connect with our local birding community
Join us for a live, interactive bird chat via Zoom every second and fourth Tuesday evening, 7:00 pm.
See our list of conversation guests for upcoming and past BirdChats.
How to Connect?
Register here for Bird Chats. The Zoom link will be sent automatically after you register. The same link will work for Bird Chats Nov 2020 through Feb 2021.
If joining us via computer or mobile device, get set up with the Zoom app before your first Bird Chat. Links below.
OR you can simply call in by phone without any advance setup using the phone number and Zoom codes provided in the confirmation email. Joining only by phone has disadvantage of not seeing any visuals shown during the Bird Chat.
More Zoom help is below.
What Will We Do?
We plan to gather for about an hour, maybe less or maybe a little more, depending on the conversational flow. Our chat will be very informal.
Chat Moderator will be Anne Swaim, SMRA Executive Director, with different guests joining us each Chat from the birding community.
First we'll offer some brief planned content—some community sightings of the past week and perhaps some birds for you to look and listen for—and then we'll have a short conversation with our guests. Then we'll open up the chat for bird observations or questions from chat participants.
You don't need to speak, or be seen, even if you have a webcam. You are welcome simply to join us to listen (and to watch, if you join us by computer or mobile device).
Are You New to Zoom?
- How to use Zoom
- How to Join Your First Zoom Meeting <-- helpful step-by-step from Zoom
- If you join by computer or mobile device using the Zoom app, you will be able to see the images we show AND you'll be able to click on a button in the computer or mobile phone app to "raise your hand" if you want to add observations or ask questions by voice. Otherwise sound from your end will be muted automatically. Click the link in the email we'll send after you register to get set up with Zoom before your first Bird Chat.
- If you simply call in with a non-mobile phone or with a mobile phone not using the Zoom app, your phone will also be muted for sound from your end until you "raise your hand" (by pressing *9) AND the chat leader unmutes your phone for you to ask questions or share your observations. The phone number to call and the codes to enter to join the Bird Chat will be sent to you by email after you register.
- You could connect by computer to see images AND also call in with a phone. This might be good if you want to speak but don't have a microphone for your computer and if you don't have a mobile phone that will run the Zoom app. After you register for a Bird Chat, we'll send you an email that will have directions to set up Zoom on your computer and also the phone number to call and codes to enter for you to listen and speak (if you wish) by phone.
- Zoom download links
(If you are brand new to downloading and installing new apps, first read about "How to Join Your First Zoom Meeting" above)- Download the Zoom app for Desktop Computer
The web browser app will download automatically when you join your first Zoom meeting and prompt you to install the app, Zoom is also available for manual download here if you want to prepare ahead of time. After downloading the app, install it to your computer.
- Download the Zoom app for Mobile Phone
- Download the Zoom app for Desktop Computer
bird chat schedule
2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7:00 pm | Register Here
Get help with Zoom
- Sighting Highlights
- guests: Tom Burke & Gail Benson,
Long Island Birding in Winter
- your questions & observations
- Sighting Highlights
- guest: Don Riepe,
American Littoral Society's
Jamaica Bay Program Director
- your questions & observations
- Sighting Highlights
- guest: Bob Armanini, owner
Croton's Feed the Bird Store
focus on backyard bird feeding
and promo for Great Backyard
Bird Count (Feb 12-15)
- your questions & observations
Tuesday, January 12, 2020, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, January 26, 2020, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, February 9, 2020, 7:00 pm
Past Bird Chat Guests
-
Monday, April 6, 2020
Sean Camillieri & Kyle Bardwell,
local birders & our area eBird reviewers - Monday, April 13, 2020
Charlie Roberto, local birder
& Suzanne Kavic, SMRA board member -
Monday, April 20, 2020
Steve Rappaport, SMRA board member
and bird photographer
& Kevin McGrath,
local birder & bird photographer -
Monday, April 27, 2020
Tom Burke & Gail Benson,
NYC Area Rare Bird Alert
and NYS Avian Records Committee -
Monday, May 4, 2020
Michael Bochnik & Fran Greenberg,
Hudson River Audubon of Westchester -
Monday, May 11, 2020
Sean Camillieri & Kyle Bardwell,
eBird area reviewers -
Monday, May 18, 2020
Sandy Morrissey, President,
Bronx River-Sound Shore Audubon,
Westchester Bluebird Monitoring Update
- Monday, May 25, 2020
Kathryn Schneider
Author, Birding the Hudson Valley
Co-Chair, NYS Breeding Bird Atlas Steering Committee - Monday, June 1, 2020
Barbara Mansell & Debbie van Zyl
Dutchess County birders from Waterman Bird Club - Monday, June 8, 2020
Tait Johannson, Naturalist
Bedford Audubon Society - Monday, June 15, 2020
Tom Burke & Gail Benson
Summer Count & Summer Birding - Monday, June 22, 2020
Julie Hart, Coordinator
NYS Breeding Bird Atlas - Monday, June 29, 2020
Trudy Battaly & Drew Panko
Birding for Science: hawkwatches and sound recording
- Monday, July 7, 2020
NO BIRD CHAT THIS WEEK - Monday, July 14, 2020
Eliza Wein, Adam Vinson,
NYS Young Birders Club - Monday, July 21, 2020
Elijah Goodwin, Ph.D.
Grassland Management for Birds
Rockefeller State Park Preserve
& Stone Barns Fields - Monday, July 28, 2020
Steve Rappaport & Debbie van Zyl
Birding & Nature Apps - Monday, August 4, 2020
*power outages in area*
Anne Swaim, Shorebirds Overview - Monday, August 11, 2020
Scott Craven & Larry Trachtenberg
Ossining/Croton Birding - Monday, August 18, 2020
Sean Camillieri & Kyle Bardwell
regional eBird reviewers - Monday, August 25, 2020
Danielle Begley-Miller, Ph.D.
Director of Science and Stewardship,
Teatown Lake Reservation
[Bird Chat switched to monthly in Sep & Oct 2020] -
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Tom Stephenson, co-author,
The Warbler Guide
bird guide, photographer, musician, educator
- Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Scott Silver, Center Director
Constitution Marsh Audubon Center & Sanctuary
[Bird Chat switched to twice monthly in November 2020] - Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Joan Collins
Adirondack Bird Guide
- Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Charlie Roberton
Hotspot Focus: Cape May, NJ - Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Michael Newhouse, Coordinator
Peekskill Christmas Bird Count
- Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Matthew Young
Finch Research Network