By Joseph Anderson
When most people head outside hoping to see wildlife, they try to get away from towns into more remote areas. This makes sense in the Hudson Valley due to the vast areas of pristine habitats and incredible nature around. I personally love long hikes to get far away from civilization into the wild spaces of the Catskill mountains. But in some places all you need to do is stroll just outside of town to see the great birds and animals and nowhere is this more true than the Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary.
The first spot to look for wildlife on this walk is the New Paltz Gardens for Nutrition, one of the oldest continuous community gardens in New York. These gardens make great habitat for song-birds and raptors such as red-tailed hawks that like to perch on the fence posts in the gardens.
Staying left of the gardens and along the Wallkill river, you will enter the woods marking the start of the sanctuary. Unlike the generally dense and dark woods of the mountainous areas surrounding New Paltz, these woods are more open making them great for birdwatching. We were able to find the well camouflaged brown creeper in this area on my last visit.
Continuing on the path, you will eventually come out to a cultivated field. This open area gives you the chance to look for birds from far away such as raptors that perch in the trees surrounding the field and hover over it searching for prey. There will also certainly be grassland birds crossing the path in front of you including less common ones like field and fox sparrows.
Once you make your way across the field you will arrive at the first of a series of marshy wooded ponds that makeup the oxbow, once part of the Wallkill river. These are great habitats for a variety of birds including herons, kingfishers, rails, and ducks. Also keep your eye on the water for a chance to see aquatic animals such as turtles, beavers, or even a rare river-otter. Across the ponds there are trees sticking out from the standing water and this is where we hoped to find a majestic red-headed woodpecker. We had no luck on this visit but this remarkable species can be found in marshy areas around New Paltz.
Crossing a wooden bridge you will approach the exit of the sanctuary but there is still much more to see! Complete your tour by walking along historic Huguenot street and check out the stone house museums to learn about these French-speaking settlers who fled Europe due to religious persecution. Perched above the street we found a red-shouldered hawk so don’t put away your binoculars yet! While Huguenot street will take you back to the parking lot you can make a small detour for a bite to eat in the lively town of New Paltz.
Overall this walk offers a glimpse into history, great food, and many wildlife viewing opportunities, all without moving your car!
Joe Anderson specializes in social media marketing. He enjoys birding in his spare time.