Cupsogue Flats and Beyond

Date: Monday, August 11, 2025

Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Transportation: Carpool Trip – Drivers willing to provide rides are encouraged to attend. The Registrar will work with participants without a vehicle to organize rides and share the suggested carpool fee for the driver. This usually works out, but we can not guarantee a ride unless there are enough enough volunteer drivers.
Meeting Point: After your registration is confirmed, the Registrar will share directions, the exact meeting place, and time with attendees.
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.

Trip Description: We will meet at the eastern end of the Cupsogue Suffolk County Park, where 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. After lunch, we will explore the Eastport and Riverhead sod fields for “grass peeps,” with American Golden Plover a possibility.

Bring water and sunscreen. Wear appropriate shoes, such as flip-flops or water shoes, and be prepared to walk through the water to “the island.” We will return to the parking area around noon; restrooms are available there. The trip will end around 3:00-4:00 p.m.

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

Registration: Registration opens at 9 am on Monday, August 4. After that time, click here to register. Registration closes at 6 pm on Friday, August 8. 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.