry

SeptemberNEW1/19
Field Sparrow, photo by Maha Katnani
Field Sparrow
photo by Maha Katnani

AugustNEW1/19
Yellow Warbler, photo by Steve Golladay
Yellow Warbler
photo by Steve Golladay

JulyNEW1/19
Red-winged Blackbird, female, photo by Ed Solan
Red-winged Blackbird (fem.)
photo by Ed Solan

 

 

This page last updated 1/19/10

Wednesday walk 1/20/10 changed BACK to Vassar Farm!
See calendar

Dutchess County CBC Results

The 2009 Christmas bird count, the 110th CBC, was a very productive event. This event takes place in a 7.5 mile radius circle with the center in Baird Park. The 36 field observers and 11 feeder watchers counted 71 species and 27,908 birds on count day. One additional species was found in the count week, Barred Owl.  On the plus side are the following: new record highs for Hooded Merganser, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle. The Brown Thrasher was last reported in 1971. Now for the negative side: no Wood Ducks, first since 1995; Mallard lowest since 1989; no Great Black-backed Gull, first since 1991; Mourning Dove lowest since 1963; no Great Horned Owl, first since 1979; Eastern Bluebird lowest since 1988; House Finch lowest since 1971.  Many thanks go to the observers and feeder watchers for their effort. We had about 10 less observers and 8 less feeder watchers this year. The species count was about average.  This was the 35th CBC that Fritz Waterman participated in. Congratulations, Fritz!
Bill Case
For detailed results, see our CBC page.

Winter's Here

It's fun to see our feathered friends looking for feeders where they found them last year, but this also means that it's time to get those feeders back in shape and in place, and especially to keep them filled.  But don't forget that bears are showing up in more places around the county, so some additional precautions may be in order.

Birds at bath in winter, photo by Doreen Tignanelli
Northern Flicker & American Robins
at Birdbath in Winter
photo by Doreen Tignanelli

One more reminder:  Birds need water throughout the year.  Providing a source of open water during the freezing weather often offers as powerful a bird attractant as seed and suet.  You can keep an open water source by using a birdbath heater (available from mail order and online merchants such as Duncraft and Audubon Workshop, or from many of the local stores selling bird food and feeders).  An alternative is to pour hot water into the birdbath to melt ice, although this only solves the problem for a short time on very cold days.


Club Activities

With the exception of a small number of special "members only" events, all of our activities, including walks and monthly meetings, are open to the public free of charge.  Our monthly meetings feature speakers from various organizations who bring us fascinating presentations on wildlife and the environment.  Join us at 7:30pm on the fourth Monday of each month (except in November, when our meeting takes place at the Annual Dinner, and in July and December, when there is no meeting).  Unless indicated otherwise on our calendar page, meetings are held at the Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church parish hall, located on Route 55, about 3/10 mile west of the Taconic State Parkway, across from Arlington High School.  Check our calendar for our schedule of meetings, bird walks, and other events.

Join the Club!

Our club, founded in 1958, promotes conservation and research in ornithology and provides opportunities for the study and observation of birds and other wildlife. If you're not a member yet, please consider supporting us by joining up! We welcome birders of all ability and experience levels!
Herb, Ken, and Nate viewing Dutchess County's first Hudsonian Godwit
 
Member, New York State Ornithological Association
Proud Partner, New York State Young Birders Club
RTWBC supports
 
We support Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS)

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