Birding at the Morris Arboretum

Songbirds are migrating through Morris Arboretum and lots of bird watching classes are coming up.  Of course you can always come out to the Arboretum with binoculars in hand and check out the birds all by yourself (especially in the natural wetlands area).  For more informative classes (with birding experts) and fun with other birders, here are some of the classes that you can join us for…

Birding in the Diverse Habitats of the Morris Arboretum 
Friday, September 24 and Saturday, October 9, 2010  8 am—11 am

Join Ruth and explore some of the hotspots for birds at the Morris Arboretum. We will visit the Arboretum’s natural areas including wetlands, meadows, and the woodlands along the Wissahickon Creek. These areas provide great habitat for a wide variety of birds year-round. We will see resident birds as well as migrating raptors and warblers. We will also have a chance to look for birds on the tree canopy, Out on a Limb, which will provide us with a great vantage point for viewing birds at treetop level. These sessions are for beginning or experienced bird watchers.

Birding at Manasquan (NJ) Reservoir 
Tuesday September 21, 2010 7:45 am—4 pm
Manasquan Reservoir and Park, located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, is an environmental jewel and home to over 200 bird species. The 1,200-acre park provides a variety of habitats including woods and wetlands that are great for bird watching. Great blue herons, ospreys, and double-crested cormorants can be found there. We will also be on the lookout for migrating warblers and raptors. The Reservoir, which boasts a large and varied fish population, is the best site for bald eagles in Monmouth County.

Birding Adventure in Ithaca, New York  
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, September 26, 27 and 28, 2010

We will head north for a birding adventure in Ithaca, New York, located at the base of beautiful Lake Cayuga. Our three-day visit has a variety of stops including the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. This 7,000-acre refuge, situated in the middle of one of the most active flight lanes in the Atlantic flyway, provides resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. We will also explore Sapsucker Woods, a 230-acre sanctuary where more than 200 bird species have been recorded. This sanctuary encompasses forests, ponds, ferny swamps, and abundant wildlife, and the visitor’s center features an observatory with telescopes, bird feeders, and interactive exhibits. Other stops on our trip include Robert Treman State Park, with a rugged gorge that features beautiful cascading waterfalls, and Cornell Plantations, which contains a wide range of native and cultivated varieties of trees and shrubs.

Costa Rica Birding Adventure
February 3—13, 2011
Join us for 10 days and 11 nights of birding in beautiful Costa Rica. We will have comfortable accommodations, our own bus, and expert guides who will make the trip interesting and a lot of fun. We will visit Lankester Botanical Gardens that has a world class collection of nearly a thousand varieties of plants, many of them orchids that are displayed at eye level. We will visit Alexander Skutch’s "Los Cusingos" Bird Sanctuary. This sanctuary was the home of botanist and ornithologist Alexander F. Skutch who studied birds extensively and wrote many books on bird behavior. Los Esquinas Rainforest Lodge will be another stop. Hidden in the jungle of remote Piedras Blancas National Park, the lodge is surrounded by thousands of acres of untouched wilderness. It is a retreat for nature lovers wishing to experience the sounds and sights of a tropical rainforest in a tranquil, undisturbed atmosphere. The Wilson Botanical Gardens in Las Cruces, a garden that specializes in tropical ecology, will be another stop. We will finish with three days at Savegre. This cloud forest is a paradise for birdwatchers with over 170 species of birds including the spectacular resplendent quetzal.

For descriptions and prices of these classes and others, click here>>