Railbed Wetlands Birding
Join Joan Collins for a walk on a railbed through wonderful wetlands and forests! The old railbed travels along Vanderwhacker Brook at the beginning of the walk with fascinating marshes and ponds (and interesting plants!). There are also boreal forest sections. We will hike at the pace of the group and our birding, likely walking a few miles round trip. Some of the species we may find include: Wood Duck; American Black Duck; Hooded and Common Mergansers; Black-billed Cuckoo; Ruby-throated Hummingbird; Virginia Rail; American Bittern; Great Blue Heron; Broad-winged Hawk; Belted Kingfisher; Black-backed Woodpecker; Eastern Kingbird; Olive-sided Flycatcher; Eastern Wood-Pewee; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; Alder Flycatcher; Least Flycatcher; Eastern Phoebe; Boreal Chickadee; Winter Wren; Swainson’s Thrush; Hermit Thrush; White-throated Sparrow; Swamp Sparrow; Rusty Blackbird; and many warblers including Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Canada Warbler. Participants will meet at Overlook Park in Newcomb (restrooms at this location) at 7 a.m. and we will car-caravan to a dirt parking area up the hill from the railbed. Bring food, water, a jacket, appropriate attire/hiking shoes, binoculars, hat, sunscreen, and insect spray. Register by calling the Long Lake Parks and Recreation Department at 518-624-3077. This field trip is jointly sponsored by Northern New York Audubon and the Long Lake Parks and Recreation Department. There is a maximum of 15 participants.
