Fort Tilden

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Transportation: Carpool Trip: While carpool rides for everyone usually work out, there is no guarantee of enough volunteer drivers to accommodate all participants. The Registrar will work to organize rides and to notify participants when a rental car may be necessary. Registrar will also inform participants of the carpool fee, which is based on the trip location; the cost of any rental cars should be split evenly by those participants.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
Schedule: Half-day, ending in early afternoon.
Relative Difficulty: Expect about four-plus miles of walking over flat, easy terrain.

Trip Description: Fort Tilden, on the Rockaway Peninsula in southern Queens, is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, including the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Scheduled to coincide with sparrow migration, this is an excellent location to see a Nelson’s Sparrow among the many other sparrow species. If the wind conditions are right, fall is a great time for seeing migrating raptors including Accipiters, Falcons, Buteos in the sky. Late warblers, vireos, and other passerines also visit this area, and the Royal Terns never disappoint.

Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, October 5. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Wednesday, October 14. Members (and those who have applied for membership) will be prioritized over non-members.

Please read the About Our Trips page, 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, pro tips, and tricks.

If after visiting the About Our Trips page, you still have questions, feel free to contact the Registrar via email.