Registration is required, please register here.

Join us for a Zoom presentation all about Springtime migration! This is an exciting time when birds return to nest on the North Fork or pass through on their way elsewhere. And we see such a large variety! Dianne Taggart, long time birder, will talk about the birds we can see this time of year.

Location: Zoom Presentation

Photo: Yellow Warbler by J. Jensen 

Registration is required, please register here.

Join North Fork Audubon Board Members Theresa Dilworth and Carol Edwards for a special Earth Day event! Take a walk through the trails at Inlet Pond County Park, followed by a beach clean-up, helping to preserve the local environment and celebrate Earth Day in a meaningful way.

Location: Inlet Pond County Park

Registration is required, please register here.

Join our monthly Tuesdays with Tom at North Fork Preserve. We hope to see early spring migrants like Red-winged Blackbirds, Killdeer, and American Robins.

Location: North Fork Preserve

Photo: Savannah Sparrow by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Join us for an exciting Zoom presentation with Jessica Wilson, Executive Director, and Tasha Naula, Public Programs Manager of the NYC Bird Alliance. Discover the incredible work they’re doing to protect and preserve New York City’s bird populations through cutting-edge science research and impactful advocacy campaigns. Did you know that over 200 different species visit the NYC metro area annually, and more than 400 species have been recorded, including some rare finds by passionate local birders? Learn about these amazing creatures, upcoming public programs, and how North Fork Audubon can get involved in celebrating and protecting the city’s vibrant birdlife. Don’t miss this engaging opportunity to connect with NYC's feathered friends!

Location: Zoom Presentation

Registration is required, please register here.

MaryLaura Lamont will be our guide this month. We will explore the diversity of habitats from agricultural fields, mixed woods and bluffs leading to the Long Island Sound. 

Location : Hallock State Park

Photo: Northern Rough-winged Swallow by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Are you curious about bird watching, but don’t know the first thing about how to do it? Or have you ever been on a birding field trip and said to yourself “this stuff is for the birds,” meaning I’m not seeing what everybody else is seeing! Or maybe you’re thinking “I can’t see anything through these binoculars,” etc.

Well, now you can join Tom Damiani on “small group” field trips with a focus on effectively using binoculars, finding birds using them, and finding the best habitats for birds.

These outings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month, at Downs Farm Preserve from 8 - 10am.

Photo: Red-throated Loon by J. Jensen

***Date Change to 3/23***

For more information and to register click here

Get ready for another season of this conservation champion, the Osprey, North Fork’s beloved and iconic comeback kid. From beach clean-ups to Osprey nesting platform installations, prepare for this fish-eating raptor’s return through this annual celebration. It is important this time of year to remove as much marine debris as possible since Osprey often pluck hazardous items like marine rope, fishing line, and balloon strings from the shoreline as nesting material, leading to potential entanglements. Mattituck Park District is hosting this event again at Breakwater Beach. Besides assisting with the installation of another Osprey nesting platform and a marine debris clean up, we will also help install the threatened and endangered shorebird fencing for this important North Fork nesting site. Make sure to stop by North Fork Audubon’s table!

Registration is required, please register here.

Last year, NFAS hosted this program and saw an overwhelming amount of interest. We're excited to announce that the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center is offering this training once again!

NFAS receives many phone calls about injured animals. We want to create a list of volunteers to help these injured animals and if needed transport them to Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center.

The training will include how to safely rescue and transport injured wildlife.

Topics include:

• When to rescue and when to leave alone

• Supplies and equipment needed

• Legal issues

• Safely containing injured animals

After the training you can apply to be a rescue/transport volunteer.

Photo: Long-eared owl by Emma Sanwald

The Long Island Natural History Conference is the largest regional forum for the exchange of information about Long Island’s natural history. The annual event brings together Long Island’s leading naturalists to exchange current information, identifies research and management needs, and encourages collaborations and a greater region-wide interest in Long Island’s natural history. Make sure to stop by North Fork Audubon’s table to say hi and learn more about our work!

To learn more and to register click here.

Location: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Registration is required, please register here.

The Osprey may have returned by this time, and several species of winter waterfowl are likely to still be present. Please note that this location is different from the Arshamomaque Preserve in Greenport, so be sure not to confuse the two!

Location: Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve

Photo: White-throated Sparrow by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Join us for a Zoom presentation about Bay to Sound Trail, connecting public parks and preserves between Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound.

Have questions about the project? Send them to us before the presentation! Email info@northforkaudubon.org

Location: Zoom Presentation

Registration is required, please register here.

Tom Damiani will be our guide this month. We hope to spot buffleheads, horned grebes, and red-breasted mergansers.

Location : Ruth Oliva Preserve (Dam Pond)

Photo: Hooded Merganser by J. Jensen

NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) offers a free monthly series on zoom featuring writers and researchers. The upcoming lecture schedule and registration is here.

Registration is required. Click here to register.

In partnership with North Fork Audubon and Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County, learn how to attract birds to your garden with the native plants they prefer. Hosted by North Fork Audubon Board Member and Master Gardener Ellen Birenbaum.

Photo: Cardinal by Macomb Paynes

Registration is required, please register here.

Join us for a Zoom presentation exploring the natural history of two iconic birds of the forest: the Great Horned Owl and the Wild Turkey. We will also delve into the importance of bird banding in Moore’s Woods, a key research technique that helps track bird populations, migration patterns and conservation efforts.

Photo: Wild Turkeys by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

We hope to spot Common Loon, Common Goldeye and Long-tailed duck!

Location: Orient Beach State Park

Photo: Common Loon by M. Shimura

Registration is required, please register here.

Bundle up and join the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library for a guided winter walk with NFAS President, Peggy Lauber, as we search for and count birds in our area! As part of the Great Backyard Bird Count, we’ll learn to identify common winter birds, enjoy the crisp outdoor air, and contribute to a global citizen science project. Perfect for bird enthusiasts of all ages, this event combines learning, nature, and community. Bring your own binoculars.

Location: Inlet Pond County Park

Can’t make the program? You can still participate! Follow these helpful tips from birdcount.org

Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 14–17, 2025.

Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

• If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.

• If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).

Registration is required, please register here.

Dick Cartwright will lead our walk this month, we will be looking for Sea Ducks & Alcids.

Location : Hallock State Park Preserve

Photo: Chickadee by J. Jensen

NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) offers a free monthly series on zoom featuring writers and researchers. The upcoming lecture schedule and registration is here.

Click here to register. **Updated link**

Bird migration research has confirmed a precipitous drop in the migrating bird population. A major reason for this decline is the loss of habitat of native trees and shrubs that provide the calorie-rich berries migrating and overwintering birds need to survive. To address this problem, North Fork Audubon Society’s Berries for Birds initiative advocates cooperative conservation to encourage people to create new ecological networks by planting native berry-producing trees and shrubs where we live and work. This presentation reviews the science of co-evolution of native plants, insects and birds, the nutritional properties of berries by season, and describes in detail the wide range of berry producing trees and shrubs that are native to Suffolk County.

Photo: Cardinal by Macomb Paynes

Registration is required, please register here.

Join us this month as we look for Winter Ducks — Scoters, Mergansers, Long-Tailed Ducks

Location: Drive-by Birding on Peconic Bay Blvd

Photo: Long-tailed Duck by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Growing native plants from seed is an extremely rewarding experience, both personally as well as being beneficial for our environment. Participants in this hands-on event will sow native seeds in trays that will hold 15 - 4" pots.  Attendees will take all 15 pots home to use in their garden either to start a native pollinator garden or add to one that is already begun.  Beginners are welcome and all materials will be provided  including a variety of Long Island native plant seeds such as asters, cardinal flower, butterfly weed, and others. Participants are also welcome to bring their own seeds.  Space is limited, so please sign up only if you have not been able to attend this workshop at a local library.

Location: Roy Latham Nature Center at Inlet Pond County Park

Picture: Winter Sowing by Forks in the Dirt

NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) offers a free monthly series on zoom featuring writers and researchers. The upcoming lecture schedule and registration is here.

Click here to register.

North Fork Audubon Society has received a grant from the National Audubon Society to fund the purchase of four native white oak trees to plant along the park trails. The trees are 7-8’ tall with an estimated age of 10 years old; in 15-20 gallon pots and sourced from Long Island Natives in Eastport, NY. The trees will be planted at the junction of the Black and White Trails, near where a similar white oak tree was planted last fall. 

While all of the hundreds of species of oaks are considered ecological powerhouses that anchor food webs for entire ecosystems, white oak trees in particular are considered highly beneficial. As described by Doug Tallamy (see article below), white oaks host over 900 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars which feed dozens of other species of insects, birds and small mammals, that in turn serve as a food source for larger raptors and other predators. 97% of the non-seabird species of birds rely on soft, protein-rich caterpillars to feed their offspring, with some birds bringing hundreds of caterpillars a day back to the nests. Other benefits of oak trees include providing shelter for many species, sequestering carbon, purifying the air, managing the watershed, and beautifying the landscape. 

For more information about white oaks, see the links below:

• Article and radio podcast: “Oaks: the most powerful plant of all, with Doug Tallamy - A Way To Garden”

• The Life of an Oak Tree Infographic

• “Landowners Guide to Understanding the Importance of White Oak”

Registration is required, please register here.

Join us for this months Tuesday with Tom! We will be looking for winter ducks, Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Great Blue Herons

Location: Indian Island County Park

Photo: Bobwhites in Cutchogue by D. McCallion

Please join us for an evening of gratitude and celebration as we reflect on the past year and honor all the hard work you've dedicated to North Fork Audubon Society. This event is our way of saying thank you for your invaluable contributions and commitment to our mission.

Click here to see the list of honorees.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

RSVP here to attend.

Registration is required, please register here.

Dick Cartwright will be our guide this month as we explore Hallock State Park. We hope to see Wild Turkeys, Red-Tailed Hawks, and Chickadees. Parking directions are available when you register.

Location : Hallock State Park Preserve

Photo: Northern Mockingbird by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Join Tuesdays with Tom this month to explore Veterans Memorial Park in Wading River. We may see harriers, grassland birds, and sparrows.

Photo: Swamp Sparrow by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Are you curious about bird watching, but don’t know the first thing about how to do it? Or have you ever been on a birding field trip and said to yourself “this stuff is for the birds,” meaning I’m not seeing what everybody else is seeing! Or maybe you’re thinking “I can’t see anything through these binoculars,” etc.

Well, now you can join Tom Damiani on “small group” field trips with a focus on effectively using binoculars, finding birds using them, and finding the best habitats for birds.

These outings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month, at Laurel Lake Preserve from 8 - 10 AM.

Photo: White-breasted Nuthatch by J. Jensen

Registration is required, please register here.

Richard Bundy will lead this months Friday Morning Birders. We will explore diverse habitats and we may spot waterfowl and migratory species.

Location :Orient County Park

Photo by J. Jensen