HOURS: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. / Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. / Closed Mondays
CLOSINGS: Wednesday, December 24; Thursday, December 25; Thursday, January 1.

Sandy Hook Bird Observatory Information Page

Autumn Calendar of Events

Winter, 2008-09

Click Here for Field Trip Directions

FIELD TRIPS

SATURDAY AND WEEKDAY FIELD TRIPS WITH PETE BACINSKI
By caravan with director Pete Bacinski or our associate naturalists to seasonally productive birding or nature areas. Registration must be paid seven days in advance to allow time to send directions. To facilitate sending directions, please include your e-mail address with your check or when you register, otherwise please include your mailing address. Single trips: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, and SHBO volunteers $10, with no cancellations or refunds. Trips go in any weather, usually to midafternoon. Bring lunch, weather-appropriate gear, binoculars, and scopes when appropriate. Upon receipt of check, directions with instructions will be e-mailed or sent, usually one week in advance.
Please note change in start times for many trips and new fee schedule.

Trips include:

Saturday, December 6
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
The North Shore ponds and Manasquan Inlet for seabirds, rare gulls, and waterfowl.
Saturday, December 6
Meet: 8:45 a.m.
Big Timber Creek in Gloucester County with Lloyd Shaw for winter passerines.
Saturday, December 13
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Naturalist and birder Rick Radis takes you for a visit to Island Beach State Park for winter specialties.
Saturday, January 3
Meet: 8:45 a.m.
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge with Rob Fanning for winter raptors and passerines.
Saturday, January 3
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Merrill Creek Reservoir and the Alpha Grasslands for winter waterfowl and surprises.
Saturday, January 17
Meet at noon
Barnegat Light State Park, the best place to see a Harlequin Duck in N.J. and lots of other great birds. With Pete and Lloyd Shaw. We will end the day at Cedar Run in search of Short-eared Owls.
Saturday, January 24
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Join Linda Mack for a day of birding at Sandy Hook.
Saturday, January 31   
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Join senior naturalist Scott Barnes for an exploration of some of his favorite secret winter birding spots at Sandy Hook.
Saturday, February 7
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Associate naturalist Mike Britt will take you birding at Liberty State Park and the New Jersey Meadowlands for winter waterfowl, gulls, raptors, and passerines.
Friday, February 13, to Monday, February 16
SHBO’s annual birding and dining weekend in northeastern Massachusetts (see below).
Saturday, February 21
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Pete’s annual excursion to the North Shore ponds and Manasquan Inlet for wintering coastal birds.
Saturday, February 21
Meet at 9:00 a.m.
Taylor’s Refuge, aka Amica Island, is the birding destination. With associate naturalist Lloyd Shaw.
Saturday, February 28
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Join Scott Barnes for a tour of the winter birding spots on the Raritan Bayshore. No one knows this area better than Scott.
 

SUNDAY FIELD TRIPS WITH OUR ASSOCIATE NATURALISTS
By caravan with our associate naturalists to seasonally productive areas. Registration fees must be mailed to the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory seven days in advance, as our associate naturalists do not accept trip registration fees on the day of the field trip. Single trips: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, and $10 for SHBO volunteers, with no cancellations or refunds. To facilitate sending directions, please include your e-mail address with your check or when you register, otherwise please include your mailing address. Trips go in any weather, usually to early afternoon. Bring lunch, weather-appropriate clothing, and binoculars. Upon receipt of check, directions with instructions will be mailed, usually one week in advance. Please note new fee schedule.

Trips include:

Sunday, December 7
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Associate naturalists Andy Lamy and Terry Carruthers will take you for a late fall day of birding at Merrill Creek and Spruce Run Reservoirs and the Alpha Grasslands.
Sunday, January 11
Meet at 7:00 a.m.
Long-time SHBO associate naturalist Bruce Fetz will take you on a winter birding adventure at Sandy Hook.
Sunday, January 18
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Huber Woods will be explored with Monmouth County Park’s own Andrew Spears for winter passerines.
Sunday, January 25
Meet at 7:00 a.m.
Sandy Hook birding guru Tom Boyle will take you to some of his favorite birding haunts in search of seabirds, gulls, and winter passerines.
Sunday, February 1
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Sandy Hook with associate naturalist Carole Hughes for waterfowl, gulls, seabirds, and surprises.
Sunday, February 8
Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Join Pete for a day at Merrill Creek Reservoir and the Alpha Grasslands for winter waterfowl and surprises.
Sunday, February 15
Meet at 2:00 p.m.
Ken Witkowski will scour the Wallkill River NWR for passerines and raptors and, at days’ end, a visit with the refuge’s Short-eared Owls.
Sunday, February 22
Meet at 7:00 a.m.
Bruce Fetz will take you for a winter day of birding at Sandy Hook for waterfowl, gulls, and seabirds.
 

BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS
WITH PATRICK BELARDO
Sunday, February 8
8:00 a.m. to noon
If you are new to birding, this is the bird walk for you. Join Patrick as he introduces you to the fundamentals of bird identification while visiting the diverse habitats of Sandy Hook. Bring binoculars and wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Meet at the visitor’s center parking lot. Free to the public; preregister by calling 732.872.2500.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, January 31
An optics workshop with Pete Bacinski. All that you want to know about binoculars and scopes.
Friday to Monday, February 13 to 16
SHBO’s thirteenth New England birding van trip to Newburyport and Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and other New England hotspots (see below).

THE SANDY HOOK PIPER

Thanks: To John Salerno, a special thanks for all his volunteering efforts for many years as our Saturday iron man; to Rudy May, who we lost last summer, thanks for everything; to the superb crew of weekday volunteers: Bonnie Strand, Irwin and Sharon Tentchner, Barbara Murray, June McMahon, Kathy Covington, Trina Anderson, David Royce, Georgia Dempster, Carol Coyne, Kevin Keating, Tom Tarlach, Anne Galli, Lynne Warner, and Dona Radey; to Bonnie Strand for her excellent work with the Web site and field trip arrangements; to Irwin Lentchner for his tireless hours working with the POS, the inventory, and volunteer coordination; to Linda Mack for her great help with the books and in the bookstore; to Kevin Keating for computer assistance, photo assistance, and special projects; Anne Galli, Dona Radey and Lynne Warner for all their efforts with publicity and special projects; Sharon Lentchner for her efforts in the bookstore; Henry Fallon for all his computer rescues; Jim O’Malley and Mike Lyncheski for being there for us; to our excellent weekend volunteers: Colette Buchanan, Janet Stadelmeier, Laura Hardy, Helena Bauernschmitt, Sandra Escala, Teri Catalano, Breda May, Patrick Belardo, Mike Blasenheim, Donna Juettner, Elaine Long, Brian Clough, and Sussana Treesh; to our great fillin volunteers Gloria Deodato, Ron Blandon, Linda Stehlik and John McCarthy; to our excellent associate naturalists: Patrick Belardo, Tom Boyle, Michael Britt, Terry Carruthers, Rob Fanning, Bruce Fetz, Carole Hughes, Andy Lamy, Frank Lenik, Linda Mack, Susan Phelon, Rick Radis, Lloyd Shaw, Andrew Spears, and Ken Witkowski; to the Navesink Garden Club, Anne Galli and Ted and Linda Krulikowski for their wonderful efforts with our garden; to Carole Hughes, Denis Cleary, Jason Guerard and Norann Hein for help with bookstore issues; to Kathleen Mistretta for all her help with the travel program; to Debra LaQuaglia for help with the Newark Star-Ledger column; to Laurie Larson for all she does for N.J. birding and NJAS; Lyda Spear for membership assistance, and Greg Hartman for maintenance help and his gardening expertise.

SPECIAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE

The Sandy Hook Bird Observatory has a need for volunteer help on weekends, to help open the center and work the bookstore and gift shop, and on weekdays, also to help in the store and to assist our staff. For weekends, we are looking for a commitment of one or more Saturday mornings, afternoons or all day, or one or more Sundays per month, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For weekdays, we are also looking for a weekly one-day commitment to help at the center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. If you can help us during these periods, please do not hesitate to call SHBO and ask for Pete or Scott. Please come be a part of our wonderful SHBO volunteer family.

NEW ENGLAND VAN TRIP ON PRESIDENTS’ WEEKEND
Friday to Monday, February 13 to 16

Join us for our thirteenth annual adventure to one of America’s greatest winter birding areas. We will visit Newburyport, Amesbury, and Salisbury for hot birding locations around the Merrimack River and Parker River NWR (Plum Island), and over to spectacular Cape Ann (Rockport and Gloucester) peninsula, all in Massachusetts, in search of alcids, rare gulls, waterfowl, Bald Eagles, Snowy Owls, Lapland Longspurs, unusual winter passerines (especially finches) and other raptors. We will monitor hotlines for rarities and may venture up to Maine if the birds are right. Previous trips have featured Eared Grebe, Dovekie, Thick-billed Murre, Razorbill, Gyrfalcon, Bohemian Waxwing, and Thayer’s Gull. Package includes van transportation and lodging.
Cost is $525, plus single supplement of $75. Van(s) leave Sandy Hook Friday at 7:00 a.m. and Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary at 8:15 a.m., returning Monday evening. Participation limited to fourteen. Please register before February 1 by sending a $50 per person (nonrefundable) deposit.

 

Members receive discounts on program fees. If you are not a member and would like to become one, consider Joining New Jersey Audubon Society.