Bald Eagle Sighting a Highlight of First Connections Program in 2025
March 26, 2025
By Kathleen Kennedy
The Trust’s 2025 Connections programs kicked off on March 1 with a guided bird walk at our Granttham Reeve Preserve. Located off Sound Avenue in Riverhead, this beautiful 20.4-acre preserve features our first walking trail in the town of Riverhead. There you can explore nature along the woodland edge and enjoy expansive views of farmland and beautiful meadows.
The trail follows a very old mound hedgerow that was created when tracks of farmlands were delineated by these lines. Some of the large old trees here appear to have been “lopped” and bent over when they were younger, creating a distinctive look that we still see today. Most of the hedgerow trees are maples and cherry. Two unique trees found on the hedgerow are several old hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees and a very old and very uncommon, sweet pignut (Carya ovalis) hickory tree. Hackberries are uncommon, not rare, and the pignut is a distinct species called sweet pignut. Normal pignut is very common.
The walk, led by master birder MaryLaura Lamont, was in partnership with Hallock State Park Preserve where MaryLaura is a naturalist. With MaryLaura’s help, attendees spotted a wide variety of birds including an uncommon black vulture, merlin, raven, Canada goose, red-tailed hawk, a rare red-shouldered hawk migrating on a thermal, northern harrier, Carolina wren, song sparrow, field sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, mockingbird, and most exciting of all, a bald eagle! These incredibly majestic birds are one of the largest birds of prey to be found on Long Island and are making a comeback after being extirpated as a nester from Long Island by the late 1930s. This adult bald eagle was just over the treetops and circling for us, before it headed off eastward.
Join us for more outdoor adventures! Check our online calendar or sign up to receive our printed Connections flyer and reserve your spot today.
Kathleen Kennedy
Senior Manager of Outreach
kkennedy@peconiclandtrust.org