Cupsogue Flats and Beyond

Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Participants will be responsible for their own transportation. However, the registrar will help connect those in need of a ride with other participants who are able to offer one. (The exact meeting place and time will be shared with attendees after their registration is confirmed.)
Schedule: Full-day trip. The date may change after the tide charts for West Moriches Inlet are published.
Relative difficulty: Approximately 2.5 miles along flat sand. Be prepared to do some wading through shallow water.

Bring water and sunscreen. Meeting at the eastern end of the Cupsogue Suffolk County Park parking area, we will walk along the sandy beach road toward Moriches Bay. We will cross to the sand flats through very shallow water about an hour before low tide, giving us two hours to look for multiple species of southerly migrating shorebirds and waders, including Marbled Godwits, Red Knots, and Little Blue Herons. Along the way, Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows are possibilities. Wear appropriate shoes like flip-flops or water shoes, and be prepared for crossing to “the island” barefoot. We will return to the parking area around noon; restrooms are available there. After lunch, we will explore the Eastport and Riverhead sod fields for “grass peeps,” with American Golden Plover a possibility. The trip will end around 3:00-4:00 pm.

Please read The Linnaean Society of New York COVID-19 Field Trip Guidelines before registering.

Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, August 5. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Saturday, August 10.

Please read the About Our Trips page, especially if you’re going on a field trip for the first time. It details our field trip policies, recommends what to bring on a trip, and offers other useful information.

If after visiting the About Our Trips page, you still have questions, feel free to contact the registrar via email (or phone, if listed) between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm.