Date: 4/13/25 3:37 pm From: davidpmassa via groups.io <davidpmassa...> Subject: [hmbirds] 4/12 NYS Museum Tour Report
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Despite a sneak-attack April snowstorm and icy roads, a dedicated group of about a dozen of us braved the weather on Saturday morning for a remarkable field trip to the New York State Museum. The snowfall didn’t dampen our spirits—in fact, it seemed to heighten the sense of adventure. What followed was a fantastic, immersive, and truly engaging experience that none of us will soon forget.
We began with special third-floor access, where we were introduced to fascinating behind-the-scenes work with bird specimens. We learned how bird skins are carefully pinned to Styrofoam boards and preserved using an advanced cryo-fumigation freezing process—an essential method to maintain the integrity of these scientific samples.
One of the highlights of the day was observing a recently received sharp-shinned hawk specimen. Dr. Kirchman walked us through how such specimens are used in scientific study, and gave a rare hands-on demonstration of how to dissect and prepare a hawk for research purposes like taxidermy, anatomical study, and skeletal analysis. The entire group was riveted—phones out, eyes wide, ears perked. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as Jeremy expertly brought the biology to life.
After the demonstration, we ventured deeper into the museum’s private collections area. There, we got a close-up look at an extraordinary array of preserved birds: saw-whet owls, great gray owls, anhingas, kestrels, and more. A particularly exciting moment was viewing the museum’s collection of extinct species, including Labrador ducks and historical woodpecker specimens.
We also made a few special requests and were thrilled to be shown some kestrels and kinglets. As a final treat, we saw a massive whale specimen from Massachusetts—a testament to the museum’s impressive breadth of natural history.
All in all, this was a unique and thoroughly enriching experience—one rarely available to the public. The event was exceptionally well-organized, with great participation and outstanding leadership throughout. I highly recommend attending future trips like this one and strongly encourage keeping this event going for others to enjoy
