Van Cortlandt Nature Group Walk.

The colors of autumn are muting, but there is still much to relish on a walk in nature. Most of summer’s songbirds have moved on to warmer climates to our south, but you’ll still find plenty of bustling activity in the woodlands as new winter resident birds arrive from the north, like the white throated sparrows and dark eyed juncos a.k.a.”snowbirds”. We’ll look for the flash of the junco’s white-edged tail feathers and listen for the sweet song of the white-throated sparrows, and look for American tree sparrows in the grasses and trees. Birds of prey and other birds will become more visible as trees begin to shed their leaves. On warm days in November, we may see woolly bear caterpillars and yellow sulfur butterflies, mourning cloaks still fluttering about.
November’s full Beaver Supermoon reaches peak illumination on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. This is the closest Supermoon of the year! Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient stores of food for the long winter ahead. During the time of the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
On behalf of the Nature Group, we all wish you a very joyful Thanksgiving. We are all so grateful to rejuvenate ourselves in our fabulous Van Cortlandt Park.
There will be a walk meeting at the Stables at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11.

There will be a walk meeting at the Nature Center at 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 16.

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