Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks:  Boreal Chickadee. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org  Used by permission.

Birding Festivals in the Adirondacks:
2016 Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Spring Pond Bog Field Trip


Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks: Spruce Grouse. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks: Spruce Grouse. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org
This site is no longer being updated with current information on birding activities at the VIC. For current information on the events planned for the 2017 Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, visit: http://www.paulsmiths.edu/vic/gabc/schedule/. For information on birding in the Adirondacks, visit: Adirondack Wildlife: Birds of the Adirondacks.

Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks: Rusty Blackbird. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org. Used by permission. Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks:
Rusty Blackbird. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org. Used by permission.

Participants will explore one of the largest peat land complexes in New York State. Spring Pond Bog is the second-largest open expanse of peat land in New York. The Spring Pond Bog Preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy, provides a unique habitat for plants and animals found nowhere else in the state. 

The half-mile trail leads through a hardwood forest, along an esker with views of the spruce swamp, to a point with magnificent views of Spring Pond Bog.  There is also a boardwalk trail through a smaller "teaching bog" off the main trail. Built by volunteers during the summer of 1998, it allows visitors to take an up close look at the bog without disturbing the plants. This natural area is open to the public (with written permission) for recreational, educational and scientific use.

Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks: Black-backed Woodpecker. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org. Used by permission. Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks:
Black-backed Woodpecker. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org. Used by permission.

The wetlands and surrounding forest provide habitat for 130 species of birds, including boreal birds not commonly seen elsewhere in the Adirondack Park. The bog contains a variety of typical northern bog plant species such as Pitcher Plant, Leatherleaf, Bog Laurel and Labrador Tea, as well as several rare species. 

On this field trip, participants should see or hear most of the more common lowland boreal birds (Gray Jay, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee and Black-backed Woodpecker). If we get lucky, we may also see some of the less common species such as the Tennessee Warbler or the Rusty Blackbird. The latter is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-95 percent over the past forty years.

Another (although more remote) possibility is the Spruce Grouse. The boreal habitats surrounding the bog are home to the last, best stronghold for Spruce Grouse in the state. The best chance to see them is when they are dusting in and along the dirt roads. For instance, the Spruce Grouse reported by an eBirder in late May 2015 was dusting himself in the road before the rain.


References




Explore the VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC offers a wide variety of programs throughout the year to educate and inform Adirondack Park residents and visitors about the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains. You can help support these programs by joining the Friends of the VIC. More information on Friends of the VIC memberships

Explore the Trails

The VIC trails are free and open to the public, from dawn to dusk, spring through fall. In winter, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day or season passes may be purchased.