Bird Walk at Constitution Marsh with Young Birder Arabella P.

Saturday, September 12th - 7:30am

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Registration is free but donations are welcome

Join young birder and naturalist Arabella P. for a morning of adventures at Constitution Marsh in Putnam County on Saturday, September 12th. The roughly 270-acre Audubon Sanctuary, situated between the eastern shores of the Hudson River and Constitution Island, encompasses large swaths of tidal and brackish wetlands as well as deciduous forests.

The marsh’s wetlands themselves are thought to be roughly 4,000 to 5,000 years old, formed as glaciers receded, creating the channels of water and small islands that define the landscape today. In the 1830s, local farmers created additional channels to improve their wild-rice farming, further shaping the marsh’s intricate maze of waterways. These waterways and wetlands are now home to bitterns, herons, and an abundance of Canada Geese and other wetland wildlife.

Constitution Marsh is also part of a landscape with a complicated industrial history. Located near Foundry Cove, which became so heavily contaminated with cadmium that it was once described as the most polluted cadmium site in the world, the marsh itself was eventually affected by the contamination. Remediation efforts have been underway since to ensure the health of the waterway and surrounding communities, human and nonhuman alike. 

While birding this vibrant expanse of tidal marshes located at the intersection of the Hudson River and Indian Brook, we can expect to encounter a diversity of passerine species, including Northern Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-winged Blackbirds, Indigo Buntings, and Cedar Waxwings. We may also be treated to various migrating species including Spotted Sandpipers, Olive-sided Flycatchers, and Lincoln's Sparrows.

 As we explore the sanctuary’s varied habitat, we’ll also encounter many of the native plants being planted as part of ongoing habitat restoration efforts, including cattails, Red Maples, the Northeast’s two species of jewelweed, a variety of dogwoods, and Swamp Mallow. And as we bird, we may even catch a glimpse of one of the sanctuary’s resident beavers – or more likely hear the unmistakable slap of a tail on the water as it warns us to keep our distance.

Come prepared for a morning of birds, plants, and other wildlife, as we explore this remarkable Hudson River marsh.