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• Field Trip: Park Hill Orchard

  • When
    April 30, 2025
  •  
    6:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    82 Park Hill Rd., Easthampton, MA
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join Jim Lafley as we look for early migrating warblers and vireos, but may also see thrushes, hawks, and sparrows. We will be walking about a mile round trip on a dirt road through the orchard and then onto a forest road. It is fairly flat, uneven terrain, but the grass can be wet in the morning, so rubber or waterproof boots are recommended. Park at the Park Hill Orchard store, 82 Park Hill Rd., Easthampton. Tick protection is advised. Please note there are no facilities or rest stops at this location. Questions? Email Jim at jimlafley@gmail.com. Limited to 10 participants. (E/M) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Wood-warblers of New England with Bill Gette

  • When
    May 01, 2025
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
  • Location
    Online

  Thursday, May 1, 2025 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

  Wood-warblers of New England with Bill Gette

  Co-sponsored by Brookline Bird Club and Hampshire Bird Club

  
  

  Wood-warblers, the Gems of the Forest, are one of the most exciting groups of birds. Living in New England, we are blessed by the many warbler species that move into our area in the spring to nest. We also get to see the warblers that pass through our area in the spring and fall in route to and from their northern breeding ranges. During his richly illustrated PowerPoint presentation, Bill Gette, Founding Director of the Joppa Flats Education Center, will show you images of 30 warbler species and review their taxonomy and nomenclature, discuss key aids to field identification, explain their feeding ecology and migration strategies, and review other interesting information. Bill will also tell you about important areas where you can find warblers.

  
  

  USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WORKSHOP:

   https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Uj3Z0GNIQv6-lge6_X1XEw

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• Field Trip: Park Hill Orchard

  • When
    May 07, 2025
  •  
    6:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    82 Park Hill Rd., Easthampton, MA
  • Spaces left
    4

  Register

  Join Jim Lafley as we look for early migrating warblers and vireos, but may also see thrushes, hawks, and sparrows. We will be walking about a mile round trip on a dirt road through the orchard and then onto a forest road. It is fairly flat, uneven terrain, but the grass can be wet in the morning, so rubber or waterproof boots are recommended. Park at the Park Hill Orchard store, 82 Park Hill Rd., Easthampton. Tick protection is advised. Please note there are no facilities or rest stops at this location. Questions? Email Jim at jimlafley@gmail.com. Limited to 10 participants. (E/M) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Field Trip: Mineral Hills Conservation Area

  • When
    May 10, 2025
  •  
    7:00 AM - 10:00 AM
  • Location
    Turkey Hill Road, Florence, MA
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join Betsy Higgins and Marcia Merithew in a trip around and in this old quarry site. Highlights can include Prairie Warblers, Eastern Towhees, Ravens, Red-shouldered Hawks, as well as a variety of warblers and vireos. Meet in the parking lot at the end of Turkey Hill Road in Florence. This will be a moderate walk on uneven ground with some short inclines/declines. Please note there are no facilities or rest stops at this location. Tick protection advised. Questions? Contact Marcia at mmerithew@comcast.net. Limited to 10 participants. (M) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Field Trip: Spring Migrants on Mt. Tom

  • When
    May 11, 2025
  •  
    7:00 AM - 10:00 AM
  • Location
    Mt. Tom West Gate, Easthampton, MA
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join Peggy MacLeod and Derek Allard on the west end of the paved road below the Mt. Tom ridge, an area that has become a favorite spot of Prairie warblers, winter wrens, and Eastern towhees. Other likely suspects we may counter include Worm-eating, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Magnolia, and Tennessee warblers, several thrush and vireo species, Rose-breasted grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, and Peregrine Falcon. Meet at the west gate on Route 141 (opposite Tavern on the Hill restaurant). If the lot is full, park on the lower end of the Tavern parking lot and watch traffic crossing! We will walk about 1.5 to 2 miles on a slight upward incline and back, so please plan accordingly. Please note there are no facilities or rest stops at this location. Questions? Email Peggy at sunraven99@gmail.com. Limited to 15 participants. (E) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• HBC's May meeting - How Birds Created the World … and Other Stories from "The Complete Language of Birds", with Randi Minetor

  • When
    May 13, 2025
  •  
    7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Location
    Wesley United Methodist Church

  
  

  Ancient Egyptians believed that the Earth began as an egg laid by a giant goose. Ojibwa people of America’s northern plains tell of a Great Flood that swept away the world’s evils, and the bird that braved the deep waters to bring a bit of soil up from the bottom to restart the continent. European scientists once believed that geese survived the winters by turning themselves into barnacles and adhering to the bottoms of ships, transforming back into birds in spring. These and many other tales told in Randi Minetor’s latest book, The Complete Language of Birds, bring us back to a time when birds seemed like magical beings with the answers for so many of the world’s questions.

  
  

  Bestselling author Randi Minetor writes the Birdfinding and Best Easy Bird Guides series for Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Press and is the author of Backyard Birding and Butterfly Gardening and Best Easy Day Hikes: Buffalo. Her most recent book, The Complete Language of Birds, is an encyclopedia that unites classic illustrations, science, folklore, and mythology about more than 400 bird species around the world. She writes for Birding Magazine, is a regional report editor for North American Birds, and served for three years as president of the Rochester Birding Association.  

  
  

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• Birding for Everyone: Warblers and the Importance of Focusing on One Bird at a Time

  • When
    May 15, 2025
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Online

  
  

  Arguably the trickiest family of birds to identify, warblers, with their vibrant colors and frenetic habits, are also among the most rewarding to see. We we build on the skills discussed in April to get more in depth with tips to increase your warbler experiences. The presentation will be brief (30 minutes or less) and will allow for plenty of time for your questions on any birding related topic.

  Zoom meeting link
  
  

  Meeting ID: 868 5011 0594
  Passcode: 502884

  Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

  All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.
  

  
  

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• Birding for Everyone: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton

  • When
    May 17, 2025
  •  
    8:45 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton, MA

  
  

  Warbler migration will be at its peak in the third week in May so what better place to go to one of the best warbler locations in the county. We will walk a short route around the wonderful habitats the sanctuary offers right near the parking area. Walking will be minimal and will will accommodate the accessibility needs of all attendees.
  

  Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sMZbMshppuNZGK5CA

  Register: https://bit.ly/2025bfe

  Questions? Email dallard@hampshirebirdclub.org.
  

  Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

  All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.

  Show details
• Field Trip: Wildwood Cemetery

  • When
    May 18, 2025
  •  
    8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    Amherst, MA
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join avid bird watcher and wildlife biologist Dave King for a trip through the Wildwood Cemetery grounds. We will likely see a variety of migrant birds returning from their winter homes in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The terrain is a mix of dirt roads and woodland paths, including some gentle hills. Meet at the cemetery office in the brick Dickinson Farmhouse. Parking is available at the Wildwood Farmhouse (cemetery business entrance is across from the Wildwood Elementary School) and the Main Entrance (top of Strong Street). Please do not park on the grass, and be respectful of the grounds and the people who come to mourn. Restroom facilities are available at the start/end point. Questions? Contact Rebecca Fricke, General Manager, at amherst.cemetery@verizon.net. Limited to 15 participants. (E) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Field Trip: Monhegan Island Overnight

  • Start
    May 23, 2025
  •  
    6:00 AM
  • End
    May 26, 2025
  •  
    5:00 PM
  • Location
    Monhegan Island, Maine
  • Spaces left
    0

  The Hampshire Bird Club has a long history with this enchanting Island located ten miles off the coast of Maine. Our first of many trips was in the fall of 1984, and over the years we have experienced some amazing fallouts of birds. Of course, birding is very dependent on the weather. For those of you who have never had the chance to visit Monhegan, it’s an all-walking weekend, easy to moderate, depending on where you wander off to. The only vehicles on the Island belong to the residents and inns. We stay at the Trailing Yew – the cost of the trip and lodging is TBD. Questions? Email Scott at ssurner@aol.com. Limited to 12 participants. Please register online – you will be contacted with further details as the trip is finalized.

  Note: overnight trips are limited to current HBC members only. Registration has ended – this trip is full, with a waitlist. 
  

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• Field Trip: UMass Campus Bird Collection and Campus Bird Watching

  • When
    May 30, 2025
  •  
    8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Location
    Amherst, MA
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Note date change. Join Bill Randolph in exploring the UMass campus, a great place to find bird diversity. We will look and listen for the nesting peregrine falcons on DeBois Library, and then search for warblers, sparrows and vireos amongst the over 8,000 managed trees and campus pond. Eventually, we will head to the Morrill Science Building and test our skills at identifying different taxidermied bird study skins from the collection including different warblers, accipiters, falcons and a pileated woodpecker. Plan on traveling up to a mile on pavement conditions. Meet in front of the UMass DuBois Library, a few minutes' walk from the parking garage on Campus Center Way off of Commonwealth Ave. Option to have lunch at the Campus Center afterwards. Questions? Email Bill at warandolph@comcast.net. Limited to 12 participants. (E) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Field Trip: Hilltown Rambles

  • When
    May 31, 2025
  •  
    7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Berkshire Hilltowns, MA
  • Spaces left
    8

  Register

  Join Dave Gross and Donna Lee Ubertalli as they ramble around the various Berkshire Hilltowns from Northampton to Windsor to look for those migrants that prefer higher elevations than the valley provides. We’ll be on the lookout for American Bittern, Sandhill Cranes, Blackburnian Warblers, and Spotted Sandpipers along with anything else we can turn up. 

  This trip involves mostly walking on flat, uneven terrain, along with hiking at the hilly Moran Wildlife Area, and birding from cars. Meet at the Northampton Stop & Shop (Kingsgate Mall) parking lot at 7 AM to organize our carpool/caravan. Pack a lunch or pick one up at our rest stop at the Cummington Creamery. Plan for the weather and insect pests. There are two bathroom stops in the morning and at the Creamery. Depending on our preferences, there should be another in the afternoon. We aim to return to Northampton by 4 PM. Questions? Contact Dave at djgross@gmail.com or 413-687-8161. Limited to 10 participants. (E/M/S)

  Please see the HBC guidelines on carpooling >

  Field Trip designations:
  

  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads.
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes.
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.

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• HBC's Spring Picnic!

  • When
    June 03, 2025
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton

  Our final fling of the spring, before HBC goes on its summer hiatus. BYO picnic dinner and drinks, and we can all share how our spring birding went, and what we have planned for the summer. We aim to start eating around 6, but come early to see what birds are breeding in or still migrating through Arcadia, or to help us set up chairs and tables for the picnic. See you there!
  

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• Field Trip: Slow Trip and Bobolink/Field Bird Big at Sit Silvio O. Conte NWR–Fort River Division

  • When
    June 13, 2025
  •  
    8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Location
    69 Moody Bridge Road, Hadley, MA

  Register

  Join Bill Randolph, Harvey Alan and Carol Fournier for an exploration of the fields at the Conte Refuge including an easy walk on the farm road looking for nesting Bobolinks, Meadowlarks and Savannah Sparrows. This portion involves approximately 2 miles on a mostly flat dirt/rocky road with some slight hills. Bring your own seating as there are no benches along the road. We will explore the grasslands with views of the Holyoke Range and three marshes for waterfowl and raptors. Meet at the parking lot at 69 Moody Bridge Road in Hadley—plenty of parking is available, plus a porta-potty. Questions? Email Bill at warandolph@comcast.net. No limit on number of participants. (E)
  
  Field Trip designations:
  

  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.

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• Field Trip: Knightville Dam

  • When
    June 14, 2025
  •  
    7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Huntington, MA
  • Spaces left
    2

  Register

  Join Betsy Higgins and Marcia Merithew in an exploration of the area around the dam. We'll start at the top of the dam, then drive down to the road along the East Branch of the Westfield River. The past several years we did not have access to drive the dirt road along the East Branch so we'll park by the gate and walk as far as the group wants. Highlights include flycatchers, Bank Swallows, Spotted Sandpipers, several species of warblers, and cuckoos. There will be a combination of walking (and maybe driving if the gate is open) on dirt roads over moderately uneven terrain. Bring snacks and water and sun protection as there is no shade along the road. Meet in the JFK Middle School parking lot on Bridge Road, Northampton at 7 AM. It's about a 20-minute drive to the Knightville area. Let us know if you prefer to meet at the top of the dam at 7:30 rather than meeting at JFK School. Outhouses available at the bottom of the dam where we'll stop briefly before heading to the lower portion. No sitting areas available. Questions? Contact Marcia at mmerithew@comcast.net. Limited to 10 participants. (M) 

  Field Trip designations:
  (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
  (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
  (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.
  

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• Birding for Everyone: Herons

  • When
    June 19, 2025
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Online

  

  Herons are a unique family of birds that can be both very easy to see and very difficult to get a glimpse of. We will review the herons that appear in our area in depth during this talk and grow your appreciation for this family of birds. The presentation will be brief (30 minutes or less) and will allow for plenty of time for your questions on any birding related topic.

  Zoom meeting link
  
  

  Meeting ID: 892 1481 4684
  Passcode: 408586

  Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

  All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.
  

  
  

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• Birding for Everyone: Quabbin Park, Goodnough Dike

  • When
    June 21, 2025
  •  
    8:45 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    Quabbin Park, Goodnough Dike, Ware, MA

  
  

  Goodnough Dike offers diverse habitats within a short walk and we'll explore the different birds we find in these different habitats along the way. Quabbin being what it is, there will likely be a number of warblers still in the area as well as birds that are uniquely abundant here: Bald Eagles and Common Loons come to mind. This walk is on paved roads with an incline depending on how far we get. Even if there are zero birds (which won't happen), Goodnough Dike is a truly beautiful location worth seeing.
  

  Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8YRR5cevntug1iCh7

  Register: https://bit.ly/2025bfe

  Questions? Email dallard@hampshirebirdclub.org.
  

  Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

  All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.

  Show details