Montauk Weekend, February 7-8, 2026

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026, to Sunday, February 8, 2026
(Registration is from 11/10/25 to 12/8/25)

Leader: Joseph DiCostanzo
Transportation: Carpool Trip: Drivers willing to provide rides are encouraged to attend. The Registrar will work with participants without a vehicle to organize rides and share the suggested carpool fee for the driver. This usually works out, but we can not guarantee a ride without enough volunteer drivers. This trip requires a lot of driving, and each car will need a navigator.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
Schedule: Weekend trip with overnight stay.
Relative Difficulty: Expect two full days of birding at various locations. The terrain may include beaches and flat trails in forests or along ponds. There is a lot of driving and getting in and out of vehicles. It is often very cold and windy. Snow is possible.

Trip Description: Montauk is the easternmost point of New York State and is known for the high numbers of ducks and pelagic birds that concentrate there in winter. On our way to and from Montauk, we will make several stops, including Point Lookout, Jones Beach, and various freshwater ponds. We will spend the night at Daunt’s Albatross Motel.

We will bird local hotspots at Montauk Point, Camp Hero, and Montauk Inlet. Target birds include Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Common Eider, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Northern Gannet, Razorbill, Common Goldeneye, and several gull species. Rarer species we might find are the King Eider, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Iceland Gull, and Snowy Owl. Most of the birding stops on the trip will be for stationary viewing or short walks rather than for long-distance/long-duration walks.