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Birding Sites in the Finger Lakes

CHEMUNG COUNTY

Eldridge Park

96 Eldridge Park Dr.

Elmira, NY 14901

Coordinates: 42.064824°N 76.490082°W

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Habitat: Eldridge Park is a city park best known for its carousel. It now has ball fields, a skate park, a mini golf course, and other activities centered around a pond. (Park Layout) The pond is small--perhaps several acres--with willows, a paved path, and some benches along the shore. Despite its urban location, the pond does seem to attract some interesting birds and is worth a trip.

Season: Migration--spring and fall--brings the most interesting birds. During the summer, the pond is used by visitors who rent paddle boats. You will see only the most tolerant of birds at that time.

Look for Canada geese, mallards, black ducks, horned grebes, red-breasted mergansers, long-tailed ducks, common loons (April and November), scoters, and gulls like Bonaparte's, lesser black-backed, ring-billed, and herring. Caspian terns are rare but have been seen.

Access: The park is just off State Route 14, which is called both the Clemens Parkway and Grand Central Avenue in Elmira. There is no admission fee charged at the park, and parking is very close to the pond. This is an ideal birding spot for individuals with mobility restrictions.

Nearby Birding Sites:

Center at Horseheads Marsh Grasslands

Chemung River

Horseheads Marsh

Lowe's Pond

Created 27 September 2010