Orange County Audubon Society

Welcome to the Website of New York’s Orange County Audubon Society 

Advancing the public’s awareness of conservation for
the benefit of Birds and all wildlife.

 ↠If you have found an injured bird:
Click Here to Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator Near You

If you have found a baby bird:
Click Here for Advice on Whether Action is Necessary

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  CLICK HERE FOR OUR EVENTS CALENDAR

WELCOME TO ORANGE COUNTY AUDUBON

We are a Member Chapter of the National Audubon Society.
Our primary focus is birds and bird habitat, and our chapter works
to foster appreciation for and conservation of all aspects of the environment.

We steward 5 sanctuaries of bird and wildlife refuge in Orange County, NY.
You can call us by our acronym: OCAS.

About OCASJoin UsOur Sanctuaries 

BECOME A MEMBER

Click below to Join or Renew your Orange County Audubon Society membership today. 
Join OCAS and receive email updates (scroll down for email sign up) about these and our other events.

Thank you for your continued support of OCAS, your local Audubon Chapter. We appreciate each donation and membership, as well as your love of birds and bird habitat.

Northern Flicker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker on a tree stump in Warwick New York
Red-Bellied Woodpecker on a tree stump in Warwick New York
Red-Bellied Woodpecker on a tree stump in Warwick New York
Red-Bellied Woodpecker on a tree stump in Warwick New York

FIELD TRIPS

Our field trips (not hikes), although designed primarily for bird watching, are intended to create interest in flora, fauna, and all natural beauty in Orange County and vicinity. The public is always welcome.

Click here for our Field Trips.

                              UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

 

Diverse Aquatic Birds

Monday, September 30th from 5:30-6:30pm

Join Walter Jahn, biologiest and OCAS board member, as he presents an overview of the diverse aquatic birds of Orange County, from herons to sandpipers. Participants may join in person at the SUNY Orange Rowley Center room 128, Middletown campus, or via Zoom at the following link: https://sunyorange.zoom.us/j/93429213629

 

 

Raptors: Hawks, Eagles, Vultures, Falcons

Monday, October 7th from 5:30-6:30pm

Join Walter Jahn, biologiest and OCAS board member, as he presents a survey of raptor diversity and adaptations in Orange County from hawks and eagles to vultures and falcons. Participants may join in person at the SUNY Orange Rowley Center room 128, Middletown campus, or via Zoom at the following link: https://sunyorange.zoom.us/j/93429213629

 

 

 

Field Trip to Liberty Loop Trail

Tuesday, October 8th at 5pm

Join Dr. Walter Jahn on a nature walk along the Liberty Loop trail in the Wallkill National Wildlife Reserve to look for migrating waterfowl and other wildlife!  Leaving Tuesday 10/8 5 PM from parking area.

Click here for a map of the Liberty Loop Trail

 

 

 

 

Birding Beyond the Backyard

Thursday, October 10th from 6-7:00pm

A program for those who enjoy watching birds and want to take their basic birding skills to the next level. Do sparrows confuse you? Trouble telling Downy from Hairy? This program covers bird identification along with suggestions on equipment and good local birding spots
Presented by Jim Van Gelder, seasoned birder and OCAS Field Trip Committee chair, this program will cover basics of bird identification along with suggestions for equipment and good local birding spots.
Call the library at 845-477-8377 to register.

 

 

 

 

Owls, Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds

Tuesday, October 15th from 5:30-6:30pm

Join Walter Jahn, biologiest and OCAS board member, as he presents a survey of diverse non-passerine birds in Orange County, from owls to woodpeckers and hummingbirds. Participants may join in person at the SUNY Orange Rowley Center room 128, Middletown campus, or via Zoom at the following link: https://sunyorange.zoom.us/j/93429213629

 

 

 

Nature Walk at the Bashakill

Saturday, October 19th from 8-9:30am

Join Dr. Walter Jahn on a nature walk along the Bashakill to look for migrating waterfowl and other wildlife!  Saturday, 10/19 from 8 to 9:30 AM meeting at the boat launch along South Road (across from the winery).

 

 

 

 

Songbirds Presentation #1: Flycatchers, Swallows, Thrushes

Monday, October 21st from 5:30-6:30pm

Join Walter Jahn, biologiest and OCAS board member, as he presents a survey of many groups of Orange County songbirds from flycatchers to thrushes. Participants may join in person at the SUNY Orange Rowley Center room 128, Middletown campus, or via Zoom at the following link: https://sunyorange.zoom.us/j/93429213629

 

 

Winterizing Your Garden for Birds & Pollinators – Cohosted by the Newburgh Free Library

Wednesday, October 23rd from 6:30-7:30pm

Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand Street, Newburgh NY

As fall approaches, many of us start thinking about cleaning up our yards and gardens. Following five simple steps can help turn your garden into a winter haven for birds and pollinators! Learn about each step and how birds and pollinators utilize our gardens throughout the fall and winter. Presented by Pam Golben, environmental educator.

 

 

Songbirds Presentation #2: Diverse Songbirds

Monday, October 28th from 5:30-6:30pm

Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand Street, Newburgh NY

Join Walter Jahn, biologist and OCAS board member, as he presents a survey of many groups of Orange County songbirds from blackbirds to cardinals and sparrows.
Participants may join in person at the SUNY Orange Rowley Center room 128, Middletown campus, or via Zoom at the following link:

 

 

 

Bird ID for Beginners

Tuesday, October 29th from 5-6:00pm

Do you enjoy watching birds and want to work on your identification skills? We will discuss some of the keys to bird ID: looking at size and shape, colors and patterns, habitat, behaviors and sounds. This is a multimedia program that will introduce you to the birds local to our area and will help you become more confident at identifying the birds you see every day.
Presented by Walter Jahn, seasoned birder and biologist, this program will cover basics of bird identification along with suggestions for equipment and good local birding spots.
Call the Mamakating Library at 845-888-8004 to register.

 

 

 

 

Winterizing Your Garden for Birds & Pollinators, cohosted by the Albert Wisner Public Library

Thursday, November 14th from 6:30-7:30pm

As fall approaches, many of us start thinking about cleaning up our yards and gardens. Following five simple steps can help turn your garden into a winter haven for birds and pollinators! Learn about each step and how birds and pollinators utilize our gardens throughout the fall and winter.
Presented by Pam Golben, environmental educator.

 

 

 

 

We hope to see you soon!

Click here for recent events

OUR SANCTUARIES

OCAS maintains 5 wildlife refuges, totaling some 300 acres, in Goshen, Warwick, and Montgomery.  Many of these sanctuaries are open to the public during daylight hours for bird watching and the quiet study of nature, including photography and painting.

Click here for more about OCAS sanctuaries in Orange County.