Olana, the former home of artist Frederic Church, is an architecturally significant house set on beautiful grounds above the Hudson River. The main house, visible from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, is known for its combination of Victorian and Middle-Eastern architectural aspects. But I personally have never set foot inside the building despite visiting the property close to 10 times in my life. Instead, I go to Olana for the wonderful nature – forests, fields, a marshy pond… and, most of all, the beautiful birds!
As a kid, I often joined my mother and grandmother on the Columbia County Birdathon that took place each May. Along with various other strategic stops, we always took time to go to Olana to see what might be flying around. This stop made sense due to its variety of habitats and, therefore, diversity of potential bird species that could be present at any time.
When you first pull into the Olana grounds below the house, you will drive right next to the pond with sections of high reeds. There, you can keep an eye out for species that stay close to water, such as herons, ducks, and, if you’re lucky a kingfisher. Next you may follow the walking path into the woods to where you have the best view of the house looking over the pond. These woods are home to woodpeckers, woodcreepers, and various thrush species. Next to the barn house is a field that acts as a habitat for sparrows, as well as hunting grounds for raptors. I have distinct memories of watching multiple kestrels circling over the high grass on the same visit. Finally, there is a long, steep lawn, leading up to the house. This is a great area to spend time searching the trees along the edges for warblers in the spring and fall. We were also able to reliably find yellow-throated vireo in this habitat during the birdathon visits.
Along with these species that are usually present on the grounds, there is always the possibility for an exciting surprise. One time, a Common Gallinule was found wading in the pond and another time a rare Cuckoo was spotted close to the house. Lastly, while in the area, you can take a few minutes to walk across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, where, in addition to incredible views of the Hudson River, you can often see Bald Eagles flying overhead or sitting on branches close to the flowing water. And, if you are so inclined, on weekends you can take a tour of the main house at Olana to see the real reason most visitors make this a stop on their trips in the Hudson Valley. You can learn more here: olana.org
Joe Anderson specializes in social media marketing. He enjoys birding in his spare time.