Thursdays are for the Loons.

Please help us kick off the 2026 GABC by supporting the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation in two amazing events!

Start the day with a paddle led by Sylvie Casella from the Loon Center.

End the night with a Bird themed trivia night - Location TBD so make sure to check back and check our socials

All Friday trips are full day trips beginning at 7 a.m. Read the full trip description for more details

Franklin County Boreal outing- Trip Leader Alan Belford

Explore four incredible seldom-seen Adirondack birding locations between the towns of Duane Center, Mountain View, and Owl’s Head. Begin the day by walking 1-mile out and back trail on a moss-carpeted forest path to a vantage where we’ll look for Olive-sided flycatchers at the edge of a beaver meadow in the shadow of the cliffs of Titusville Mountain. Then we’ll visit a 2-mile level path that will provide opportunities to enjoy Lincoln’s Sparrows, Palm Warblers, and more at an expansive spruce-fir peatland. Our lunch stop will be at the site of the historic Debar Lodge which overlooks beautiful Debar Pond. Mourning Warblers have been present in this vicinity the past several years. There may be a few stops that are yet to be determined if Rich is able to locate areas of nesting raptors or woodpeckers.

Lake Champlain Valley - Trip Leader Brian McAllister

Participants leave the VIC for an all-day field trip “down the mountain” to the beautiful shoreline of Lake Champlain in search of migratory birds. This field trip will feature stops at many birding hotspots as we look at a cross-section of bird life from high elevation to low.

GABC Paddle: Osgood Pond to the Osgood River - Trip Leader Amelia Dragone*

Join us for a peaceful, guided paddle on beautiful Osgood Pond as part of the Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, hosted by Northern New York Audubon. This scenic outing will take us across the open waters of Osgood Pond and into the quiet, meandering channel of the Osgood River — a diverse habitat rich with birdlife and spring activity.

The sheltered shoreline, wetlands, and mixed forest surrounding the pond and river create ideal conditions for spotting a variety of Adirondack bird species. From loons and waterfowl to warblers and raptors, we’ll keep our eyes and ears tuned to the rhythms of the season. Along the way, we’ll pause to observe, listen, and discuss identification tips, bird behavior, and the ecology of this unique waterway.

This paddle is designed for participants who enjoy a relaxed pace with time for wildlife observation and appreciation. Whether you are an experienced birder or simply curious about the birds of the Adirondacks, this outing offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature from water level.

*Please note that this trip is more than the $20 per trip fee

Massawepie - Trip Leader Bernie Carr/Nic Main

Massawepie Mirecontains the largest peatland complex in New York State. This remote and very scenic habitat is home to several resident species of birds, but in the spring and summer months the bird populations explode. On this trip, birders will be on the lookout for breeding migrant warblers, sparrows, flycatchers, thrush species, woodpeckers, and more. Breeding Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Canada Jays, Mourning Warbler, and Black-backed Woodpecker are among the many species you might see around this bog. The walking trail is an abandoned railway, so flat, dirt/gravel conditions are expected.

Birding the Saint Lawrence Valley -Trip Leader Mary Beth Warburton

The first stop on this trip will be at the Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area and will include a two mile round trip walk into a large marsh, on a flat surface and then onto a short boardwalk. UPLLWMA is home to nesting Black Terns, Virginia Rails, Soras, numerous duck species, Bald Eagles and an impressive array of song bird species. The second stop will be at Indian Creek Nature Center, the only designated nature center that exists within

a NYSWMA and is labeled a birding “Hot Spot” on ebird. Indian Creek Nature Center has an amazing variety of habitats within its' 320 acres, including open lake, marsh, deciduous forest and pockets of land that have been managed for Golden-winged Warblers. The five plus miles of flat, easy trails will all be explored. They include a trail to a tower for observing the open water, a trail overlooking a marsh, a trail with a deck and another with a lean-to for resting while looking for waterfowl and other residents. During the trip some other side roads in the area may be explored. IC has four outdoor bathroom facilities and a covered pavilion with tables. There are no food facilities in the area.

All of our Saturday Trips will be half day trips.

Start the day with a Dawn Chorus at the VIC! Free and open to the Public.

Bloomingdale Bog - Trip Leaders Betsy Miner and Mar Bodine

The Bloomingdale Bog Trailis a great habitat for boreal species. The area encompasses a bog and cedar woods with sedge marsh and coniferous woods. Sightings may include: Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Palm Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow.

Madawaska - Trip Leader Connor Vara

Madawaska has been a favored boreal birding area for a half-century or more. The area encompasses conifer forest, mixed hardwood forest, a variety of wetlands, as well as Madawaska Pond. Sightings may include: (Yellow) Palm Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-backed Woodpecker, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Parula, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Olive-sided Flycatcher. As the habitat changes to white pine forest, the Brown Creeper can be found nesting behind loose bark. Madawaska Pond may have Green-winged Teal, American Bittern and Bald Eagle.

Whiteface - Trip Leader Alan Belford

The trip will begin with a flat, easy walk around Lake Stevens Tree Trail at the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highwaytoll house. Then participants will carpool up the toll road, stopping at pull-offs and searching for mountain birds. Sightings may include: Bicknell's Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Boreal Chickadees.

The VIC Warbler Walk - Trip Leader Brian McAllister

For this multi-destination field trip, birders will go to a variety of locations and habitats to potentially find 25+ species of breeding warblers, including magnolia, Canada, Bay-breasted, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Cape May, and others. We’ll explore conifer woods, bogs, hardwood forests, and a few wetlands. We may even see several of these colorful species on their breeding territories

Onchiota birding - Trip Leader Jeff Biby

This field trip is located about about 10 miles from Paul Smiths VIC and is at the extreme northern extent of the Bloomingdale Bog. The trail that we’ll walk is an old railroad bed that also serves as the 7B corridor of the NYS Snowmobile trail system in the winter. As such, the trail is quite level and easy to navigate. However, ruts, puddles, rocks and fallen tree branches are common and would not allow the trail to be considered handicap accessible. The habitat consists of a mix of boreal spruce and fir, interspersed with some hardwoods, and stretches of boggy wetlands.

Expected species include Alder flycatcher, Red-breasted nuthatch, Winter wren, Hermit thrush, White-throated sparrow, Lincoln’s sparrow, Nashville warbler, Common yellowthroat, Northern parula, Ovenbird, Magnolia warbler, Palm warbler, Chestnut-sided warbler, and Yellow-rumped warbler. Other possible species include Canada jay, Purple finch, Olive-sided flycatcher, Black-backed woodpecker, Canada warbler, Black-and-white warbler and Black-throated green warbler.

All trips should plan to conclude by noon to head back to the VIC for our afternoon activities. Our afternoon is looking like it will be a lot of fun - a full schedule coming soon!

Our Keynote speaker this year is Melissa Groo. The presentation will take place in the theater at the VIC from about 3:30 to 5.

After our Saturday Keynote concludes, head over to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake for the Black Birders Week Keynote Speaker. More information can be found here.

Finally, we plan to host an Owl Prowl at the VIC after the sun goes down. The timing on this will be finalized shortly and up to date in your GABC pamphlets. Please dress warm and bring a red-light headlamp if you have one. This is free and open to the public.

Our Sunday trips will be a mixture of ½ day trips and full day trips. Please be sure to read the descriptions below carefully.

Photo Workshop location TBD - Full Day - Trip Leader Melissa Groo*

This trip is led by our Keynote Speaker, Melissa Groo. Join Melissa and our board member Mikayla Ploof as we explore the wildlife the Adirondacks have to offer and get tips and tricks on how to capture some amazing shots.

*Please note that this trip is more than the $20 per trip fee

The Adirondack Rail Trail - Half day - Trip Leader Brian McAllister

Description incoming!

Heaven Hill Farm/John Brown Farm - Half Day- Trip Leader Jack Peneston

Description incoming

Bloomingdale Bog - Half Day - Trip Leaders Betsy Miner and Mar Bodine

The Bloomingdale Bog Trail is a great habitat for boreal species. The area encompasses a bog and cedar woods with sedge marsh and coniferous woods. Sightings may include: Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Palm Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow.

Madawaska - Half Day- Trip Leader Alan Belford

Madawaska has been a favored boreal birding area for a half-century or more. The area encompasses conifer forest, mixed hardwood forest, a variety of wetlands, as well as Madawaska Pond. Sightings may include: (Yellow) Palm Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-backed Woodpecker, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Parula, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Olive-sided Flycatcher. As the habitat changes to white pine forest, the Brown Creeper can be found nesting behind loose bark. Madawaska Pond may have Green-winged Teal, American Bittern and Bald Eagle.

The VIC Warbler Walk - Trip Leader Connor Vara

For this multi-destination field trip, birders will go to a variety of locations and habitats to potentially find 25+ species of breeding warblers, including magnolia, Canada, Bay-breasted, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Cape May, and others. We’ll explore conifer woods, bogs, hardwood forests, and a few wetlands. We may even see several of these colorful species on their breeding territories