How to Start Birding in Columbia County.

If you’re in your mid-twenties like I am, you might be getting a bit bored partying every weekend until sunrise (or not). Regardless, you can catch one of nature’s most beautiful live concerts, the dawn chorus. In my final years of undergrad, I had a professor require us to get up at 4:00 a.m. before sunrise to hear each bird song come in one by one. I trekked into the woods woefully un-caffeinated and grumpy, and I came out with a lifetime love for the biodiversity that exists right here in the Hudson Valley. However, there are so many ways to bird other than simply catching a dawn chorus.

If you are just starting to bird, Columbia County is an excellent place to start. Organizations like the Alan Devoe Bird Club host a myriad of events that can pique the interest of anyone, from the most experienced birders to those just starting out (see here for details on their August 30 walk at Hand Hollow). Kathryn J. Schnider’s guide “Birding in the Hudson Valley” can guide binocular carrying folks to the best sites to bird while also giving an expansive historical and ecological overview of birding in the Valley. Beakuency Magazine and accompanying Substack features interviews with local birding celebrities, and a calendar of birding events. If you are feeling inspired and want to go bird right away, here are a few of my favorite spots:  

• Ooms in the north part of Columbia County and has wonderful fields and is a great place to see ground nesting birds.  

• Overmountain in the south not only has several resident bluebirds nesting in bird houses on the property, but also one of the best views of the Catskills and Hudson River in the county!

• Hand Hollow is a wonderful place to see and hear migratory songbirds during the late summer and fall months.  

Whether you are in your mid-twenties, a bit older, or a bit younger, I encourage you to look at the fields around you, the canopies above you, and even your backyard to see the biodiversity that exists right here in Columbia County.

Birding Resources

• Ticks like the same meadows and woods that birds enjoy, so remember to bring bug spray, and wear longer tight-fitting clothing to protect yourself.

• Bring binoculars. If you don’t have your own Hudson Area Library, participates in the I BIRD NY Library Lending Program which lends binoculars and guides to anyone who wants to go bird.

• It is always good to bring a physical guide with you to ID while birding, National Geographic’s Field Guide to Birds in Eastern North America, and Sibley’s Birds of Eastern North America are both excellent guides.

• The Merlin ID app is excellent for helping beginner and intermediate birders familiarize themselves with bird songs and is able to do live IDs of bird calls as you explore.

• Remember to bring water with you while walking, and wear bright colors if you are birding in an area where people also hunt.