field trip registration

Thursday, January 25, 2024
4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Shawangunk Grasslands
National Wildlife Refuge
[Google map link]

Short-eared Owl. Photo: Kyle Bardwell
Short-eared Owl. Photo: Kyle Bardwell

Meet us 4:00 pm at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge in Orange County in late afternoon. More about the Grasslands.

This is drive up birding!  You can stand by your car and watch or walk just a few steps to a low viewing platform. The view ahead is grasslands where Northern Harriers, Kestrels and other raptors hunt in the late afternoon and, as the sun sets, Short-eared Owls arise out of the grasslands to hunt the same grassland habitat.

Dress in layers and bring other layers in your car, just in case.  This is an exposed open habitat. We may or may not see owls.  We will leave when it is too dark to see.

Register online with form below or call our office (914-666-6503) and leave participant name,cell phone, car seats available or car seats needed. If offering seats, note when/where you will meet your passengers.
 
Registered participants will be notified by 12 noon if trip is cancelled or postponed due to difficult weather or driving conditions.  As always, you should also check our Google calendar on our website before traveling if the weather is uncertain.  Trip updates are posted there at least two hours before events.
 

We will meet 4:00 pm at the refuge by the right hand viewing platform.

Other details
Bring binoculars or let us know in advance if you want to borrow one or more from SMRA to use during this field trip. We will have one or more spotting scopes available to share any longer distance views with participants.
 

Field Trip Registration

Contact Person(Required)
Add participant names in next box below.
Contact Email(Required)
We will send a confirmation email with all field trip details right after you register and a reminder email a few days before the trip. We will also email and text at least three hours before the trip start IF the trip is rescheduled or cancelled, also posting any changes on the SMRA website.
Add cell phone here if we can reach you by text to connect during the field trip
Travel Options
It is okay to drive on your own but we do encourage carpooling. Let us know the number of seats you can offer as a driver. Let us know if you can meet passengers/drivers. NO GUARANTEES on matching drivers and passengers but we'll give it a go!