Rest stop for feathered friends on the wing Times Union Copyright 2012 Times Union. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 10:04 p.m., Monday, November 26, 2012 ALBANY — Tucked in among suburban sprawl at the border of Albany, Colonie and Guilderland, 3,000 acres of pine barrens are becoming a kind of avian rest stop for an increasing number of birds that need a very special kind of landscape — one that's disappearing elsewhere in New York.The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is an emerging example of a so-called "shrubland" that certain bird species need to breed and thrive, said Neil Gifford, the preserve's conservation director.Dominated by stunted trees and low bushes, it also provides a layover in autumn for migratory birds moving through to wintering grounds.