To those birders from outside Orange County New York who bird in Orange County, NY. Please note that Sunflower Valley Farm in Pine Island New York has been out of bounds to birders for the past 3 years or more. The owner has made it clear to a member of our club he knows that he does not want birders on his property, and we the members of the E A Mearns Club respect his wishes.
However there was a message on the eBird RBA for Orange County New York: Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) (1) - Reported Aug 18, 2020 10:00 by Anonymous eBirder - Sunflower Valley Farm, Orange, New York - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=41.3354014,-74.4864158&ll=41.3354014,-74.4864158 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S72581069 - Media: 2 Photos - Comments: "Was wading in a large puddle near the corn and sunflower fields with a Killdeer. I am not familiar with sandpipers but ID's it from a photo on the NYS DEC web site. Photo attached." This birder seems unaware of the prohibition on entering the property. I don't believe there is a sign at either end prohibiting birding, so I don't blame Anonymous Birder (Btw it was not an Upland Sandpiper). The farm is now open for sunflower picking and a sunflower maze with a fee of $5 pp, and to photographers for a fee of $30.00 an hour. https://www.sunflowervalleyfarm.com/ For those who don't know the location of Sunflower Valley Farm. If you're go up Skinner's Lane (off CR 6 - Pulaski Highway) and continue on to Skinners Tract to its end and turn left on Iris Road along the Wallkill River, at the end of this road there is a bridge on your right. The property beyond that with a dirt road which continues to CR 12 - Lower Road where the large silos are, is the property in question. Liberty Lane which goes north on the opposite side of Oil City Road from the parking lot at Wallkill River NWR is also private property and closed to birders. Please respect the owners' wishes. If birders are seen on these properties, the owners may think it that members of the local Mearns Bird Club are the ones trespassing, i.e. we will get the blame for you! Please refer to the ABA Code of Birding Ethics which prohibits trespassing on private property. https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/ Ajit I Antony MD E A Mearns Bird Club Orange County, New York -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
