Cornell University Ornithology Lab

A unique birding spot that all nature lovers should take advantage of. There is a large building with bird movies, a gift shop, and an amazing floor to ceiling viewing area. They even have a mock up of the sound booth and tech equipment that they use to record bird sounds. (When you look on the web for bird IDs or bird sounds it is likely from the Cornell Bird Lab). They are currently painting an amazing bird mural. Its big and impressive. of course there are great birding trails outside and its all free. Trails open till dark.

A hidden gem in the Finger Lakes. We wanted something special to spend half the day in Ithaca New York. We found it!
The setting couldn’t be better. Close to town, the Sapsucker woods trails were a wonderful, easy, very well maintained system.
The modern clean building provided a beautiful viewing window that one can spend the entire afternoon looking at the various birds that come by.
The store is jam packed with a myriad of birding specific gear. I’ve never seen a better variety of spotting scopes and binoculars. Great staff and volunteers,

A great way to spend a couple of hours in the Sapsucker Woods area right outside of Ithaca. It’s easy to forget you’re next to a populated area when you start looping through the trails in this heavily wooded spot.
The lab itself is a large building that houses interesting displays, exhibits, a gift shop, meeting rooms, and office for Cornell faculty that are part of the Ornithology program. There is also a large set of glass windows where you can look out over the pond and see a lot of interesting birds and other animals using the provided binoculars. You can also check out binoculars to take with you out on the trails. They are very basic – nothing fancy – so if you are really into birdwatching you will want to bring your own.
The trails loop through several areas of the property and around the large pond that’s just south of the lab. There are lots of different ways to go, and lots of little stops with benches and even a small pavilion where you can enjoy a picnic lunch.