President’s Message

Article by Jody Banaszak

Hello my little birding friends!  Hope you are all well and enjoying the birds!  Welcome to our “new” newsletter. As you can see we have started to go digital. And for the people who don’t use or have a computer we will still have regular newsletters, just let us know and we’ll send you one. They are $4 each and you will pay for all 12 months in advance. Send your check to GSBAS, PO box 267, Sayville, NY 11782.  

We’ve had some good bird walks and the weather helped too. There’s still more to come. Thank you to our leaders for giving their time and knowledge: Ken T., Jack C., John G., Mike C., Bob G., Vera C. They sure know their stuff!  Ken is having knee surgery so he won’t be leading walks for a while. (unless he has a little scooter) Jack has offered to do them.  Thanks Jack. Good luck and feel better Ken! 

On the next walks there will be different birds as some of the summer birds have gone south and the winter ones are arriving. Be sure to get your feeders full and clean water in your bird baths. You can also buy heated bird baths so the water doesn’t freeze. I just read somewhere not to rake all your leaves as some of the birds dig under them for bugs over the winter. I think I might have told you before that about 30-40 robins came to my big holly tree at the beginning of winter one time and ate all the berries. I wanted to decorate for Christmas with them and there were none left!!  

Speaking about Christmas, when you decorate with roping around your doors, make sure both sides face down. To do this you have to cut one side and turn it around and wire it to the top. This way both sides are hanging facing down. 

I’ve been getting a lot of nice bird pictures from our members to put in the newsletter. So many beautiful and colorful ones. You’re so lucky to see them and we’re lucky that you share them with us. We’ve had  good speakers since September started our meetings again and will continue until the end of spring.

I would like to thank the speakers and the Seatuck Environmental Center for letting us have our meetings there. I will probably start having the art classes again at Bookside County Park in Islip soon. Check our news blasts for information. Of course they will be paintings of birds!  

Enjoy the holidays, be safe, and enjoy the birds!