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Mascoma Chapter of NH Audubon

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All Chapter field trips/walks and programs are free and open to the public.

Upper Valley, NH
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Spring 2018 Events Calendar

Upcoming Birding Events

Spring Migrant Bird Walk

Saturday, April 21

Hanover, NH

6:30 – 9:00 am

The Mascoma Chapter’s annual outing along the Connecticut River’s New Hampshire side will look for migrating waterfowl and early-returning spring migrants. Stops along the way will include a visit to Hanover’s Wilson’s Landing before heading north on River Road towards Lyme’s Grant Brook.

Meet in the Sheridan Printing parking lot on NH Rt. 10 next to Hanover’s Richmond School to form carpools.

Walking conditions are level and over mostly paved surfaces.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

To be led by Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee member George Clark.

Co-sponsored with The Hanover Conservancy and Upper Valley Land Trust

Woodcock Walk

!!Dates and Locations to be Announced!!

Hanover, NH

7:15 – 9 :00 pm

The male, American woodcock’s mating flight is one of the avian world’s great spectacles, an upward spiral followed by a plunging dive back to earth. This outing will seek to observe that memorable display.

Due to the uncertainty of weather and ground conditions at this time of year, the exact date and place of the walk will not be known until early April. Visit our website www.mascomabirds.org for updates.

Walking conditions are through fields over uneven, unpaved surfaces that may be damp.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

To be led by Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee member George Clark.

Co-sponsored with the Kendal Birding Club

“Warbler Wednesdays”

May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30

7:00 – 10:00 am

Boston Lot Lake -- W. Lebanon, NH

Join our popular, early morning, May series of weekly searches for warblers and other spring migrants at Lebanon’s secluded gem, Boston Lot Lake. Meet in the more northerly of the two parking lots on NH Rt. 10 across from Wilder Dam.

Walking conditions include a fairly steep, uphill climb and surfaces that are unpaved and uneven.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

To be led by Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee Chair Blake Allison.

“Feathered Fridays”

May 4, 11, 18 & 25

7:00 – 10:00 am

Mink Brook Nature Preserve - Hanover, NH

This year, "Feathered Fridays" will have a new venue. Our Friday walks will explore the "Woodland Trail" in Hanover's Mink Brook Nature Preserve.

This change was necessitated by last July 1st's major rain event that did significant damage to Buzzell Bridge Road in Union Village Dam Park causing the road’s closure. It will not re-open in time for us to do our May, “Feathered Friday” walks along the road out to the "Mystery Trail."

Mink Brook's "Woodland Trail" is known to many people in the Upper Valley birding community. The trail has a level, unpaved route that parallels Mink Brook as it flows its final half mile out to the Connecticut River. In addition to waterfowl on the brook and out on the river, expect to see a variety of passerine species including migrating warblers.

The trailhead is accessed from the parking lot about a half mile south of the Hanover Business District on NH Route 10 just before it crosses Mink Brook. From the south, the lot will be on your left just after you cross the brook. The parking area is adjacent to a fenced in electric transfer station.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

To be led by Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee Chair Blake Allison and members of the Hanover Conservancy.

Co-sponsored with the Hanover Conservancy.

Bedell Bridge Bird Walk

Saturday, May 26

6:30 – 9:00 am

Bedell Bridge State Historic Site

Haverhill, NH

This visit to the former site of the Bedell Covered Bridge, lost in a September 1979 hurricane, offers an opportunity to see a wide variety of birds due to the park’s interesting combination of riparian, mixed woodlands and agricultural land habitats.

The park entrance is located on NH Rt.10 just north of the Haverhill Green. Meet in the parking lot at the Norwich end of the Ledyard Bridge to form car pools.

Walking conditions are level but will be damp if there has been recent rain.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

To be led by Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee Members Jeff MacQueen and George Clark.

Northern Rail Trail Bird Walk

Saturday, June 9

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Lebanon, NH

Join Mascoma Chapter Steering Committee member Jeff MacQueen on a bird walk along the Northern Rail Trail and the Mascoma River. This is the second of a series of annual walks co-sponsored by the Mascoma Chapter of NH Audubon and the Mascoma River Local Advisory Committee.

This year we will explore the Rail Trail in the area of Riverside Drive in Lebanon.

From Interstate 89 south, take exit 17 to Route 4. Travel east on Route 4 towards Enfield and take the first left onto Riverside Drive. Go half a mile and look for the Rail Trail parking area on the right. From there we will walk a short distance along the trail and cross over the Mascoma River on the Packard Hill Covered Bridge and explore the Baker's Crossing Conservation Area.

Foot travel will be on mostly level ground. Bring binoculars and bug spray, particularly with tick prevention in mind.

The event is free and open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring binoculars and/or spotting scopes as you prefer.

Co-sponsored by the Mascoma Chapter of NH Audubon and the Mascoma River Local Advisory Committee.

Bald eagle at Wilder Dam.

Photo by Wayne Benoit -- Reno, NV

Recent Bird Watching Events

Spring Migratory Waterfowl

Saturday, March 24

Norwich, VT

Spirits were high as 23 birders eagerly gathered for the Mascoma Chapter's first birding event of the nascent spring. Even the snowy ground conditions and near freezing temperature could not suppress the assembled crowd's eager anticipation over the prospect of viewing the season's first migrants.

From there the party car pooled north to "Pompy Flats where the Ompompanoosuc River flows into the Connecticut. Most of the flats area was ice covered, but there was enough open water to accommodate six hooded and three common mergansers.

Nearby, across US Route 5, Kendall Station Road proved well worth the visit as the group recorded 27 species. Early arriving common grackles (3) and red-winged blackbirds (7) were noisily making their presence known. A sharp-eyed observer saw over on the Connecticut's New Hampshire side, an adult bald eagle barely visible in a thicket of poplars.

On the river were observed Canada geese (12), mallards (16) and two hooded mergansers. Four sparrow species were recorded including four white-throated, three song, two American tree and ten of the ubiquitous, at least for this season, dark-eyed junco. The day's most numerous species by far was the American goldfinch with 44 counted at Kendall Station.

Complete lists of all the counts can be accessed by using the following links.

Foley Park:

https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S43916996

"Pompy Flats":

https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S43917403

Kendall Station:

https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S43917789

Many thanks to George Clark, Blake Allison and Ed Hack for being trip co-leaders, and extra tip of the hat to Blake for keeping the count lists.

Our next spring, Mascoma Chapter birding event will take place on Saturday, April 21. We'll travel up the Connecticut's New Hampshire side from Hanover's Wilson's Landing to Grant Brook in Lyme.

A complete listing of all upcoming Mascoma Chapter events can be found at www.mascomabirds.org.

Annual Bald Eagle Watch 

Saturday, February 17

Wilder Dam -- Wilder, VT

The first, chapter-sponsored event of the 2018 calendar year took place today at Wilder Dam in Wilder, VT. A dozen birders participated under favorable weather conditions; mostly sunny skies, a light breeze and temperature readings that moved from the mid-20s to the low 30s during the course of the two hour event.

Early arriving participants were immediately rewarded with an adult bald eagle sighting. The bird was on the ice above the dam, mid-river, working on a small carcass. George Clark had no sooner stepped out of his car and set up his scope when he spotted the bird. The eagle remained at the carcass for about ten minutes before flying to the New Hampshire shore where it perched briefly in a tree before flying off done river accompanied by three harassing crows.

Unfortunately, that was the only bald eagle observation for the remaining time at the dam, even though there is a nesting pair nearby. Our bird likely was one of them.

In general it was a quiet morning for sightings. The only waterfowl seen was an adult female merganser swimming in the open water below the dam. The resident rock pigeons numbered 23 this morning. Up at the parking area a male cardinal was heard singing in the adjacent woods, three chickadees were observed feeding in a nearby birch and a white-breasted nuthatch could be heard "whinnying" in the woods. Also seen/heard were three house finches.

A complete eBird list can be seen at:

https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S42890945

Thanks to George Clark and Blake Allison for co-leading. Thanks to Blake for recording the sightings.

2017 Chapter Birding Events

Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area

Saturday, November 4

Addison, VT

Under mostly sunny skies, with mild breezes, and the temperature ranging through the 40s, a dozen participants joined in the Mascoma Chapter's annual, November field trip to Addison County in Vermont's Champlain Valley. Birds were impressively numerous and totaled about 50 species. An estimated 1300 Snow Geese, including a few of the dark morph Blue Geese, were among the highlights. Seven species of raptors included an Osprey, Northern Harriers, and a Red-shouldered Hawk. Among diving birds were Common Loons, a Red-throated Loon, Red-necked and Horned Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants. Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, White-winged and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers (27 of the latter in one flock), A few Brant also were found.

A Yellow-rumped was the only warbler. An American Tree Sparrow was noted. Several late butterflies, including Monarchs, were also sighted.

Many more details on the birds seen are available from seven Addison County eBird lists submitted by trip leader and compiler Spencer Hardy, whose efforts in conducting such a successful trip are greatly appreciated.

Dead Creek WMA: Goose Viewing Area, VT Rt. 17

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303323

Tri-town Water District Plant/Oven Bay, Addison

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303332

Turkey Lane, Addison

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303359

Dead Creek WMA: Panton Road Crossing

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303375

Champlain Bridge/Chimney Point, VT Rt.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303403

McCuen Slang, Addison

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303419

Three Mile Bridge Road, Middlebury

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40303273

Bedell Bridge Bird Walk

Saturday, October 7

Bedell Bridge State Historic Site – NH Rt. 10

Haverhill, NH

The Mascoma Chapter's fall outing to Haverhill's Bedell Bridge State Historic Site has become a member's favorite attracting birders from as far away as Strafford, VT and Lincoln, NH.

This year, twenty-four birders gathered around 7:00 a.m., on Saturday, the 7th, with an early morning, river valley mist blanketing the landscape. The attendees split into two groups at the outset, because some people paused at newly cut cornfields to scan for American pipits while others continued down to the parking area to survey adjacent wetlands.

After nearly 90 minutes, the pipit seekers rejoined the wetlands watchers. Despite the time spent apart, the two groups ultimately produced very similar lists with only a couple of species that did not overlap. However, numbers of a particular taxon often varied between lists.

Thirty plus species, including a not well seen blackbird and an unidentified acipiter, were recorded during the nearly three hours spent afield. Yellow-rumped warblers, cedar waxwings and American robins were the most numerous species. All six likely to be seen locally members of the woodpecker family were seen/heard. Northern flickers topped that group with seven individuals recorded.

Waterfowl presence was scant. Canada geese (12) and wood ducks (3) were the only members of that group recorded. Aside from the high number of yellow-rumped warblers, the only other warblers recorded were a solitary common yellowthroat and one black-throated green.

Complete eBird counts for both lists recorded can be found using the following links:

Jeff MacQueen's count:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39603245

Blake Allison's count:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39604160

Thanks to Chapter Steering Committee Members George Clark, Blake Allison and Jeff MacQueen for co-leading. Additional thanks to Jeff and Blake for keeping their respective counts.

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mascomabirds@gmail.com