Rye Playland and Environs

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026

Leader(s): Tom Burke and Gail Benson
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: Full-day with several stops. Please prepare for cold weather and strong winds.
Relative Difficulty: Expect to walk 3-4 miles on mostly flat terrain.

Trip Description: Rye Playland, located on Long Island Sound in northeastern Westchester County, is about 30 miles from New York City. We will begin our walk at Playland Park & Read Sanctuary and move later to the Marshlands Conservancy; at both, the terrain is easy, and we’ll walk about a mile at each location. We typically have lunch at Marshlands and finish by walking to the marsh in the early afternoon. We will search for birds on Long Island Sound, Playland Lake, and Milton Harbor, as well as in the woods and fields at both locations.

Leaders Tom Burke and Gail Benson will monitor recent sightings of rare birds in the region. If an exceptional rarity appears, the group might deviate from the standard itinerary to chase it. On past field trips, participants have been lucky to have seen a Calliope Hummingbird, a Gray Kingbird, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher, and a Hermit Warbler.

Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, November 23. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Wednesday, December 2. 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.