Description: 4th Wednesday Bird Outing -2pm

Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai*

Wheelchair and White Cane Accessible

Approx. 1.5 miles – to Fishing Pier and back.
Flat with accessible inclines to boardwalks.

Everyone is welcome! With the help of MerlinBird App, let’s learn to bird by ear and/or sight. We will be on the Cedar Beach Nature Trail, a cement pathway and boardwalk, which meanders through the dunes. Along the way we will be afforded views of Long Island Sound through the small trees, bushes and beach grasses which make up the dune system.
 
Meet: Cedar Beach 244 Harbor Road, Mt.Sinai
West end of the first parking lot near the basketball courts (right side)

* Parking fee – Pre-purchase annual permits (24+ hoursbefore) or hourly Pay Station

Only facilities offseason: portable toilets
 
Leader: Lucille Sanders

Please register (and for questions): fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Where: Zoom Presentation (map)

Description: Winter Lecture (Zoom presentation)

What an Owl Knows
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Ackerman 
Wednesday, January 18, 2024 at 7 p.m
                        
For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than 30,000 years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls? Scientists have only recently begun to understand in deep detail the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. Some 260 species of owls exist today, and they reside on every continent except Antarctica, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active in the dark of night. Join Jennifer Ackerman in a multimedia presentation on what we have learned lately about the nature of the world’s most enigmatic birds.In remarkable photos, videos, and audio recordings, Jennifer explores the rich biology and natural history of owls and examines remarkable new scientific discoveries about their brains and behavior.
                        
Jennifer Ackerman has been a bird lover since she was a child and has been writing about nature and science for more than three decades. Her latest book, What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds (PenguinPress, June 2023), was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been described in reviews as “eloquent and engaging”, “revelatory”, a “fascinating read”, “a masterful survey”, and an “enchanting guide.” Jennifer’s previous books includeThe Bird Way, a finalist for the PEN/E.O.Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and named a Best Science Book of 2020 by National Public Radio's "Science Friday", and The Genius of Birds, also a New York Times bestseller, which has been published in 25 languages. The Genius of Birds was named one of the ten best non-fiction books of 2016 by The Wall StreetJournal and a Nature Book of the Year by the London Sunday Times. Ackerman’s other books include Birds by the Shore, Chance in the House of Fate: A Natural History of Heredity, and Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body. Her articles and essays have appeared in National Geographic, The NewYork Times, Scientific American, and many other publications.                       

She has two daughters and lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Register in advance for this presentation.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErdemrpjwiE9ZIfLKH892TRto8HMrXEtq0  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting

Where: Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Meet at pond across from old post office Leader: Luci Betti-Nash Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: Avalon Park And Preserve, Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA (map)

Description: November through March: walks start at 9 a.m.
April through October: walks start at 8 a.m.

Meet on Harbor Road at pond opposite Stony Brook Grist Mill. 

Leader: Luci Betti-Nash. We will meet at the Grist Mill, explore the immediate area including the pond, and will walk to some other open trails, including the fields and wooded areas.)

Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

2nd Wednesday of every Month

Afternoon Bird Walk - 2pm
Chandler Preserve
Approx. 1.5 miles – Choice of flat walk or loop with small hill

Chandler Preserve
The early bird doesn’t get ALL the worms.
Let’s learn Chandler’s birds together!
Wear footwear that can get a bit muddy and bring an extra layer for the time we will spend down at Mt. Sinai Harbor.

Meet: 2pm

233 N. Country Road, Mt. Sinai
Parking lot behind Mt. Sinai Congregational Church

Some benches for rest and harbor view

No bathroom facilities

Leader: Lucille Sanders

Questions:   fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Description: 4th Wednesday Bird Outing - 2pm Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai*
Wheelchair and White Cane Accessible

Approx. 1.5 miles – to Fishing Pier and back.
Flat with accessible inclines to boardwalks.

Time: 2pm

Everyone is welcome! With the help of Merlin Bird App, let’s learn to bird by ear and/or sight. We will be on the Cedar Beach Nature Trail, a cement pathway and boardwalk, which meanders through the dunes. Along the way we will be afforded views of Long Island Sound through the small trees, bushes and beach grasses which make up the dune system.

Meet: Cedar Beach

244 Harbor Road, Mt.Sinai
West end of the first parking lot near the basketball courts (right side)

* Parking fee – Pre-purchase annual permits (24+ hours before) or hourly Pay Station

Only facilities off season: portable toilets
 
Leader: Lucille Sanders

Please register (and for questions): fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Description: 2nd Wednesday of every Month

Afternoon Bird Walk - 2pm
Chandler Preserve
Approx. 1.5 miles –Choice of flat walk or loop with small hill

Chandler Preserve
The early bird doesn’t get ALL the worms.
Let’s learn Chandler’s birds together!
Wear footwear that can get a bit muddy and bring an extra layer for the time we will spend down at Mt. Sinai Harbor.

Meet: 2pm

233 N. Country Road, Mt. Sinai

Parking lot behind Mt. Sinai Congregational Church

Some benches for rest and harbor view

No bathroom facilities

Leader: Lucille Sanders

Questions:   fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Where: Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Meet at pond across from old post office Leader: Luci Betti-Nash Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: Avalon Park And Preserve, Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA (map)

Description:

November through March: walks start at 9 a.m.
April through October: walks start at 8 a.m.

Meet on Harbor Road at pond opposite Stony Brook Grist Mill. 
Leader: Luci Betti-Nash. We will meet at the Grist Mill, explore the immediate area including the pond, and will walk to some other open trails, including the fields and wooded areas.)

Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: 2935 Merrick Rd, Wantagh, NY 11793, USA (map)

Description: WINTER BOTANY AND DUCKS AT MILL POND PRESERVE 

Join Botanist Andrew Greller on a trek around Mill Pond, once a water source for Brooklyn!  He’ll introduce you to the varied native as well as invasive plant species that are found off the Rand Trail, a paved path that surrounds the 15-acre pond. 

Mill Pond is also a popular location to view wintering ducks and other water birds such as Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Pied-billed Grebe, and Great Blue Heron. A rare Common Gallinule has been an annual visitor for the past few years.  

Distance is about 1 -1/2 miles.  The path is paved, but spots may be wet.  Dress for the weather.  Meet at the gazebo.  Bring water and a snack if desired.

Mill Pond Preserve, Bellmore/Merrick is located at 2935 Merrick Road, Merrick, NY.  Park on Merrick Rd adjacent to the preserve. It is just west of the Wantagh Parkway  (Merrick Road exit). 

Email to register or with questions:    agreller2@optonline.net

Where: The Smithtown Library - Smithtown Building, 1 N Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA (map)

Description: All movies will be shown at 6:30 p.m. at The Smithtown Library, Main Building, One North Country Road, Smithtown.  Free and open to all.  Reservations required.  Call Joy Cirigliano at 631-766-3075 to register.   Or call the Smithtown Library (631) 360-2480, ext. 232, or visit the Smithtown Library website to reserve seating

Library Covid-19 masking policies will be in effect.  The current library policy follows NYS regulations and CDC guidelines which allow fully vaccinated individuals to conduct most public indoor activities without a mask, including within a Public Library.  Because of the high numbers of both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals still contracting Covid-19, 4HAS recommends that even vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors.

Description: 4th Wednesday Bird Outing -2pm. Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai.
Wheelchair and White Cane Accessible

Approx. 1.5 miles – to Fishing Pier and back. Flat with accessible inclines to boardwalks.

Everyone is welcome! With the help of Merlin Bird App, let’s learn to bird by ear and/or sight. We will be on the Cedar Beach Nature Trail, a cement pathway and boardwalk, which meanders through the dunes. Along the way we will be afforded views of Long Island Sound through the small trees, bushes and beach grasses which make up the dune system.

Meet: Cedar Beach 244 Harbor Road, Mt.Sinai

West end of the first parking lot near the basketball courts (right side)

* Parking fee – Pre-purchase annual permits (24+ hours before) or hourly Pay Station

Only facilities offseason: portable toilets
 
Leader: Lucille Sanders

Please register (and for questions): fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Where: The Bates House, 1 Bates Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description:  Ecologist, Carl Safina discusses his newbook, ALFIE & ME: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe.                         

When Safina took in a wounded baby Screech Owl, he expected that she’d be a temporary guest, just like other wild orphans he and his wife Patricia had rescued over the years. But the tiny creature—named Alfie—took a long time to heal. Carl and Patricia could never have predicted that when Alfie was finally able to live free, she would choose to maintain connection and establish her territory with their home at its center, attract a wild mate, and raise her babies right outside his studio window. Nor could they have guessed that the Covid-19 pandemic would grant the graciousness of time to form a profound bond with Alfie, while Alfie and her brood provided solace and sanity in a year upended.

Safina relates how, through months of lockdown, Alfie pulled them into her world as through a portal. Alfie and Me is a book about relationships that are possible when we blur the boundaries between humans and the rest of life on Earth. It is also an exploration into what could be gained by allowing ourselves to connect at a deeper level—as other cultures have done around the world, over millennia—and what we lose through our particular culture’s self-imposed exile from the living world.
                         
Carl Safina is a MacArthur “genius” Fellow whose best selling work has been internationally celebrated. Audubon magazine named him one of its ‘100 Notable Conservationists of the 20th Century’. He is the Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity at the University of New York at Stony Brook (a position created especially for him) and is founding president of the Safina Center.
                         
Free and open to all. Registration required.Email: fourharborsheron@gmail.com
                         
The Bates House is located at One Bates Road, East Setauket

Where: Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Meet at pond across from old post office Leader: Luci Betti-Nash Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: Avalon Park And Preserve, Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA (map)

Description: November through March: walks start at 9 a.m.
April through October: walks start at 8 a.m.

Meet on Harbor Road at pond opposite Stony Brook Grist Mill. 
Leader: Luci Betti-Nash. We will meet at the Grist Mill, explore the immediate area including the pond, and will walk to some other open trails, including the fields and wooded areas.)

Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Description: Afternoon Bird Walk - 2pm Chandler Preserve Approx. 1.5 miles –Choice of flat walk or loop with small hill.

Chandler Preserve
The early bird doesn’t get ALL the worms.
Let’s learn Chandler’s birds together!
Wear footwear that can get a bit muddy and bring an extra layer for the time we will spend down at Mt. Sinai Harbor.

Meet:

2pm at 233 N. Country Road, Mt. Sinai

Parking lot behind Mt. Sinai Congregational Church

Some benches for rest and harbor view

No bathroom facilities

Leader: Lucille Sanders

Questions:   fourharborsaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Where: The Smithtown Library - Smithtown Building, 1 N Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA (map)

Description: In Search of Balance (2016) 1h 14min.                      

This inspiring film follows renowned physician, Dr. Daphne Miller, as she seeks answers on how we’ve gone so far off track, health wise, and how we can climb back to healthy living. The Earth is a complex web of organisms, all connected and able to support each branch of the tree of life, and humans are all part of that web. In Search of Balance is about how we can use Earth to bring life to the planet. We’re getting closer and closer to the brink. But thanks to the efforts of those who refuse to succumb to the disease of profits over health, a new revolution is making its way across the globe—a revolution to reconnect us to the very thing that gives us life: each other, nature, the living planet and the eco-system.                      

The movie is age appropriate from those in high school to retirees. All are welcome, as are questions and comments.                       

The movie will be shown at 6:30 p.m. at The Smithtown Library, Main Building, One North Country Road, Smithtown. Free and open to all. Reservations required. Call Joy Cirigliano at 631-766-3075 to reserve. Or call the Smithtown Library (631) 360-2480, ext. 232, or visit the Smithtown Library website to reserve seating.  

Where: Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Meet at pond across from old post office Leader: Luci Betti-Nash Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: Avalon Park And Preserve, Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA (map)

Description: November through March: walks start at 9 a.m.
April through October: walks start at 8 a.m.

Meet on Harbor Road at pond opposite Stony Brook Grist Mill. 
Leader: Luci Betti-Nash. We will meet at the Grist Mill, explore the immediate area including the pond, and will walk to some other open trails, including the fields and wooded areas.)

Check Facebook and/or 4HAS website for walk cancelations.

Where: The Smithtown Library - Smithtown Building, 1 N Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA (map)

Description: Bat Superpowers (2020) 53 min.     

Bats. Horrifying! Scary! Creepy, evil, and bloodsucking. These are a few of the words used to describe bats. Bats have been used on the big screen to scare us. They have also been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, yet scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer and healthier life. From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, NOVA meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat. Learn more about these scary-seeming, yet interesting and oddly gentle creatures - Just in time for Halloween.

All movies are age appropriate from those in high school to retirees. All are welcome, as are questions and comments.                     

The movie will be shown at 6:30 p.m. at The Smithtown Library, Main Building, One North Country Road, Smithtown. Free and open to all. Reservations required. Call Joy Cirigliano at 631-766-3075 to re-serve. Or call the Smithtown Library (631) 360-2480, ext. 232, or visit the Smithtown Library website to reserve seating.

Description: YOUNG ISLAND CLEAN-UP RAIN DATE


Four Harbors will join the Nature Initiative in a clean up at Youngs Island.
Saturday, September 30, 2023,

10 a.m.—3 p.m.
Rain date: Sunday, October 1, 2023                           

Beach clean-up on NYS DEC Wildlife Management area located on Young Island in Stony Brook Harbor. Please join us as we paddle across the harbor to clean debris from this man-made dredge island, which is a breeding spot for gulls and geese. Young Island also hosts Great Egret and heron rookeries in breeding season. We meet at the kayak launch in Stony Brook. Members must provide their own kayaks. It is recommended that you also bring a light jacket, lunch, snacks, and water. There are no facilities on the island. Please call Joy for more information and to register. (631)766-3075.

Where: The Bates House, 1 Bates Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Summer Lecture Butterflies, Birds & Habitats - Guest Speaker: Rick Cech

Beginning birders quickly become aware of the close link between “target” birds and specific kinds of natural areas. It is rewarding to reach the point where one can walk about and say,“Ah, this is the kind of place I’d expect to see a nesting Blue-winged Warbler.” The rarer the bird, the more useful it is to understand habitat associations.

When developing more broadly as a naturalist, one begins to realize that other kinds of creatures also have key habitat affiliations. And, just to keep it interesting, these habitat imperatives often differ greatly from one biological group to another, driven by different ecological considerations. It all ties together in the end, but there are many opportunities to develop heightened awareness along the way. This lecture will explore how butterflies and habitats co-exist, with a comparison to bird life ecology for perspective, and withan emphasis on the U. S. east coast.
                         
Rick Cech is an active field naturalist, author, and photographer.He is an affiliate curator at Yale Peabody Museum of NaturalHistory in Entomology, and past president of the Linnaean Society of New York. Among other publications, he is the authorand photographer of Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer's Guide (Princeton, 2005). He has taught butterfly identification and nature photography at the New York Botanical Garden, and given programs on varied topics at numerous nature associations. He co-authored the National Audubon Society Regional Guide to Florida and introductory chapters of the Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior, and produced text and photographs fora series of regional introductory guides to butterflies. Rick's photography has been widely published in books, articles, photo exhibits, and museum displays (including at the American Museum of Natural History and Bronx Zoo). He has led nature trips since the early 1980s.
                         
The Bates House is located at One Bates Road, East Setauket

Reservations required: email fourharborsheron@gmail.com

Where: Cupsogue Beach County Park, 975 Dune Rd, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978, USA (map)

Description: Cupsogue Shorebird Field Trip - Mike Cooper, leader

Test your newly acquired shorebird identification skills at this follow-up field trip

*Note: Cupsogue is a county park and charges a fee after 8:30 a.m.

Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, snack, and don’t forget water (a must). Wear waterproof shoes or sandals. We will probably be wading out to, and back from, the flats.

Email: fourharborsheron@gmail.com if you will only be attending the field trip.

Where: Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Meet at pond across from old post office

Leader: Luci Betti-Nash

Please reserve at fourharborsheron@gmail.com

Where: Avalon Park And Preserve, Harbor Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA (map)

Description: Meet on Harbor Road at pond opposite Stony Brook Grist Mill. Walks take place at 9 a.m. November through March.  From April through October, walks start at 8 a.m.

Leader: Luci Betti-Nash. We will meet at the Grist Mill, explore the immediate area including the pond, and will walk to some other open trails, including the fields and wooded areas.)

Please reserve at fourharborsheron@gmail.com

Where: Nissequogue River State Park, 799 St Johnland Rd, Kings Park, NY 11754, USA (map)

Description: Enjoy a weekday walk at Nissequogue River State Park.

Join us as we search for summer breeding birds through mixed habitat along the pond and woodland edges including parts of the Greenbelt trail. Park is located at 799 St. Johnland Road, Kings Park.
 
Meet in parking lot near administration building. 
Free admission for seniors and those with State Parks Pass, or arrivals before 8 a.m.
Email fourharborsheron@gmail.com to register.

Walks are about 2 miles and will last about 2-3 hours.  Bring water and a snack. Inclement weather cancels the walk.  If the walk is canceled, an email will be sent out to those who have registered, and a notice will be posted on the 4HAS Facebook page. 

Leader: Patrice Domeischel
Please reserve at fourharborsheron@gmail.com
Please wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

Where: The Bates House, 1 Bates Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733, USA (map)

Description: Summer Workshop and Field Trip (on August 13) Identifying Shorebirds

Mike Cooper, Speaker

Workshop: Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m.Field Trip, Sunday, August 13, 2023, 8 a.m.

Refresh your shorebird ID skills at a Zoom workshop, then test those skills at a follow-up field trip. Shorebirds are present on Long Island much of the year. An active birder here can expect to see over 30 species in a good year. But even with good, close views, many species can be a challenge to sort out. Join Mike Cooper and Four Harbors Audubon Society as we try to work through the confusing array of pipers and plovers with some tips for observing and identifying these interesting and diverse members of our avifauna. You will test your newly acquired shore-bird identification skills at a follow-up field trip at 8 a.m. onSunday, August 13, 2023.

Mike Cooper has been involved with numerous Audubon chapters since 1970, and has been actively birding the local scene for about 50 years. He is a regular contributor to the Kingbird, the quarterly publication of the New York State Ornithological Association.

*Note: Cupsogue is a county park and charges a fee after 8:30a.m.

Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, snack, and don’t forget water(a must). Wear waterproof shoes or sandals. We will probably be wading out to, and back from, the flats.

Register in advance for the Zoom workshop. After registering,you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the workshop. (See Link Below)

  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpcemrpzwsH9MGYYptzVnsYvoVAwu8_DOl                                     

Email: fourharborsheron@gmail.com if you will only be attending the field trip.

Where: The Smithtown Library - Smithtown Building, 1 N Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA (map)

Description: Woodpeckers: The Hole Story(Nov 2022) 55 min

Narrated by Paul Giamatti, this episode of the “Nature” documentary series takes an intimate look at what makes woodpeckers so special. Do they really live in giant cacti? How many acorns can they store and how do they remember where they put them all?? Find out more about their unique abilities and interesting anecdotes from around the world. Age appropriate from those in high school to retirees.           

All are welcome, as are questions andcomments.                      

All movies will be shown at 6:30 p.m. at The Smithtown Library, Main Building, One North Country Road, Smithtown. Free and open to all. Reservations required. Call Joy Cirigliano at 631-766-3075 to register. Or call the Smithtown Library (631) 360-2480, ext. 232, or visit the Smithtown Library website.

Where: Marine Nature Study Area, 500 Slice Dr, Oceanside, NY 11572, USA (map)

Description: Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area 500 Slice Drive, Oceanside Join us as we explore this 52-acre preserve. As we take an easy walk along the boardwalk, we expect to see Yellow-crowned Night Herons, egrets, shorebirds, Forster’s Terns, and Saltmarsh Sparrows. We might even be treated to a look at the elusive Clapper Rail.           

Meet in parking lot.  Walk is about 2 miles and will last about 2-3 hours.  Bring water and a snack. Inclement weather cancels the walk.  If the walk is canceled, an email will be sent out to those who have registered, and a notice will be posted on the 4HAS Facebook page. 

Leader: Patrice Domeischel
Please reserve at fourharborsheron@gmail.com