Sharpen your skills on wintering hawks and Short-eared Owls.  Other wintering birds such as Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs are often present.

This trip is a combination of driving and viewing at stops along roads. Accessible if getting in and out of car is not a problem.  Low difficulty. Length about .5 mile walking. Restroom facilities are not available except at Tops. Bring binoculars.

Meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Tops Plaza in Avon on Routes 5 and 20, 2 miles west of I-390.  If COVID guidelines allow, carpooling strongly advised.  Dress warmly. Spotting scopes and FRS radios would be very useful.

Note: This is a field trip for beginners. New birders should feel free to join these trips regardless of experience level: bring binoculars and scopes if you have them. The pace & focus of Beginner Trips may not be satisfying for experienced birders. Our Beginner Trips focus on teaching identification skills, learning new habitats, and answering questions. Experienced birders are welcome but may be pressed into service as educators!

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Rochester Birding Association is instituting the following procedures for all field trips. By registering for this field trip, you acknowledge that you have read and will abide by these policies.

Registration Policies:

• Advance registration through Eventbrite is required in order to attend the trip. NYS guidelines for the allowable number of attendees at an outdoor gathering change frequently.  Exact capacity limits will be determined on a trip by trip basis, and they may be subject to change.
• Individuals who did not pre-register will not be allowed to attend the field trip.
• Should you decide not to attend the trip, we encourage you to cancel your reservation to make room for others. Canceling is easily done through the Eventbrite website; see your confirmation email for details.

Health Screening Considerations:

• Full contact information is required at registration, in case contact tracing is requested.
• No one who has a temperature of 100.4F or greater (without having taken any fever-reducing medications) should attend.
• No one who has any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell) should attend.
• No one who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days or who has been instructed to self-isolate or quarantine should attend.
• No one who has been in close (within 6 feet) or proximate (same closed environment, but greater than 6 feet) contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has had symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days, should attend.
• No one who has traveled or who lives with someone who has traveled to a country or state on the New York coronavirus travel advisory list in the last 14 days should attend.
• Participants who test positive for the coronavirus within 14 days after attending a field trip are encouraged to contact the RBA.

Social Distancing and Safety Best Practices

• Participants will be required to stay 6 feet apart at all times and wear a mask whenever they are outside of their car.
• Participants that reside in the same household may share binoculars or scopes, but we regret that otherwise optics cannot be shared. We realize this may be frustrating for those who do not have their own spotting scopes. To the extent possible, we will choose birding locations that do not require advanced optics.
• Participants are encouraged to keep hand sanitizer with them in case of accidental contact.

Waive and Release from Liability: By registering for this field trip you acknowledge that you assume all risks and hazards incidental to the activities of the event, including potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. You further release, absolve, hold harmless, defend and indemnify the Rochester Birding Association, Inc. and all individually named organizers, leaders, and participants of the event. In case of injury, you hereby waive all claims against all organizers, leaders, and participants.

Photo/Video Waiver: If you do not consent to have your image used by the RBA in the manner next described, check the appropriate box on the registration form. Otherwise, by registering for this field trip you hereby grant permission to the Rochester Birding Association to take and publish photos or videos of you in connection with the event listed above, with or without your name and for any lawful purpose including for example such purposes as publicity, illustration, advertising, and web content.