“We’re not waiting for Washington” is the tagline of the film Paris to Pittsburgh which looks at the growing responses of cities and states to climate change across the United States. Regardless of the current political troubles in Washington, we’re not waiting either at Saw Mill River Audubon.
This fall, we are offering two different important climate change events, in partnership with six other area Audubon chapters, the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and other partners. Our thanks especially to SMRA Vice President Tom Ruth for coordinating our 2019 climate change outreach and to Audubon New York for grant support.
click image above for more information and reservations
Climate change can seem too complex and overwhelming, leaving us feeling powerless and discouraged. But we’re not powerless and we’re not discouraged.
Here are two antidotes we are offering this fall. First is a free screening of Paris to Pittsburgh, Wednesday, September 25, 6:30 pm for a reception and 7:00 pm film start, held at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Come get encouraged and inspired by how people like us are taking action to combat climate change. We thank the Town of New Castle for providing this wonderful venue and Films on Purpose for co-sponsoring and arranging a brief panel discussion after the film about what’s being done locally.
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Second is a “Climate Change Boot Camp,” the morning of Saturday, October 26 at the Westchester County Center. Get up to speed about what climate change effects to expect here in the lower Hudson Valley and hear more about state, county, and local actions to prepare for climate change and help mitigate it. Event support from Audubon New York. Venue provided with assistance from the Westchester County Executive’s Office for Energy Conservation and Sustainability.
Click the event images above for more details and registration for either event. Come join us for these climate change events this fall to get climate smart and find out how you can take action with us to make a difference. Valerie Lyle, President Saw Mill River Audubon
From the first warming days of late winter—when Mourning
Cloaks give promise of spring’s arrival—to the spectacle of migrating Monarchs
in the fall, butterflies are with us for much of the year. But rarely are they
more active and apparent are now, as each species prepares in its own way for
oncoming winter.
Monarch Butterfly. Photo: Joe Wallace.
Like nearly everyone, I’ve long been aware of the Monarch’s
astounding—and threatened—migration. But how do other butterflies in northern
climes, ones that don’t undertake long migrations, manage to survive the frigid
months? It turns out that when it comes
to survival in this clan, almost anything goes.
Survival is possible because butterflies have evolved to
produce a natural kind of antifreeze (glycerol and other molecules similar to
those used in car antifreeze) in the fall. These prevent the formation of ice
crystals within their bodies. As a result, when they—like other hibernating
creatures—reduce their metabolism and respiration during hibernation, these
cold-blooded creatures can endure even crushingly low temperatures.
Black Swallowtail caterpillar. Photo: Joe Wallace
What form they take to survive is where the differences
occur. Some species—including the Black Swallowtails whose caterpillars have
been fattening themselves on garden parsley and fennel—spend the winter as
well-camouflaged chrysalises attached branches or in leaf litter. Others,
including some Copper Butterfly species, overwinter as eggs attached to
branches or trunks, while still others (such as Checkerspots) actually maintain
their caterpillar form until spring arrives, often overwintering on the ground near
where their host plants will sprout fresh leaves in the spring.
Each of these strategies shows why we should be mindful not
only of our surroundings during growing season, but all year long. Leaving a
pile of leaf litter alone, pruning and chopping our trees and bushes carefully,
inspecting dead branches before we clean up our gardens, can all help insure
the survival of butterfly species to entrance us the following year.
Oh, and Mourning Cloak? This species actually spends the winter as an
adult, tucked away in rock crevices, woodpiles, and other protected
spots. That’s why the butterfly appears so quickly when the winter
weather begins to warm, a welcome harbinger indeed. — Joe Wallace
As a longtime observer of nature—especially but not only birds—I’ve been spending a lot of time watching the ebb and flow in Croton on Hudson, especially down in Croton Landing. The Landing is a pretty remarkable mix of created habitats (freshwater ponds, riverside beaches, a mini cattail marsh, fields with tall trees, and of course the river). This month (both on the Landing and in the town) has seen so many signs of in-progress and impending autumn, things I never really noticed before I started walking along the river so often.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk, Bonnie Coe
A few examples: After a midsummer silence, several bird species have been singing again (if sometimes weakly and sporadically) at the Landing, including Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole. Red-tailed Hawks have been endlessly vocal—are these young newly on their own and complaining that they’re not being fed? The Killdeer that nest around the Croton train tracks have been flighty and vocal as well. Among mammals, the Landing’s woodchucks are getting themselves fat.
In town, there’s a large population of vultures that spends all winter here. After a summer where I saw mostly Turkey Vultures, the flocks seem larger–real kettles–and include many Black Vultures as well. Also, twice in the past two weeks, my neighborhood has been inundated with grackles, gleaning every bit of food they can find before moving on. (We’re trying to protect the black-swallowtail caterpillars, themselves feasting on the parsley and dill in our pollinator garden as they race the clock to grow big enough to pupate, from the keen-eyed grackles.)
It’s fascinating—and heartening—to see how nature inherently understands the way the seasons meld into each other: How even in the midst of what still feels like midsummer to us humans, it’s preparing for what happens next. — Joe Wallace
Saw Mill River Audubon connects you with free, intriguing and engaging evening programs every month between September and June. We offer our programs at different locations across our membership area. Here is our line up of programs for Fall 2019.
Thursday, September 19, 7:00pm Exploring Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Croton Free Library
Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge protects over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest on Assateague Island and other barrier islands on the coast of Maryland and Virginia. Chincoteague is famous for the wild Chincoteague ponies and its beautiful beaches as well as its abundant bird life.
Bill and Carolyn Golden will be presenting their photographs of the birds from the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. They have spent the last 14 years living in Virginia as well as Westchester County. Their dual residency has enabled them to photograph a great number of the birds that inhabit and migrate through the preserve.
[Note: SMRA is planning a five-day coastal birding trip in October including a visit to Chincoteague NWR! Contact our office for details: office@sawmillriveraudubon.org ]
Venue Croton Free Library 171 Cleveland Drive Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
Thursday, October 17, 7:00 pm Birds and Beasts of the Galapagos & the Rainforests of Ecuador Croton Free Library
SMRA members Lynn and John Salmon spent June 2019 hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, cruising and photographing the Galapagos, the Andean cloud forest and the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador. Come see their photos of boobies, tortoises, iguanas, hummingbirds, anteaters, monkeys and other wildlife. Hear tales of Darwin’s finches, giant daisies, volcanoes, whales, sea lions, and even a real-life murder mystery in the Enchanted Islands.
Venue Croton Free Library 171 Cleveland Drive Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
Thursday, November 7, 7:00 pm New York Breeding Bird Atlas Millwood Fire Station
How are New York birds doing? What might we learn about changes to habitat and climate by surveying breeding birds in New York State? Starting in 2020, New York will be among the first states to conduct a third breeding bird atlas. Learn how you can join with birders across the Empire State in this five-year community science project in a presentation by Atlas Project Coordinator Julie Hart.
PROGRAM SPACE NOTE Please look for Audubon signs at the Millwood Fire Station guiding you to park in the rear of the building and then walk around building to enter at the main entrance. The program room is upstairs with elevator or stairs access.
More about this program In the early 1980s, New York was one of the first states to undertake a Breeding Bird Atlas project, mapping the distribution of the more than 250 species of birds that nest in the state. The second Atlas project, named “Atlas 2000,” began 20 years later. During Atlas 2000, field observers spent five years visiting all habitat types in all corners of the state and recorded evidence of breeding for as many species as possible. From 2000 to 2005, more than 1,200 people submitted over 500,000 observations and spent about 155,000 hours in the field. Learn more about New York’s Breeding Bird Atlas history and how to get involved in the third atlas here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/aboutmore details»copy to my calendar
Venue Millwood Fire Station 100 Millwood Road Millwood, New York 10546
Saw Mill River Audubon is offering over 30 birding field trips in Spring 2019: our weekly Monday bird walks, weekend day trips to local and regional habitats, and special early morning birding walks on weekdays and weekend days during the height of the spring migration.
Make sure you are subscribed to our private email list to receive notices of any new trips added with short-notice — our “pop up trips” — or to know about any schedule changes.
Are you new to the idea of birding field trips? Or maybe just curious about what Saw Mill River Audubon field trips are like? Visit our new Trip Tips webpage for all the info!
Saw Mill River Audubon connects you with free, intriguing and engaging evening programs every month between September and June. We offer our programs at different locations across our membership area. Here is our line up of programs for Spring 2019.
Thursday, March 21, 7:00pm Explore Antarctica: Ice and Millions of Penguins, but No Bears Croton Free Library
In November 2018, Phil and Ellen Heidelberger traveled with National Geographic and Lindblad to explore the Falklands, South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula by ship, zodiac, kayak and snowshoes. Come see Phil’s images of stunning landscapes of ice, eight species of penguins, elephant and leopard seals, whales and other wildlife and hear stories from their journey.
Venue Croton Free Library 171 Cleveland Drive Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
[Download a flyer to share and help us promote the above program!]
Sunday, April 28, 6:00 pm Welcome to Spring Dinner and Community Potluck New Castle Community Center
Every year we welcome friends new and old at our Welcome to Spring Dinner with a presentation of the year’s highlights. As we do on alternate years, this year’s dinner will be a community potluck. The evening will include our brief annual meeting and election of board members and officers followed by short presentations by our 2018 Larry Light Youth Scholarship winner. We’ll also have two short presentations about recent Saw Mill River Audubon travel to coastal California and to the wilds of central Nebraska to view a half-million Sandhill Cranes. Always a fun, friendly and entertaining evening, so reserve your spot now
Venue New Castle Community Center 10 Senter Street Chappaqua, New York 10514
[Download a flyer to share and help us promote the above event!]
Thursday, May 23, 7:00 pm Restoring Croton Point Grassland Croton Free Library
Using state funding to its Soil and Water Conservation District, the County of Westchester is restoring valuable grassland atop the former landfill at Croton Point Park. Larry Weaner Landscape Associates is designing the project, which is intended to curb less desirable, invasive plants in favor of more ecologically friendly native plants to improve wildlife habitat, especially for birds. Come hear how the grassland restoration plan was developed and the timeline for this exciting and innovative project. Presenters will be Larry Weaner and Jenna Webster from Larry Weaner Landscape Associates.
Venue Croton Free Library 171 Cleveland Drive Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
[Download a flyer to share and help us promote the above program!]
Saw Mill River Audubon connects you with free, intriguing and engaging evening programs every month between September and June. We offer our programs at different locations across our membership area. Here is our line up of programs for Fall 2018.
Our free monthly evening programs feature regional environmental experts to connect you with ongoing issues and expand your natural horizons. Free and open to the public. No reservations needed. As with all of our events, in case of uncertain weather, check our website or call our office, 914-666-6503, for any schedule changes.
Thursday, September 28, 7:00 pm
Croton Free Library
What Can Wood Thrushes Tell Us About Forest Health: Dr. Elijah Goodwin
Many of us are familiar with the haunting flute-like song of the Wood Thrush. Do numbers of breeding birds tell the whole story? How successful are Wood Thrush nests? Dr. Elijah Goodwin will present preliminary results from his three-year study of Wood Thrush nests at Rockefeller State Park Preserve. What have we learned so far from Wood Thrushes? [Download a flyer to share]
Thursday, October 26, 7:00 pm
Chappaqua Library
Bird Migration Through Urban Landscapes: Dr. J. Alan Clark
How are birds affected by our urban landscapes in their annual journeys across the continent? Most birds migrate at night. Light, noise, and buildings pose particular challenges for these birds. In his research, Dr. J. Alan Clark uses recordings of the short vocalizations that most birds use during migratory flight as well as small- and large-scale radar to examine these urban challenges to bird migration. Dr. Clark is an Associate Professor of Biology at Fordham University and coordinator of the school’s conservation biology program.[Download a flyer to share]
Thursday, November 30, 7:00 pm
Croton Free Library
The Mysteries of Sparrow ID: Joe Giunta
Come learn how to sort out the challenging LBJs (Little Brown Jobs) with this presentation by an experienced New York birder. Joe Giunta is the birding instructor for the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and leads bird walks for the Nature Conservancy, Brooklyn Bird Club, South Fork Natural History Society and New York City Audubon. He is a captain in the Brooklyn Christmas Bird Count and has participated in state breeding bird surveys.[Download a flyer to share]
Looking Ahead…
Thursday, December 21, 7:00 pm
Members’ Best Photos & Holiday Gathering
Croton Free Library
Join us for this fun and informal event where members and friends of Saw Mill River Audubon share photographic highlights of the past year of birding and nature exploration and enjoy holiday desserts. Let us know if you would like to share 2-5 of your best photographs by emailing our office by December 13. Bring holiday cookies and other treats to share and exchange. (It is also very okay to come without photos or desserts!)
In late March 2017, Charlie Roberto noted that he had seen Purple Martins last spring just a few miles north of Croton Point, in Putnam County along the Hudson. He added, “Croton Point is a perfect place for a colony…but we would have to get it done by the end of April to have a chance for nesting this year.” Challenge accepted!
Saw Mill River Audubon contacted Rob Armanini, owner of the Feed the Birds store in Croton to see about martin tower pricing. Rob immediately offered us wholesale pricing and then went even further than that, underwriting half the cost. (Thanks again, Rob!)
SMRA also contacted John Baker, (then) Director of Conservation for Westchester County Parks, who linked us with the Westchester Parks Foundation for more funding support.
Croton Point Park Naturalist John Phillips handled the Croton Point Park permissions and went even further, arranging for some park staff to dig the hole, and erect the tower. Meanwhile, John also assembled the many, many parts that go into a purple martin nesting tower.
By April 19, Croton Point Park had a brand new Purple Martin nesting tower. Now for some martins.
There’s a wealth of advice online about Purple Martin colonies including an active discussion forum at the Purple Martin Conservation Association’s web site (www.purplemartin.org.) All these experienced martin watchers agree that the best way to attract martins to a new colony was (1) have a purple martin plastic decoy at the top of the tower, and (2) play recordings of a purple martin dawn song — when else? — at dawn. Purple Martins are highly social and will show up where they think other martins already are.
Fake Martin
John Phillips took care of getting the plastic Purple Martin decoy installed. This plastic decoy came with our Purple Martin structure but lacked a good attachment scheme. No matter. Some duct tape did the trick. (We shall leave nameless those few birders that, briefly, eBirded the plastic martin.)
As for the dawn songs, there’s an .mp3 audio file for that. We put up a notice on Facebook for some volunteers to come at dawn and play recordings. Jessica T. stepped up for several mornings of song playing, some others did as well. We persisted. And a month went by with no Purple Martins.
May 22, 2017 Saw Mill River Audubon’s regular 4th Monday morning walk at Croton Point saw a martin! A lone Purple Martin — perhaps a scout for a new colony — was flying around the main parking lot, singing and trying to enter the emergency siren structure. Just down the road from our sparkling new nesting structure.
This one martin stuck around for two more weeks, finally making its way over the nesting tower.
It kept adding its voice to our dawn chorus playbacks and then, at last, FOUR Purple Martins were seen on June 8, sitting and singing in the right place, on the new nesting tower.
A week later, June 15, we had five martins and a week later, reports of up to 8 martins! .
Our Monday walk on June 26 stopped to watch the martins. We saw an adult pair, male and female, carrying nesting materials into one of the nesting gourds.
If nesting is successful, this will be the only known Purple Martin colony in Westchester County. (A small colony was in the Rye area, along the Long Island Sound, but apparently lost its housing during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.)
Here’s another look at real Purple Martins on the tower either side of the decoy martin.
Photo: Valerie Heemstra.
August 2017 Update
Despite several people observing the nesting tower, we are uncertain whether nesting was successful this year and we will check the nesting gourds before winter storage. However, by the middle of August, as many as 11 martins were seen at once, as shown in this photo below by Jim Bourdon. (The Martin decoy was also slipping its duct tape bounds at that point and later retrieved to be reattached next spring.)
September 2017 Update: What was in the Gourds?
Croton Point Naturalist John Phillips took down the nesting gourds the end of September and cleaned them out. He also recorded the contents of the gourds and noted, “The uniformity of the contents of 6 of the 8 gourds is remarkable.”
Bottom line: we don’t think we had nesting Purple Martins this year but are hoping for next year! See John’s notes below
Gourd contents:
1N (lower, facing gate house)
– clean no droppings
– 1 twig tip White Pine
– 6 stems/leaves/seed heads of various grasses
– 1 phragmites stem section
2N (upper, facing gate house)
– clean (1 dropping)
– 1 White Pine needle whorl
– 5 stems/leaves/seed heads of various grasses)
– 1 Phragmites outer stem
– 1small white feather
1E (lower, facing Park entrance)
– light droppings and debris
– 1 White Pine twig
– 15 stems/leaves/seed heads various grasses, 3-4 different species
– 4 small white feathers
– 2 large feathers, one white, one dark
– 1 strip Phragmites core, one sm rectangle Phrag outer stem
2E (upper, facing Park entrance)
– significant nesting materials but fairly clean- apparently unused
– a few droppings
– bottom 1/3 of gourd full of various grasses (# sp.?)
– a few small stems Phragmites, one ribbon Phrag cambium
– a few White Pine twigs
– approx 30 feathers, mostly small white, mixed in with grasses
– 2 sm pieces plastic
– in lower layer (buried) a fully formed nesting cup made of various grasses and lined with large number of feathers. *
1S (lower, facing Maintenance Barn)
– trace droppings
– 8 grass stems/leaves/seed heads various species
– 1 ribbon Phrag cambium
– small paper wasp nest below entrance platform (interior)
2S (upper, facing Maintenance Barn)
– clean
– 10 grass stems/leaves/seed heads
– 1 small gray feather
1W (lower, facing bath house)
– Apparently remains of nesting activity. Different contents than all other gourds: compacted mass apparently cemented by droppings.
– shallow, solid, dark mass on bottom 3″ of gourd. Difficult to remove.
– a few large loose twigs, feathers, and a few identifiable droppings on top of mass
– mass composed primarily of thousands of insect exoskeletons w iridescent blue and green fragments, a few intact thorax, abdomens, legs. One apparent Cicada wing, one apparent dragonfly wing.
– Also fragments of brown deciduous leaves (oak? maple?) 6 valves and one whole bivalve Asian Clam (Corbicula),
– a few partial feathers, pieces Phragmites stems & cambium ribbon, hatched fly eggs (sp?),
– at bottom of mass many pieces of flat plastic (candy wrappers, cellophane, sheet plastic, etc.)
2W (upper facing bath house)
– clean
– 5 White Pine needles (2 loose, 3 remaining in original whorl)
– 20 grass stems/leaves/seedheads, various species
– 2 small white feathers (down)
– 1 section Phragmites stem
Karalyn Lamb was able to identify some of the grasses as “non-native cool season grasses” and “switch grasses”.
* Jim Bourdon suggested that 2E may have held a Tree Swallow nest early on in June (which was subsequently covered over by the Martins?)
Spring 2018 Update
Max count of five Martins — three adult males among them — are being seen around the nesting structure as of May 18, 2018 with one pair, at least, apparently establishing a nest in one gourd.