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Seaway Trail Has Reputation for Excellence

Editor — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:14:14 +0000

Situated along the shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River in New York State, the Seaway Trail is a bird watcher’s haven. This is a place where you will find a massive variety of songbirds, raptors, waterfowl and shorebirds in one relatively small area. Most people are not even aware it exists and are surprised to learn that this bountiful bird refuge is located right on their doorstep.

It seems all that is about to change. Local birding groups have joined forces with Seaway Trail Inc. to do their utmost to promote the region as a premier birding destination. Seaway Trail Inc. is a not-for-profit tourism organization, so they could definitely use the extra help. The idea is to make use of an on-going series of promotional events that last the entire year and essentially helps to promote the Seaway Trail. Promoters are also working on a birding guidebook to the region, which comes complete with a CD to help birders identify the different species more easily. They ultimately hope that birders will quickly see what an exceptional ornithological resource the Seaway Trail is – and the fact that it is just a few hours away from some major cities is a definite plus. Those in the know say that the trail may potentially rival other premier birding destinations such as Cape May in New Jersey, The World Birding Center in Texas and Delmarva Peninsula in Chesapeake Bay. And, with more and more people looking for easy ways to get back to nature and relax a little, an easy to reach wilderness spot like the Seaway Trail is ideal.

The Seaway Trail is 518 miles in length and home to a wide variety of bird habitats, making for exceptional bird diversity. Those looking to get started on the trail would do best to make a stop at the trail’s headquarters in Sackets Harbor, where they will not only be given an introduction to bird watching in the region, but they will also be supplied with a number of maps and brochures that will point out hot spots to make life easier. You can expect to easily see birds such as warblers, orioles, flycatchers, sparrows, cuckoos, tanagers and thrushes – all in the same morning! So if you live in New York State and you’ve never enjoyed this fantastic natural feature before, make sure you get down to the Seaway Trail as soon as you can.

Official Migratory Bird Havens Now Available in East End Parks

Editor — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:44:57 +0000

As part of efforts to boost the success rates of nesting birds in the region, some 2 140 acres of state parkland have been set aside on Long Island’s East End as a conservation area. The protected area will be the 50th such designated zone for birds in New York State and will greatly benefit species such as piping plovers and ospreys.

Most of the Napeague State Park is included in the newly defined zone, as is the western side of Hither Hills State Park. Both parks are incredibly popular and see hundreds of visitors annually. Regular park users will be happy to know that the newly designated area will not bring about a prohibition of regular recreational activities formally permitted in the park, and park goers will still be able to go camping. The main reason that the bird haven was created was to ensure that officials give habitat preservation of the many different birds that can be found here the utmost priority. The new bird haven program will also serve to educate the public about birds in the area and ensure that various havens are clearly demarked with new signs.

There are a number of delightful birds living in the new bird haven and it is hoped that these efforts will boost numbers by improving nesting activities. The beaches and marshland around Napeague Harbour provide the perfect habitat for a number of threatened beach-nesting bird species, such as least terns. The area is also widely used by a number of migratory birds that stop over here to feed on insects or fruit before continuing on their way. The marshes are a great place for short-eared owls and northern harriers, while the beaches and dunes are perfect for species such as the piping plover.

The New York bird conservation area program was created in 1997 as part of efforts to safeguard and enhance existing bird populations in a number of state-owned areas. It is not a means to set up new laws within existing laws, but rather serves to educate people, to bolster protection efforts and to assist with management and research projects. The sites selected for the program are chosen for their abundance of birds, and the new East End area is no exception. The Napeague area is one of the largest unbroken maritime zones on Eastern Long Island and so its importance to the bird populations cannot be overstated.

Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary

Editor — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:42:42 +0000

The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary, a non-profit organization which is situated at 43 Red Pond Road, Petersburgh, New York, was started in 1972 by Peter Dubacher largely as a labor of love. The sanctuary is a safe haven for disabled and injured birdsto rehabilitate to the extent that they are able, with about 40% of the birds living, and thriving, at the sanctuary for the rest of their lives, while others are released into their natural habitat once it has been established that they will benefit from this.

With over 1,000 birds representing close to 100 different species, the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary has grown to be one of the largest bird sanctuaries in the U.S.A. The sanctuary custom designs each resident’s habitat, taking into account what their natural habitat would be and adapting that to suit the particular bird’s disability, while providing a challenge to encourage them to reach the full potential of their particular circumstances.

Captive breeding with the aim of releasing into the wild is being successfully carried out at the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary. On 12 April 1999, two disabled Golden Eagles, Marilyn and Ross, hatched two eaglets. As would often be the case in their natural habitat, only the strongest eaglet survived – they named her Dotty. Dotty was successfully raised and released from the specialized release facility. The area includes a roosting tower which the disabled parents reached by means of a series of platforms and ropes. When she was ready, Dotty took off from the tower, stayed in the area for a number of months and then spread her wings to travel further afield, calling back from time to time to see her parents.

In 2003 two American Bald Eagles were hatched, raised and released from the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary. Captive breeding of American Bald Eagles – the national symbol of the U.S.A. – is considered to be a near-impossible task, but one that Peter Dubacher and the staff at the sanctuary achieved.

The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary has earned a reputation for never turning away an injured or disabled bird, which has resulted in all sorts of birds being brought in by concerned citizens and wildlife officials – from a pigeon crippled by a cruelly aimed stone in a New York suburb, to an eagle mauled by a bear in Alaska.

The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary receives no government funding and, therefore, relies on donations and sanctuary entrance fees for the upkeep of the sanctuary. Their ongoing educational program brings to people’s attention the beauty of nature in the world around us, as well as the need to respect the fact that all life is precious and we, as humans, are an integral part of the amazing web of life.