Traveling the border between Vermont and New Hampshire, Connecticut River Byway covers the vibrant habitat along the Connecticut River Watershed. Several protected areas attract an abundance of bird species to the region's varied ecosystems. Visit the area's combination of public and private lands to experience an up-close interaction with local bird populations and add a few species to your life list.
Silvio O. Conte National Forest and Wildlife Refuge offers multitudes of birding-related activities. Visit the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich for hands-on exhibits about local birds and their ecology. The museum's surroundings include a 2-acre park-like setting, including a network of walking trails for all ages and fitness levels.
Lace up some hiking boots and grab your binoculars before hitting the trails in Vermont's Windmill Hill Nature Reserve. Within the reserve's thousands of acres, you'll find 14.5 miles of trails. The hardwood forest and seasonal pools here teem with exciting birds. Keep an eye out for pretty little birds like Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet Tanagers. You'll also have the chance to see some larger birds like Broad-winged Hawks and Barred Owls.
Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge provides a wealth of stirring bird activity. Here Northern Harriers skim the ground and lake surface and Ospreys hover over placid lake waters before plunging to their surface, emerging triumphantly with a twitching fish in grasp. Watch for the American Bittern and hear the evocative yodel of the Common Loon as it fishes from the lake's surface. Nearby Leonard Pond features nesting Bald Eagle pairs, a testament to the success of an early 1980's transplant effort.
Boasting an enigmatic name, Vermont's "Mystery Trail" at the Union Village Dam takes you through habitats such as old fields, rivers, beaver ponds, and open tree thickets. The ponds are home to Green Herons on the shore, and Green-winged Teals, and a couple of Mergansers on the water's surface. Songbirds stock the forests and provide aural accompaniment to the sun-dappled forest's visuals. Take the family on the easy trail and log some of the 135 species known to live within the area.
These locations only represent a fraction of the world-class birding locales along Connecticut River Byway. With nature preserves located all throughout the Connecticut River Watershed, the area provides birders with a variety of species against a lovely New England backdrop.
