Birding & Spring Nature

First Walk: Lakeside Birds

Meet the leaders and fellow participants on this casual search along the lake for the first birds of the weekend. An easy walk along carriage paths through the hemlock woods below Sky Top and back along the Mohonk Lake shoreline.

Birders Q&A

Take advantage of this chance for an open discussion with the leaders who have over a century of birding experience combined.

Birding in the Hudson Valley

In her new book “Birding the Hudson Valley,” author Kathryn Schneider provides tips, guidance, and encouragement for bird enthusiasts of all skill levels to leave their backyards and explore bird life beyond the bird feeder. Kathryn will discuss her background as an ornithologist, teacher, and conservationist, and review the life journey that led her to spend three years writing her first book. The book is full of useful information and includes species accounts and directions to more than eighty birding locations throughout the Hudson Valley.

Early Morning Bird Walks

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 Yeaple Cabin

Enjoy a mostly down-hill ramble off the mountaintop through changing habitats in search of a wide variety of birds. Historic Yeaple Cabin will be visited along the way. Van transportation back to the house in time for lunch.

What Did That Bird Say?

This session with Mike Losito is designed for beginning and even intermediate birders wishing to incorporate listening skills into their everyday birding experience. Methods covered include the use of phonetics, diagrammatic symbols, and vocabulary descriptors in plain English. After a half-hour introductory session, participants will apply their listening techniques on a casual stroll through the Mountain House grounds.

Underwater Creatures Of Lily Pond

Help Wayne Gall explore Lily Pond with dip nets looking for creatures such as dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, water tigers and water scorpions, giant case-making caddisfly larvae, eastern newts, and more.

A 100-Year Old Bird Walk

Birds were known by very different names decades and centuries ago, and during this casual bird walk with Kurt, only the historic names of birds will be used. Come along in search of Devil Downheads, Yawkerbirds, and Silver Tongues.

Live Snake Showcase

Hang out for an hour with Mike as he talks about the biology and ecology of North American snakes. Mike’s collection of harmless live snakes from SUNY Cobleskill will be on hand to assist in this fun and factual presentation.

Select Hummingbirds of North America

Learn about one of the most interesting groups of birds found in the New World. This indoor program will explore the lives of some of the species found here in the U.S. and Canada and what makes these creatures so utterly fascinating!

Ornithological Mysteries, Frauds, And Conundrums!

This presentation by Greg Budney will delve into useless, yet utterly fascinating stories from the ornithological world! Who was Colonel Meinertzhagen? How is the Hudson River Valley connected to a bizarre museum bird specimen heist in England?! Improbably, what Asian bird is among bird specimens collected by FDR as a young boy?

Early Morning Bird Walks

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

Birds Up Close

Bird banding dates to 1595, when Henry IV attached a metal ring around the leg of a Peregrine Falcon that was found 24 hours later in Malta (about 1,350 miles away). Join Mike for a hands-on demonstration on the use of mist nets and bird banding, and have a unique opportunity to meet some of our familiar backyard birds up-close.

Big Hour Birding Blitz

Make a team or join another and head out around the Mohonk grounds for an hour to record the most birds possible – most species gets a prize!