Friends of Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge

Palm Warbler, one of several spotted today in the Refuge as they migrate on their northward journey. They're always a delight to see!

April 19th is the deadline for the Department of the Interior’s Earth Day Art Contest. For children ages 5-18, it’s time to get those creative juices flowing! Submit your work of art that represents your connection to the Earth. It can be visual, literary, or even performance art! Submissions may be uploaded to the link below before midnight on April 19th: http://ow.ly/qVGf50Emlg5

Eastern Meadowlark: Just one of the fabulous singers you might find in the Grasslands this Spring. Hope you have the chance to see these amazing birds and enjoy their melodious song!

Happy Friday, April 9th and welcome to Kids' Corner! It seems that this new addition to our Facebook page has sparked interest with our younger visitors so I am going to make it a monthly (maybe even twice-monthly) addition to all of the wonderful information you can find here. So thank you for the encouragement and enjoy! Kids' Corner: The American Robin is a very popular bird at our refuge. As the sun is rising, one of the first birds you will hear singing is the robin.... Did you know that robins actually have a sweet tooth? In addition to worms and bugs, they love to eat berries, sweet jelly and even pastry dough! (I hope someone reminds them to brush their beak before bed!) They are really fast runners and can fly up to 35 miles per hour. The females lay 3-5 light blue eggs. If you are really lucky, you may find a bit of eggshell on the ground under a tree after a baby robin has hatched. Just like kittens, baby robins are born with their eyes tightly shut and will open them around five days after hatching. When they are about 16 days old, they will jump from their nest and start sleeping in sheltered tree branches, just like their parents. It will take them another 10-15 days to become strong and independent, and then off they go! Come visit us at the refuge and see if you can spot the American Robin! See more

On March 15th, a prescribed burn was held at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Preserve. The burns restore wildlife habitat by stimulating the growth of native grasses and hinder invasive, non-native grasses and woody vegetation. The burns are carefully timed to avoid harming ground-nesting birds and the over-wintering Short-Eared Owls. They are completed in one day, with active burning time of 3-4 hours. Crews from the USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), NYSDEC and the US Air Force participated. Look at how the grasses are already renewing! The raptors were out in full force as it is now easy feeding grounds for them until the grasses return. Happy Spring!

With great pleasure we announce that Karen Maloy Brady is our newest member to join the FoSGNWR board. Karen's knowledge, enthusiasm, and helping hand for the wonderful Refuge that we enjoy are so appreciated. We're delighted to have her with us! Please join us in giving her a warm welcome.

February is National Bird-Feeding Month! This adorable Black-capped Chickadee is enjoying some sunflower seed at our feeding station along the driveway. Seed for these feeders is provided by our Friends group memberships and by donations. Many thanks to all our generous members and supporters!... Our beautiful gazebo has a "Bird Seed Donations" box. Next time you're headed out that way, please consider making a donation towards feeding our little visitors. Thank you and the birds will be so grateful!

Thank you, Chuck Fox, for all that you do. We truly appreciate it.

Thank you to Bill Siebert for bringing some much needed levity with his very funny post...I often wonder what the wildlife have to say about us crazy birders standing out in the freezing cold! Stay safe during the storm, everyone!

Here's a page to learn some bird songs you all might enjoy. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us//bird_songs_interac/index.html

An article about the Grasslands was posted today. https://www.celeryfarm.net///my-column-shawangunk-nwr.html

If you should come across this, it is NOT a fundraiser for our refuge. The owner says it's a FB glitch. Just wanted to clear up any possible confusion.

Sharing this information from the Linnaean Society of NY. We encourage our members to help educate new birders and photographers how important their behaviors are. Thank you.

Are you an educator looking for exciting and hands-on ways to engage young people? Our School Seedling Program is now open for applications. Receive free trees ...or shrubs for your school or educational organization and inspire your students with hands-on experiences that can easily be done while safely social distancing. Find out more and sign up for DEC’s School Seedling program today! https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9393.html

As we fly into 2021 and reflect upon the past year -- a difficult one, for sure -- the Friends of Shawangunk Grasslands NWR extend our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters and our wonderful members. We're grateful to you all! Our very best wishes to everyone for good health and happiness in the New Year. Stay safe and enjoy the holiday!

Kids' Corner: I'll bet you recognize this crazy cartoon character - but did you ever see a "Woody Woodpecker" in real life? This is a picture I took of one at the Grasslands this month. Its official name is Pileated Woodpecker. They eat insects, nuts, and fruits but their favorite meal is ANTS! They use their very strong beak to dig rectangular-shaped holes in trees, looking for these tasty treats. If you hear a bird tapping loudly or making a sound like loud laughing, a Pileated Woodpecker may be nearby! Happy birding!

Merry Christmas! Best wishes to all our dear friends for a holiday filled with joy, laughter, and warm memories.

Here is the final version of the new map indicating trail closures effective Friday December 18th. 200 of these maps have already been distributed at the Refuge.... Large "Trail closed" signs will be posted at the X's on this map. Please respect the Short-eared Owls by not walking past these signs. Thanks again for your cooperation in helping us protect this iconic endangered species. See more