Syracuse.com - Onondaga Audubon offering summer bird field trips at Green Lakes State Park

HuntingNY-News · June 17, 2013

Each hike takes from 3 to 5 hours (or more) depending on trail length and weather conditions.

The following is a press release:

Onondaga Audubon has begun its series of summer field trips at Green Lakes State Park.

While most Central New Yorkers know about the parks' two glacial lakes, few may be aware that the park also preserves the largest stand of old-growth forest in Central New York as well as extensive grassland habitat.

In 2011, N.Y. State officials designated 1000 acres within the park as a Bird Conservation Area (BCA), devoted to sustaining wild bird populations and enhancing bird habitat. The park contains a relatively large tract of interior forest, including the old-growth stands; this area provides important breeding habitat for mature forest birds, such as Ovenbird and Wood Thrush.

The grasslands provide habitat for a number of regionally declining birds, including Grasshopper Sparrow (special concern) and Northern Harrier (threatened).

When the Green Lakes BCA plan is fully implemented, this area will be the largest area of preserved grassland within any state park.

Finally, the park's two lakes provide stopover and foraging sites for many birds dependent upon open water, including Bald Eagle, Osprey, and water birds including ducks, herons, and grebes.

We invite you to join one of Audubon's GLSP field trips to explore some of these unique avian habitats. Each hike takes from 3 to 5 hours (or more) depending on trail length and weather conditions.

It is highly recommended that participants bring their own water and insect repellant. Please contact the hike leader for details on specific times and meeting places.

Saturday, June 29th  Trip Leader: Paul Richardson / 315-488-5022

Saturday, July 20th  Trip Leader: Paul Richardson / 315-488-5022

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog