The town of Rush has recently acquired a new patch of land containing old-growth woods, farm fields in various stages of succession, and a mile of Genesee River frontage. Join us as we explore this “new” birding spot.
Over the past two decades, DNA studies have radically restructured the bird family tree. Now ducks and chickens are together at the front of the field guide; falcons have landed next to parrots; our tanagers are grosbeaks; our seedeater is a tanager!
On the east side, Powder Mills Park is a mature woodland and wetland park that can be productive for many late-migrating or nesting species. In recent years, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-tailed Hawks, American Woodcocks and Blue-winged Warblers have all nested there.
Our trip to this lakeside treasure should rack up good numbers of warblers, flycatchers, and other spring arrivals. Owned by the Genesee Land Trust, the Manitou Beach Preserve consists of 5 acres of flat, field, forest and hedgerow, shrub, and cattail wetlands extending into Braddock Bay
Woods and meadow provide great habitat for nesting species such as Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Blue-winged Warbler and Field Sparrow.
Thousand Acre Swamp is a preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy of Western New York. It has a bird checklist of 120 species. This level 2.5-mile walk goes through varied habitats, resulting in a variety of breeding bird species and migrants.
We will search for Prothonotary Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireos, Cerulean Warblers, and other nesting birds at this local natural treasure. We’ll drive to various spots in the refuge and take an easy walk along one of the very scenic trails.
This unassuming trip usually racks up one of the longest bird lists of the year. From nesting Cerulean Warbler to Purple Martin along the lake, this trip showcases roadside birding in spectacular fashion!
We will walk the mowed grassy trails of the 65-acre property of RBA member Linda Roca. Hedgerows, fields, Irondequoit Creek, brushy habitat, and woods should be productive for thrushes, late warblers, and woodpeckers among others.
We’ll go down the east side of the lake for a variety of nesting passerines, especially warblers and vireos. We will make multiple stops as we drive along the road.
This trip has generated large species lists due to the many habitat types we will travel through. We will start from the parking lot to the longhouse and the meadowlark field and then head down a wide trail through woods, shrubland, and wetland to an overlook in grassland.
This trip frequently boasts more birds than any other RBA field trip. Of course, it gets an early start! We’ll look for birds not frequently seen on other trips, such as Acadian Flycatcher and Barred Owl.
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