The Linnaean Society of New York is bringing a full-day birding field trip to Rye on Saturday, Dec. 5, timed to the fall migration season along Long Island Sound.
Leaders Tom Burke and Gail Benson will guide walkers through Playland Park, the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary and the Marshlands Conservancy, covering about a mile at each stop, according to the society's website.
The group will search for birds on Long Island Sound, Playland Lake and Milton Harbor, as well as in the woods and fields at both locations. Participants should prepare for cold weather and strong winds.
On past field trips to the area, participants have spotted a Calliope Hummingbird, a Gray Kingbird, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher and a Hermit Warbler, the society said. Burke and Benson will monitor recent rare-bird sightings and may adjust the route if something unusual turns up.
Registration opens Nov. 23 and closes Dec. 2 on the Linnaean Society's website.
The two preserves are also the focus of an editorial series on MyRye.com called "Birds of Rye," written by Amelie Coghlan. The Oct. 30 installment featured the Mallard, with photographs by Kara Mason, a Pleasantville nature photographer and Saw Mill River Audubon board member.
Mason, who sold her dental practice in Manhattan to pursue birding and photography, has captured images at both preserves over many seasons, including from a kayak.
She said the sites support "more than 200 species of birds."
Together, the Marshlands Conservancy and the Read Sanctuary span more than 300 acres and hold an Important Bird Area designation from the Audubon Society, MyRye.com reported.
The Marshlands Conservancy covers 147 acres and is known for its large salt marsh. The Read Sanctuary stretches across 179 acres along Long Island Sound, with brackish and freshwater ponds.
The Marshlands Conservancy is open dawn to dusk. Its entrance is on the east side of Route 1 (Boston Post Road) in Rye. Visitors can call the Marshlands at (914) 835-4466 or the Read Sanctuary at (914) 967-8720.
