Birding near Windham Mountain

View the beautiful animals that soar above us

Birding is an interesting and educational way to stay fit and enjoy the great outdoors.

Greene County's varied topography – ranging from tidal marshes to towering mountain peaks - makes it a birdwatcher's paradise. Many species of birds make their homes in the forest preserve or farmlands of Greene County, and others find Greene County along their migratory path. Still others are ocean species that follow the tides and fish up the Hudson River estuary.

More than 270 species of birds have been recorded in Greene County. Most of these are summer residents, arriving from points south to nest here. Others are year round residents. There are also winter visitors from the north. This group tends to be cyclical or irruptive, depending on the severity of the winter or availability of food up north. The last group is the vagrants or accidentals – birds that wandered out of their normal range or who were blown in by storms, and which have been recorded fewer than ten or so times in or near the county.

Because of the highly visible activity of males singing, courtship behavior and parents feeding noisy young, the nesting season is the best time to observe birds. Most birds begin nesting in the spring (April, May and June); continue through the summer (July and August), and are finished by autumn (September and October).

To find birds near the Winwood Inn, you can look out your windows or walk around grounds. For a little more adventure, take the Escarpment Trail, which has several access points. Start at the trailhead on Rt 23 in East Windham or from the trailhead at Rt 23A by Kaaterskill Falls. Other access points are at the end of Barnum Road in Maplecrest or at the end of Big Hollow Road east of Maplecrest.

Each of these trails through the Catskill Mountains, while requiring some hiking experience, will offer the many warblers, thrushes, vireos and other mountain specialties the area offers.