(WNY News Now) – Jamestown, N.Y. – The Chautauqua-Warren Birding Association is hosting a “Birds of Spring Walk” at Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) on Saturday, May 11.

Feel free to come and go as you please during the 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours that Devin Banning and Gary Bletsch lead this outing.

Spring migration is prime time for finding birds in Western New York. It is not unusual to see upwards of 80 species in a morning at Audubon during May. 

On an Audubon walk at this time last year, Banning spotted 270 individual birds and 81 species, including Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Virginia Rail, Sandhill Crane, Green Heron, Bald Eagle, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. You can check out his complete list at ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S136505884.

Bring binoculars if you have them; ACNC has some to borrow if you don’t. Be sure to dress for the weather, including footwear.

Reservations for this free event are appreciated but not required. They can be made by calling (716) 569-2345 during business hours or going to AudubonCNC.org and clicking through Programs and Events. 

Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa. You can visit the nearly 600-acre nature preserve, check in on the live birds of prey, enjoy the native tree arboretum, gardens, picnic area, and natural play space, and hike over five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free. 

The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the Hellbender exhibit, winners of the 2023 Nature Photography Contest, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Visitors are welcome Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1–4:30 p.m. Nature Center members and SNAP/EBT cardholders have free building admission daily. Building admission is also free every Sunday for non-Nature Center members.  

To learn more about Audubon and its many programs, call (716) 569-2345, find Audubon Community Nature Center on Facebook, or visit AudubonCNC.org. Check out AudubonCNC.org/about for a quick fly-by visit. Sunday, July 7 is the deadline for submitting or voting on entries in the 2024 Nature Photography Contest at GoGoPhotoContest.com/ACNCPhotoContest2024.