Birding & Spring Nature

First Walk – Garden Birds

Meet the leaders and fellow participants on this casual search for the first birds of the weekend. An easy walk through the varied habitats of the beautiful Mohonk gardens hoping to spy bluebirds, swallows, wrens and more.

After Dinner Constitutional to Copes Lookout

Work off the evening meal on this casual stroll to Copes Lookout in search of evening singers in the treetops.

Through the Seasons in an Upstate New York Backyard

Kurt Weiskotten will present a visual journey documenting the day-by-day changes to the wilds of his backyard in Saratoga County. Relax and experience the progression of spring wildflowers to summer heat, through the colors of fall to the return of deep snow. Birds encountered along the way will also be shared.

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 Bird and Plant Walk to Duck Pond

A long moderately strenuous hike down off the mountain to Duck Pond and Warbler Alley where there are a variety of habitats to explore for an abundance of birds, and plants! Van transportation back to the Mountain House in time for lunch.
*Space is limited and pre-registration is required for transportation. Please call to make your reservation.

How to Listen to Birds

Of all the animal sounds in nature, those of birds dominate the landscape of the human ear. Birdwatching is much more enjoyable when one can key in on, and better understand, what it is they are hearing. Come learn a few basic techniques on how to “better listen” to those common sounds of the gardens, fields and forests so that your nature experiences are enhanced.

Botanical Wonders of the Spring Path

The natural history and identifying features of Spring Path’s beautiful flora will be discussed. Expect to see up close early flowering shrubs such as pink azalea, red elder, and black huckleberry; herbs such as columbine and wild sarsaparilla; and cliff-face and boulder-lovers such as polypody fern and the floppy lichen called rock tripe.

Seining Lake Mohonk

Join Wayne and Kurt as they explore the shoreline of Lake Mohonk with seines and D-framed aquatic nets. Fish, aquatic insects, and other invertebrates and amphibians such as the eastern newt, will likely be captured, briefly examined, and then released.

Common Mohonk Songbirds – An Audio Review

Join Greg as he plays for you a variety of bird songs and calls brought to you from the archives of the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Many of the common birds of the Mohonk grounds will come alive inside for your listening pleasure.

Art Workshop with Holly

Unleash your creativity with this hands-on opportunity to mold a beautiful little clay bird to take home with you. Holly Rizzo returns again to guide you in this relaxing and fun activity for all levels of armchair artists.

The Conservation Biology of Panama

The Republic of Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina, yet it famously harbors a great deal of the world’s entire biodiversity. Despite its tiny size, it is home to more species of birds than in the United States and Canada combined. It is also home to 125 animal species found nowhere else in the world. This presentation is a journey through the rainforests, coral reefs, and rare cloud forests of Panama over a 28-day period where Dr. Michael Losito encountered amazing plants and animals and met extraordinary wildlife conservationists helping to save this critically important portion of planet earth.

Early Morning Bird Walks

Join the leaders once again on woodland journeys for a second chance to add to the weekend bird list. Early morning is a magical time at Mohonk!

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!

Last Chance for Garden Birds

Before the weekend birding program ends, venture forth with a seasoned ornithologist in search of a few spring migrants or dazzling resident birds of Mohonk.

Edible, Medicinal, and Poisonous Plants

Wayne will carefully guide you on the identification and uses of select wild plants. For example, did you know that twigs of yellow birch yield a wintergreen-flavored tea? Or the oils in the roots of sassafras were once used to make tea and flavor root-beer, but are now known to contain a carcinogen? And berries of black huckleberry are edible but those of red elder can be toxic without preparation.