Trip Information and Registration

Participants leave the VIC for an all-day field trip “down the mountain” to the beautiful shoreline of Lake Champlain in search of migratory birds. This field trip will feature stops at many birding hotspots as we look at a cross-section of bird life from high elevation to low.

Explore four incredible seldom-seen Adirondack birding locations between the towns of Duane Center, Mountain View, and Owl’s Head. Begin the day by walking 1-mile out and back trail on a moss-carpeted forest path to a vantage where we’ll look for Olive-sided Flycatchers at the edge of a beaver meadow in the shadow of the cliffs of Titusville Mountain. Then we’ll visit a 2-mile level path that will provide opportunities to enjoy Lincoln’s Sparrows, Palm Warblers, and more at an expansive spruce-fir peatland. Our lunch stop will be at the site of the historic Debar Lodge which overlooks beautiful Debar Pond. Mourning Warblers have been present in this vicinity the past several years. There may be a few stops that are yet to be determined if Rich is able to locate areas of nesting raptors or woodpeckers.

Bring: Bug protection, hat, sunscreen, water, binoculars, hiking boots, lunch and appropriate clothing.

Massawepie Mire contains the largest peatland complex in New York State. This remote and very scenic habitat is home to several resident species of birds, but in the spring and summer months the bird populations explode. On this trip, birders will be on the lookout for breeding migrant warblers, sparrows, flycatchers, thrush species, woodpeckers, and more. Breeding Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Palm Warblers, Lincoln’s Sparrows, Canada Jays, Mourning Warblers, and Black-backed Woodpeckers are among the many species you might see around this bog. The walking trail is an abandoned railway, so flat, dirt/gravel conditions are expected.

Adirondack Land Trust Protected Lands

 Explore two beautiful conservation sites with the Adirondack Land Trust. Start out in the morning birding at a privately-owned conservation easement property in Lake Placid. Then drive to the Adirondack Land Trust’s Glenview Preserve in Harrietstown for a special opportunity to visit land that is not yet open to the public. Both sites feature a mosaic of habitat types that host an array of bird life. Expect to see many warblers in their breeding plumages as well as other species. If luck is on our side, we may see some boreal specialists. 

 Bring: Bug protection, hat, sunscreen, water, binoculars, hiking boots, lunch, and appropriate clothing.

The trip will begin with a flat, easy walk around Lake Stevens Tree Trail at the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway toll house. Then participants will carpool up the toll road, stopping at pull-offs and searching for mountain birds. Sightings may include: Bicknell's Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Boreal Chickadees.

Madawaska has been a favored boreal birding area for a half-century or more. The area encompasses conifer forest, mixed hardwood forest, a variety of wetlands, as well as Madawaska Pond. Sightings may include: (Yellow) Palm Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-backed Woodpecker, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Parula, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Olive-sided Flycatcher. As the habitat changes to white pine forest, the Brown Creeper can be found nesting behind loose bark. Madawaska Pond may have Green-winged Teal, American Bittern and Bald Eagle.

The Bloomingdale Bog Trail is a great habitat for boreal species. The area encompasses a bog and cedar woods with sedge marsh and coniferous woods. Sightings may include: Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Palm Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow.

Saturday Only

For this multi-destination field trip, birders will go to a variety of locations and habitats to potentially find 25+ species of breeding warblers, including Magnolia, Canada, Bay-breasted, Black-throated blue, Blackburnian, Cape May, and others. We’ll explore conifer woods, bogs, hardwood forests, and a few wetlands. We may even see several of these colorful species on their breeding territories.

Heaven Hill farm hosts a hay meadow and efforts to manage mowing are focused around conservation of bobolinks and savannah sparrows that use this site. We will also visit the orchard at Heaven Hill which is used by numerous passerines.  We are guaranteed to see bobolink and savannah sparrow, and if luck is with us we may also find Northern harrier, American Kestrel, Short-eared owl and other potential grassland specialists.  Additional species commonly observed at both sites include Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Indigo Bunting, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch, and Northern Flicker.

Designated an Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy, the Paul Smith’s VIC property contains every habitat type found in the Adirondack Park with the exception of alpine vegetation. Included on the property is a 60-acre marsh, five ponds, several brooks and swamps, bogs, fens, and varied forest types; most notably northern boreal forest. The 25-mile trail system traverses a variety of habitats with extensive boardwalks through wetland ecosystems. Common sightings at the Paul Smith’s VIC include: Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Great Blue Heron, American Bittern, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Black-backed Woodpecker. Warblers include (Yellow) Palm Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler and Nashville Warbler. Other sightings may include Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Wilson’s snipe, Broad - winged Hawk, Hooded Merganser and Ring - necked Duck.

Sunday Only, 7 AM to 4 PM

Join experienced guides from St. Regis Canoe outfitters as they partner with Northern New York Audubon to take you on a full day paddle down the Saranac River in Saranac Lake, New York. Birds we can expect to see include: Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagles, Osprey and other raptors, plenty of warblers and sparrows, and even some beavers and other mammals.