Mascomabirds.org        

A summary of 2009 bird walks sponsored by the

Mascoma Chapter of the NH Audubon Society.

Sunday, May 2

Herrick's Cove Wildlife Festival

(7:30 am Bird Walk not yet shown on their website)

March 20

(New Date)

Divers, Dabblers & Donuts

aka Spring Duck Trip

Meet JC Penney 8:00 am

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October 2009

Dead Creek WMA, Addison County, VT

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

All Day

Enjoy a full day of birding in Addison County, Vermont. We'll hopefully see thousands of migrating Snow Geese, and spend time looking for Ross's Geese and Cackling Geese. This area of Vermont is also one of the best for rarities.

Morning at the Snow Geese viewing area (Brilyea Access). Afternoon on Lake Champlain looking for water fowl and gulls anywhere from McCuen Slang to Button Bay.

Meet at JC Penny parking lot (Rt 12-A, W. Lebanon) at 7:30 am. We'll carpool
as much as we can.

Contact: Spencer Hardy at mascomabirds@yahoo.com





Sat, June 6, 7-11 a.m.

Grant Brook Sanctuary (River Rd., Lyme) inventory

Trip leader: Mark Krenitsky

This is a cooperatively conserved area in Lyme. The Lyme Conservation, Upper Valley Land Trust and NH Audubon teamed up to conserve the area. Our Mascoma Chapter have decided to take the area up for our chapter Sanctuary project. Our chapter will survey and catalog the plants, animals, birds, insects, etc. here.

This walk will include the lower field along the river and on the other side of the road, some moderately steep sections part way up the hill. You can see the trail map by clicking here.

We will meet at the single lane bridge at Grant Brook on River Road in Lyme (.6 miles from the cross road between East Thetford, Vt and Lyme, NH). There is parking along the road at a couple of pull offs, so car pool if you can.

Updated 5/31/09

Feathered Fridays

Trip leaders: Becky Cook and Ted Boze

7 a.m. - 9 a.m. Union Village Dam - Thetford side

every Fri morning in May

Every Friday in May is a Feathered Friday to Ted Boze and Becky Cook. Ted and Becky will be leading the trips from the parking lot at the Thetford Hill end of the road through the dam. (This is NOT the Union Village, flag pole end.) It's a great area and an easy walk.



Saturday, May 30th

6:30 a.m. - mid-morning

Bear Pond Conservation Area, Canaan, NH

Trip leaders: Becky Cook and Ted Boze

We will carpool from Centerra Parkway in Lebanon (parking at Bear Pond is very limited). Park near the Lake Sunapee Bank end of the parking lot. Meet at 6:30 am. Canada Warbler study area with tours by Prof. Len Reitsma and students. Dress for bugs and ticks.

Warbler Wednesdays

Trip leader: Dan Hopkins

7 a.m. - 9 a.m. Boston Lot, Lebanon

Meet in picnic area parking lot across from the Wilder Dam

starting Weds, April 29

and

every Weds morning in May

Every Wednesday in May (and the last Wednesday in April) is a Warbler Wednesday to Dan Hopkins. He'll be leading a morning trip to Boston Lot Lake every week, and it should be a good chance to see how migration progresses! We meet at the NH Wilder Dam picnic area (Route 10, W. Lebanon) at 7am and scan the Connecticut River first, then walk up the hill to the Lake and further as time and the number of species seen/heard allows.



Saturday, May 23

Mimi's Trail, Thetford Hill, 7-11 a.m

Trip leader: Peg Ackerson

This a nice birding trail in Thetford Hill. We'll plan on hiking to the top of Houghton Hill and back. Park at the Thetford Grade School - we'll meet there at 7 am. Bring water and a snack. Easy to moderate hike.

Sunday, May 17

Bedell Bridge State Park Bird Walk, 7 - 9 a.m.

Art Mudge will lead a bird walk to explore the wonders of Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill NH. Directions to the Park can be found by clicking the link.

The bird walk will start at 7 a.m. from the Bedell Bridge parking lot. Then the group will walk the Park for the next two hours.



Saturday, May 9

Plainfield, 7-11 a.m.

Trip leaders: Ted Boze and Becky Cook

A walk through a meadow along Blow Me Down Brook in Plainfield Village. If we have time, perhaps we'll then move south a bit on 12A to the Blow Me Down Mill Pond. Be prepared for possible muddy conditions on the walk.

Parking: Head south on 12A from West Lebanon to Plainfield Village (about 7 miles). In the village take a left onto Westgate Road (first left past the old brick church, empty general store, and Blow Me Down Grange). Go straight past Hayward Road on your right. At the far edge of the field on your right is a driveway for the Longacre's Nursery potting barn (unmarked) where we can park.



Also Saturday, May 9

Naturalist Walk, 8:30 - 11:30

Hawkride Farm, 109 Jenney Road, Plainfield

Join Monica Erhart, UVLT Stewardship Coordinator, Amber Boland, UVLT Conservation Mapping and Field Specialist, and Peg Ackerson, a member of the Mascoma Chapter of New Hampshire Audubon, as they lead a naturalist walk on a beautiful property conserved by UVLT Trustee, Myra Ferguson and her husband, Allan. The walk will focus on the property's springtime bird and plant life. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear. For more information contact Monica Erhart at Monica.erhart@uvlt.org or Amber Boland at amber.boland@uvlt.org, or call UVLT at (603) 643-6626.

From the north:

From I-89, take Exit 20 in West Lebanon and follow Route 12A to the south. In about 2 miles, turn left onto Trues Brook Road. Stay on this road as the name changes first to Brook Road, then to Willow Brook Road, about 4.8 miles. Turn left on Jenney Road. Approximately 1/2 mile up Jenney Road on the left is the driveway entrance. There is a granite post marking 109 Jenney Road. The Ferguson house is on the top of the hill on the right at the end of a 1/2 mile long driveway.

From the south:

Take NH 120 north to Meriden Village. At the flashing yellow traffic light, turn right onto Main Street. Continue on Main Street and pass a covered bridge on the left. Main Street then changes to Valley Brook Road. Travel about 2 more miles from village to what appears to be a fork in the road. Take the road on the right, Jenney Road. Approximately 1/2 mile up Jenney Road on the left is the driveway entrance. There is a granite post marking 109 Jenney Road. The Ferguson house is on the top of the hill on the right at the end of a 1/2 mile long driveway.





Weds, April 22, 7:30 - 9 p.m.

RAINED OUT!

Woodcock Watch

Trip leader: Mark Krenitsky

Every year woodcocks prepare for mating season by engaging in ritual display flight. Every year we try to watch them, and most years we succeed! Dress warmly! Meet at the LaSalette Shrine parking lot on Route 4A and we'll carpool to Bog Rd in Enfield. We might even do a little star gazing if the sky is clear.



Sat, April 4, 9-11 a.m.

Grant Brook Sanctuary (River Rd., Lyme) inventory

Trip leader: Becky Cook

This is a cooperatively conserved area in Lyme. The Lyme Conservation, Upper Valley Land Trust and NH Audubon teamed up to conserve the area. Our Mascoma Chapter have decided to take the area up for our chapter Sanctuary project. Our chapter will survey and catalog the plants, animals, birds, insects, etc. here.

This walk will include the lower field along the river and on the other side of the road, some moderately steep sections part way up the hill. You can see the trail map by clicking here.

We will meet at the single lane bridge at Grant Brook on River Road in Lyme (.6 miles from the cross road between East Thetford, Vt and Lyme, NH). There is parking along the road at a couple of pull offs, so car pool if you can.

Sat, March 28, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Duck migration along the Connecticut River

Trip leader: Dan Hopkins

Join the Mascoma and the Monadnock Chapters of NH Audubon on Saturday, March 28 for a birding trip along the Connecticut River. We will search for migrating ducks and other early spring arrivals as we visit Herrick's Cove, Allen Brothers Marsh and flooded fields along the river. Meet at 7am at the JC Penney parking lot in West Lebanon and we'll carpool to Charlestown and join members from the Monadnock Chapter. Return by 2 pm. Free and open to the public. For more information call Dan Hopkins at 603-443-0155.

Additional information from the Monadnock Chapter leader:

We'll be meeting at the Charlestown Library at 8 am for the trip. We'll be hitting the Great Meadows in Charlestown, Christmas Tree Farm in Springfield, VT, Upper Meadows in Rockingham, VT, Malnati Farm in Walpole, Allen Brothers Marsh (VT), and Herrick's Cove. That's only the am stops. Some of us will go further into the afternoon and make it as far as Putney, VT and Westmoreland, NH.

Some, still, may continue for the whole day and wrap up at the Hinsdale Waterfowl Roost.

Wilder Dam (Vermont side) Eagle Watch, Saturday 2/7/2009 10 a.m. - noon

Trip Leader: Mark Krenitsky

About a dozen people showed up to the Eagle Watch over a two hour period, not bad for the cold weather. They were rewarded with the sighting of one adult Bald Eagle, which stayed in view the entire time, moving up and down the river below the dam.

Species list:

1 Adult Bald Eagle

1 Cooper's Hawk(attacked Rock Pigeons)

1 Red-tailed Hawk(perched in a pine for about 45 minutes)

4 Common Mergansers(not that many, I'm used to there being more of them)

15 Bohemian Waxwings

6 American Robins

20 Blue Jays

15 Rock Pigeons

American Goldfinches

Black-capped Chickadees