Birdsong Park in Winter

On the boardwalk approaching the Middle Creek section, this group of trees seemed to be dancing. I hade to name them Birdsong Dancing Trees as I also have a photograph of trees dancing in the Chestnut Ridge Park.

Photographed with a vintage 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Finesse 400 black and white negative film and developed in Rollei Supergrain developer.

The park name is a tribute to the land's history as a migratory path. The Quaker farmers left many old-growth trees and wetlands intact for over a century, the site became a permanent haven for blue herons and hawks. Quaker farmers traditionally left woodlots and windbreaks between their fields.

In early 1800s the land was purchased from the Holland Land Company by the Quakers and became the heart of the Quaker Settlement.

In 1986 the land was bought by D.P.S. Southwestern Corp. A long saga of disputes followed, mostly revolving around lot density. Also, a Wetlands Compromise was reached with DEC regarding the Birdsong Parklands (the trails). They would remain untouched and public.

In early 2000s, a homeowner association was established and the first residential phases began construction. In 2021 a significant portion of the land was sold to Forbes Capretto Homes (Birdsong Lakes LLC).

Most recently (2024-25), there was a legal restructuring between the old Birdsong Estates and the new Lexington Heights phase and the new 129-home phase was established as a separate entity with its own distinct rules.