April 2026 Bird Walks in & around the Hudson Valley

Columbia County - Alan Devoe Bird Club

For more details & to register, please visit:
https://www.alandevoebirdclub.org/AboutCalendar.htm

SAT APR 11, 2026
WILSON POWELL SANCTUARY w/Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
Coordinator: Kathy Schneider, 518-248-8665
Meet 8:00 am at main parking lot off Hunt Club Road. Located off County Route 13, one mile southwest of the intersection of CR 13 and the Old Albany Turnpike (Old Chatham Village Square), take Pitt Hall Road, then a left on Hunt Club Road. Sanctuary entrance is on the right. The Sanctuary is owned & managed by the Alan Devoe Bird Club. Over 200 species including 20 warblers, have been recorded for this property.

SAT APR 18, 2026
CHURCHTOWN DAIRY FARM FIELD SKETCH WORKSHOP & WALK
Coordinator: Eric Losh, 304-676-6519
Meet 9:00 am in the Welcome Center, 357 County Route 12, Hudson NY, 12534. Participants will learn the basics of bird drawing and some techniques for sketching in the field. We will then practice our new skills as we explore the property of Churchtown Dairy Farm. The program is expected to last two hours. Bring a pencil and something to draw on, such as a field pad or sketchbook. This workshop is designed for adults; however, children are welcome with adult supervision. Group size is limited so please email eric.losh@gmail.com if interested.

Check out Eric’s website here.

Dutchess County - Waterman Bird Club

For more details & to register, please visit:
https://watermanbirdclub.org/about-us/field-trips-2/

Wednesday, April 1
Dutchess Rail Trail at Gold’s Gym
Leaders: Ken & Carol Fredericks (845-452- 7619). Meet at the parking lot behind Gold’s Gym, 258 Titusville Rd., Poughkeepsie at 8:30am.

Wednesday, April 8
Stony Kill Farm
Leader: Barbara Michelin (845-242-2301). Meet at the Manor House parking lot (69 Farmstead Ln off Rt.9D) at 8:30am.

Saturday, April 11
Woodcock Watch at Cary/IES
Leader: Mike Fargione. Meet at 6:45pm. Parking area is on the east side of Route 82, approximately one mile north of State Troop K Barracks and the junction of Routes 82 and 44 on the east side of Route 82, across from the Cary Greenhouse complex. Please call Barb Michelin (845-242-2301) if you plan to attend. Bring a flashlight. Rain date: Sunday April 12.

Wednesday, April 15
Bontecue Preserve
Leader: Janet Allison (845-264-3222). Meet at parking lot on CR98 (off Rt. 44, Millbrook) at 8:30am.

Wednesday, April 22
Pont Gut
Leaders: Ken & Carol Fredericks (845-452-7619). Meet there (95 Pond Gut Rd, off Gidley Rd., Pleasant Valley) 8:30am.

Saturday, April 25
Dutchess Gables Preserve
Leader: Janet Allison (845-264-3222). Must call Janet Allison for time and meeting place. Located on Homan Road in the Town of Stanford. See website here.

Wednesday, April 29
Mills Mansion
Leader: Kate Shaughnessy (845-242-3476). Meet at Mansion Road parking lot, Staatsburg at 8:30am.

Ulster County - John Burroughs Natural History Society

For more details & to register, or to check out their nature walks focused on non-bird subjects, please visit: https://jbnhs.org/events/list/

SUN, April 12
PHILLIES BRIDGE FARM PROJECT SPRING BIRD WALK
7:00 am - 5:00 pm. The Phillies Bridge Farm Project is a 65-acre blend of agricultural land, forest edge, and wooded habitat with a network of trails that sets up nicely for a morning bird walk. JBNHS trustee Peter Schoenberger will lead this walk. Please email Ella Schwarzbaum (education@philliesbridge.org ) to register or with questions about summer camps, workshops, or the CSA at the farm project.

SUN, April 12
SPRING YOUNG NATURALIST OUTING AT BLACK CREEK PRESERVE
9:00 am - 12:00 pm. A series of welcoming seasonal walks designed to bring together young families in the field interested in exploring and learning more about Ulster County’s natural world. This spring outing will be a timely visit to Scenic Hudson’s recently updated Black Creek Preserve. Spring ephemerals, newly emerging Mourning Cloaks, returning breeding birds (like Louisiana Waterthrush), and even juvenile American Eels (glass eels) are expected signs of spring at this location and in this timeframe. Please make sure to register by emailing JBNHSinfo@jbnhs.org

SAT April 18
SPRING BIRDING WILDCARD
The spring procession of migrants starts in earnest in this time period with new arrivals daily. Depending on recent reports or rare sightings, the destination (or destinations) of this trip will be determined just prior to the outing by field trip leader Peter Schoenberger (pdsis@yahoo.com). Please make sure to register with Peter for meet-up time and location.

SAT April 25
SPRING MIGRATION AT WILSON STATE PARK
7:00 am - 12:00 pm. Much of this walk can be done on paved roads through the pine lined campground and around the alder swamp but a network of trails also provides access to mixed hardwood forest, the Little Beaver Kill, and the park pond. A special attraction for this site is the chance to hear drumming Ruffed Grouse but the first of the neotropical migrants will surely make an appearance. Please register with trip leader Peter Schoenberger (pdsis@yahoo.com ) to participate on this walk.

SUN April 26
SPRING MIGRATION AND WILDFLOWERS IN SAUGERTIES
7:30 am - 12:00 pm. Meet up will be at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants can carpool and stay for the duration, or drive to each location and leave whenever necessary. Bring binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes if you have them, and be prepared for wet, muddy trails, and early spring weather conditions. Light rain often makes for excellent birding and nature observation, but heavy rain will cancel the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Please contact the field trip leader, Steve Chorvas (schorvas@gmail.com) to register and for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

Greene County - Larry Federman

Spring Birding Series at RamsHorn
Friday, April 17th, continuing for 5 Fridays, ending on May 29th
Meet at the RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary parking lot at the end of Grandview Avenue in the Village of Catskill at 7:30am. The cost is $10/pp and a discounted price of $50 if one wants to pay in advance for all 6 walks. Contact lgambon@gmail.com for questions.

Berkshire County, MA - Hoffmann Bird Club

For more details & to register, please visit: https://hoffmannbirdclub.org/events/

SAT April 4
Dovekie Day
Join the Hoffmann Bird Club for the second Annual Dovekie Day! Beginning as an April Fools Joke, a wooden Dovekie was carved and set on Smiley’s Pond in Egremont. After a bit of confusion and skepticism, the Dovekie was retrieved and now lives to tell the tale every year. Dovekie Day is a morning of birding in search of the hidden Dovekie. The carved Dovekie will be placed on a Berkshire County water body the evening before the event.

Teams will begin at 8 AM the next morning in a race to be the first to find the Dovekie by 12PM. Teams will get points for when they find the Dovekie and points for every bird they see along the way with a bit of mayhem and jokes mixed in. Dovekie Day can be enjoyed on foot or easily by car and will be followed by a celebration at noon. This is not a typical “birding competition”, this is a morning of fun and laughs. Rules and logistics change from year to year. RSVP here.

SAT April 18
Birding for beginners, Lenox
9 am. New to birding? Not sure where to start? This session will start with a discussion on basic tools, practices, and strategies for identifying birds and connecting with your local environment. We will then take a short walk to put what you’ve learned into practice. For more details and to RSVP, visit here.

SUN April 19
Spring Birding in the Northern Berkshires
7:30 am. Join us as we look for arriving migrants at one or more hotspots in this birdy little town. The trip will consist of visiting 3-4 birdy spots with easy to moderate walking on grass or gravel paths, or along the roadsides. Meet at the Williamstown Public Library, 1095 Main Street at the intersection of Routes 2 and 7. RSVP here.

Berkshire County, MA - Berkshire Bird Observatory

Weekly Spring Bird Walks

Ben Nickley, of Berkshire Bird Observatory, leads a weekly bird walk right in the town of Great Barrington. Come explore GBLC’s wonderful Riverfront Trail with us in pursuit of birds while enjoying the onset of spring in good company.

Our Spring Bird Walk series will run from April through May. Our group meets outside the Berkshire Food Co-op at 5:00 PM each Tuesday. Learn to find, identify and more fully appreciate our migratory and resident birds on these community bird walks. Meet other wonderful people while exploring outside together! Bring binoculars if you have them--if not, we can share. Everyone is welcome! Beginners are especially encouraged to join.

These bird walks are free and open to all. Please consider supporting BBO’s nonprofit work by making a donation here.

Event date/time: Every Tuesday at 5:00 PM (April through May 2026)

Event Address: Berkshire Food Co-op, 34 Bridge St, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Contact us at: ben@berkshirebirds.org
In collaboration with Great Barrington Land Conservancy (GBLC) and Berkshire Food Co-op

Register Here.