Louis Agassiz Fuertes Memorial Bird Sanctuary & Overlook

Louis Agassiz Fuertes Memorial Bird Sanctuary and Overlook. . , Louis Agassiz Fuertes was a locally born, world renowned ornithologist and prolific artist, specializing in naturalistic bird portraiture on a par with John James Audubon. , Fuertes participated at n numerous scientific expeditions, drawing and painting avian subjects from the Americas to parts of Africa. , A leading citizen of Ithaca, Fuertes was founding president of Cayuga Bird Club and one of the champions behind establishing the Stewart Park bird sanctuary known as Renwick Wildwood in 1914, as well as Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology in 1915. Fuertes was also scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 84, and an active member of the Rotary Club and the Savage Club. , After his untimely death in an automobile accident and in 1927, Ithaca Rotary Club established the Louis Agassiz Fuertes Memorial Bird Sanctuary in his honor, funding it through a public subscription model. Construction began in 1928 and continued through 1929, with the excavation of the pond being the most challenging part of the project. The sanctuary quickly became popular with birds, but its design was difficult for birdwatching. , To remedy the issue, this overlook was conceived of and funded by the Cayuga Bird Club. At the 1933 dedication, Cornell ornithology and CBC president Arthur Allen said of Fuertes, “No ordinary monument would be sufficient to preserve to future generations the inspiration of his life…We hope that it may demonstrate the power of kindness to wild creatures and thus express in measure not only the interest which, Louis Fuertes had in birds, but the underlying motive of his whole life.” , The Fuertes Sanctuary and Overlook were gifted to the City of Ithaca. , Restoration , Restoration work led by Friends of Stewart Park. , Initial restoration of the overlook took place in the summers of 2016 and 2017. Stonemason Joel Brain of Brainstone reset or replaced stones, applied new mortar, and reinstated the historic bluestone walkway. Interpretive sign mounts were replaced by Accufab, and handrails were sanded and painted by volunteers. Additionally, native pollinator gardens were planted nearby. Funding for this restoration was provided by the Triad Foundation and the Cayuga Bird Club. , In 2020, damage was found on the exterior wall of the overlook. Working in the cold water of the pond, Reilly Masonry repaired an underwater section of the exterior wall of the overlook in 2022 with financial support from the estate of Cornell University Professor Tapan Mitra, an avid birder in Stewart Park. , Birding , Visiting the Louis Agassiz Memorial Bird Sanctuary can reveal unexpected avian surprises , Birders from near and far are attracted to the Fuertes sanctuary to see some of the 276 species of birds that have been recorded in and around Stewart Park, including geese, swans, loons, rails, herons, gulls, and terns, plus Ospreys, Bald Eagles, Double-crested Cormorants, and Belted Kingfishers. , Spring , When migrating birds pass through Ithaca, more than 30 species of warblers have been recorded here, including rare and elusive species like Prothonotary Warbler and Connecticut Warbler. , Summer , Passersby are often serenaded by songbirds nesting nearby in Renwick Wildwood and across Fall Creek. , Fall , Birders can enjoy the annual spectacle of waterfowl migration, with many species of ducks wintering just off shore and visiting the edges of the sanctuary. , Winter , When lake and pond levels are low, birding from the overlook can reveal half-hardy species such as Northern Mockingbirds and Yellow-rumpled Warblers in the shrubby habitat, where they seek protection from predators and the weather. , “If the birds of the world had met to select a human being who could best express to mankind the beauty and charm of their forms….they would unquestionably have chosen Louis Fuertes.” , Dr. Frank M. Chapman, Ornithologist