Birding & Spring Nature

Songbirds of Mohonk

The vast acres of land surrounding Mohonk Mountain House provides critical habitat for migratory songbirds traveling to and from breeding and wintering areas. Meet all the leaders at this perfect warmup for the weekend where Mike Losito will provide an overview of what birds we might expect to see. He will have study skins on-hand of many of the species to examine up close. This program is a great lead-in for the various birding walks scheduled over the Weekend.

Spring Path Constitutional

Work off the evening meal on this quick walk through the Mohonk woods beneath the Skytop cliffs to see what creatures are out and about in the twilight hour.

The Far Side of Nature

Join Wayne for a hilarious look at nature through the eyes of cartoonist Gary Larson. Wayne will share some of his favorites that so cleverly parody and satirize natural history.

Early Morning Bird Walk

The leaders invite all birders, of all levels, on a variety of early morning jaunts in search of spring migrants that dropped in overnight. More species of birds occupy the property during this weekend than any other time of year, so don’t miss the feathery excitement.

Long Walk To Duck Pond

This long trek to beautiful Duck Pond will reward participants with a chance to bird a variety of unusual habitats and should produce birds not usually seen higher on the mountaintop. There will be van transportation available to bring you back in time for lunch.

Urban Birding

Wayne will lead fellow birders on an easy walk down to the Mohonk barn and surrounding buildings looking for cliff swallows, barn swallows, house sparrows, robins, and other birds that favor human structures.

Nature Sketching

Regardless of artistic ability, anyone can create a simple sketchbook journal of your explorations in nature. A few tips and tricks indoors will prepare us for a relaxing sketching session outdoors. Supplies provided.

Underwater Creatures of Lily Pond

A menagerie of aquatic creatures from eastern newts, dragonfly nymphs, diving beetles, water tigers, frogs and more lurk in the seemingly placid waters of Lily Pond. Their discovery awaits your ascent along Skytop and Reservoir Paths.

Scoping the Gardens

High-powered spotting scopes are not just for observing birds at a distance anymore but can be great fun when used for everyday birding. Come along on a casual stroll through the gardens with Mike Losito to see the beauty of songbirds up close and personal using high-powered, world-class optics.

Bird Song Recording

Join Greg for a discussion on the evolution of recording bird song. You’ll hear a fascinating tale of people (an Auburn NY corn starch tycoon, Cornell’s Allen & Kellogg, musicians Les Paul & Bing Crosby, and a rocket-fuel scientist) and technology (inventions of sound sync film, WWII anti-submarine technology, and the reel-to-reel recorder) with a good number of bird sounds along the way.

Trivia Night
Join us for a fun-filled and relaxing evening of general trivia with a sprinkling of birds and nature. Teams will play to answer the most questions correctly to win prizes! Music, movies, potpourri, science …who knows what topics will come up?

Early Morning Bird Walk

Join the leaders once again as we search along woodland paths for any migrating songbirds that may have moved north during the night. Early morning is a magical time at Mohonk!

Listening in on Nature

Join Greg for a demonstration of the equipment and techniques involved in recording bird songs and other wildlife sounds. You’ll have the opportunity to listen through the powerful directional microphones used to capture bird songs and see the systems involved in the recording. Come see (and hear) for yourself!

Botany Tour from Mohonk Lake to Skytop

Winter-weary eyes will savor the wildflowers, shrubs, trees, and ferns observed during this casual uphill walk to Skytop Tower in search of plants of the mountaintop. Identification and the natural history of selected plants will be the focus. Incredible views along the way!

Last Chance Bird Walk

Join us for one last stroll around the Mohonk property in search of any new birds not seen yet over the weekend. Where to will be decided by the group as we gather. A great chance to hone your birding skills before you head home to bird on your own!