About Us

Cedar Waxwing – © Bill Case

Our Mission

The mission of the Waterman Bird Club is to provide the opportunity for the study and observation of birds and other wildlife; to promote conservation through education of the public by lectures, nature walks, and related programs; and to promote research in the fields of ornithology and conservation by active participation or monetary support.

Activities

• Regular meetings and field trips provide numerous opportunities to observe and learn about birds. Monthly programs are held on the fourth Monday of most months, featuring guest speakers who bring us fascinating presentations on birds and other wildlife, environmental issues, and other topics of interest. In November, our monthly program is replaced by an Annual Dinner meeting; in July and December, there are no meetings.
• Regularly scheduled birding field trips are conducted each Wednesday and on some weekends throughout the year.  Most of these are in Dutchess County but occasionally trips are organized to neighboring counties or other birding hotspots throughout the northeast.
• All programs are open to the public free of charge, except for a few labeled Members Only.

We Participate In

• National Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count
• May Bird Census in Dutchess County
• January Waterfowl Count for NYSOA (New York State Ornithological Association)
• Bluebird Trail nesting box provision and maintenance throughout Dutchess County
• Breeding Bird Atlas Project (Atlas 2000) sponsored by NYSOA and NYSDEC

We Are Members Of

• The New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA)
• The New York State Young Birders Club (NYSYBC)
• The New York State Bluebird Society (NYSBS)

Education

• We prepare and show exhibits at local events.
• We arrange and conduct field trips.
• We are a proud partner of the New York State Young Birders Club (NYSYBC).
• We offer slide presentations and lectures on birds and birding to school groups, senior citizens, and other interested groups and organizations.
• We maintain an extensive library of bird and nature books for our members’ use.

Records

We compile and maintain permanent and continuous records of the birds of Dutchess County. Monthly records are published in Wings over Dutchess and archived on this website.

We submit quarterly reports to the regional compilers of The Kingbird, the journal of the New York State Ornithological Association, and to North American Birds, the American Birding Association’s publication of bird population records.