All levels of naturalists, including beginners,
are most welcome on Eastern Long Island Audubon field trips.
Most trips are free to attend,
however, sometimes the venue we are visiting has a fee.
We try to make a note of it in the notice.
Eileen Schwinn, Field Trip Chair
Please remember to register with the leaders of these trips. Just in the case there are unexpected changes or the weather does not cooperate and plans have to change!
ELIAS Field Trips – May 2025
Sunday, May 4, 2025
EPCAL
Meet at 8:30 am at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Parking Lot, on Route 25, Calverton, this walk will follow the biking/hiking trail south toward the western runway. Byron Young and Rosemary Valente will co-lead this walk. Please be sure to register with Rosemary by email ([email protected]) or text message (631-882-2464)
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Hubbard County Park
Meet at 8:00 am at the trail head on Red Creek Road, Hampton Bays, this area features pine/oak forest, beetle-ravaged clearings, tidal creeks, high and low salt marsh and Peconic Bay. The walk is approximately 2.5 miles over level – but maybe muddy – trails. This exciting area to explore showed us a Red-headed Woodpecker last year, spotted initially by one of the walk participants! The leader, Brian Moldashel, describes this area as “a bit of a gem off the beaten path”. Please register with Eileen Schwinn for this trip ([email protected])
Monday, May 12, 2025 - Meet at Noon
Hunters Garden & Bald Hill
The walk begins at 12:00 Noon, meeting at the trailhead, Route 51, Northampton. Always a spring favorite, this has a late start due to DEC authorized Wild Turkey Hunt Season. Warblers and other migrating and sumer resident/nesting birds are usually vocal and exciting to see in the old woods and vernal ponds of the wide walking trails – approximately 1.5 miles. We will move to Bald Hill after, which is located nearby. Register with Eileen Schwinn for this trip ([email protected])
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Bayard Cutting Arboretum
From 9:00-12:00
Meet at 9 am in the main parking lot near the small gate house. 440 Montauk Hwy. The Arboretum includes paths through woodlands, a farm and gardens, along the Connequot River and marshes. The diversity of habitat allows us to find a variety of spring birds. Contact: Tom Moran, [email protected]
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Shoreham Beach, Brookhaven Town Park
From 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
143 N Country Rd, Shoreham, NY 11786
Park along the road inside the gate. We’ll walk along the road to the beach looking for spring migrants. We’ll have a very good chance of hearing the beautiful song of the Wood Thrush. The road is bounded on each side by forest with low shrubs. At the end of the road is a view of the Long Island Sound. The walk is approximately 1.8 miles. Contact: Tom Moran, [email protected]
This is a Town of Brookhaven facility. Visitors are usually restricted to Town of Brookhaven residents with permits. ELIAS has obtained permission for non-residents to attend without charge but they will be required to register in advance, see the note below. Town residents will need to obtain an annual Town virtual permit, refer to the link provided below.
Town of Brookhaven residents will need to have paid for their annual passes prior to the walk. Here is the link for the Brookhaven residents to purchase their town stickers. (this was provide from a Town email, I believe the stickers have been replaced by virtual/online permits). https://www.brookhavenny.gov/223/Parking-Information
Non-Brookhaven residents will need to provide their license plate numbers so they can be put in the system for the day. Please contact me for further information.
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Fire Island – Watch Hill
Certainly off the beaten path! At the end of the ferry trip across Great South Bay, we will walk a boardwalk to see/hear rails, vireos, wrens, and warblers, led by Debra Swamback and Paul Sweet. This field trip is limited to 15 participants. Details on ferry times will be provided as we get closer to the trip date. This field trip will be a little longer than most, and involve a fee for transportation. Please register - by email only - with Eileen Schwinn for this trip ([email protected])
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Terrell River County Park
From 8:00 am-12:00 pm
Meet in the parking lot across from Kaler’s Pond, 43 Montauk Hwy, Center Moriches at 8:00 am. The walk is through forested habitat along the Terrell River to Moriches Bay which will permit us to see some forest and shore species. The walk is about 4 miles. Contact Tom Moran, [email protected]
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Manorville Hills
Meet at 8:00 am in the first parking area from the main entrance off Rt 111. There is an overflow lot past this lot if needed. Primarily forested habitat where we’ll find local residents and migrants. Distance covered is about 2.5 miles and should take about 3 hours. Contact: Tom Moran, [email protected]
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Connectquot County Park
More information to come
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Join Gigi Spates for a walk around QWR. Currently on the Board of the Refuge, Gigi has been the Director there, and she knows all the secret spots the birds may be hiding in! Please register with Gigi ([email protected])
LOOKING AHEAD TO JUNE
Saturday, June 14, 2025
South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO) and
ELIAS join together for the
Eric Salzman Memorial Walk
Meet at 8:00 am, at the SoFo building, 377 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton, for this annual walk around the open fields and bordering woods, in memory of Eric, a director of SoFo, and a long-time friend and mentor to many ELIAS members. The approximately 1.5 mile walk on wide and neatly mowed paths, we hope to encounter resident nesting warblers and song birds. Please register directly with South Fork Natural History Museum – Go to the website SoFo.org/Calendar, and click on the listing of the walk to register.
