Places to Bird in Central Massachusetts
Central Mass Bird Update homepage.
This is an archive of birding location information for Central Massachusetts and surrounding areas. The idea is to give birders current information about new or old places to bird, which is not available in existing guide books or other literature. The advantage of this format is that it can be easily updated. This is in the experimental stage, and experienced birders are invited to send in descriptions of their favorite birding spots. I would suggest making reference to the coordinates in the De Lorme atlas for Massachusetts in describing the location of your spot. If you send me a digitized map, I can include that as well (although if it is published elsewhere there may be copyright issues). To contribute, you can email to rsquimby@wpi.edu.
Birding Location Data Available:
Additional Fisherville Pond information from Dan Perkins:
Here is an alternative
access to view the Southern Impoundment, with potential for a wider
variety of birds due to
wider variety of habitat. If you continue on Cross St. as mentioned above, you will
come to Rte 122A. Take a right and travel to Pleasant St. and take a right.
This road leads back to Rte 122 and can be accessed from there as well.
There is a powerline corridor just east of the bridge across the Blackstone
River (not the canal). The trail in this corridor follows the river and
through meadowland and marshy areas and eventually takes one out to a spit
of land just upstream from the dam. I have only been here in the winter and
so had the advantage of being able to walk on ice, so I would recommend that
anyone who visits in another season with hopes of going the distance wear
waders or expect wet shoes. As I said, I've only been there in the winter
but I have full expectations of it being full of bird activity of many
varieties. (submitted by Dan Perkins).
Take Rt. 30 east out of Grafton towards Westboro Center. About a mile past
the Tufts Vet. School, watch for a left onto OLD NOURSE RD. Take this left.
Then take your next left (signed ,but a bit obscure) onto ANDREW ST. Follow
this past typical suburban houses to the end. Park in the dirt area on the
left. You will see a paved pathway on the right that goes down to a pump
house. You can skirt around the fence to the water's edge for great views of
SuAsCo. Be sure to check trees along edge for migrants.
Back at the parking area. you will see a signed pathway past two posts and a
chain into the Assabet Conservation Area of the Westboro Land Trust. There is
a network of well maintained trails, many now signed. The main trail goes
down hill, past a vernal pool on the left, past an open sandy area where
Ruffed Grouse sometimes dust bathe and eventually to a point on the water.
This is an excellent place to view nesting Osprey and Great Blue Herons and
ducks in the SuAsCo water impoundment. The whole area is good for migrant
warblers, vireos, thrushes ect. Be sure to check the sumac and other shrubs
just as you pass the entrance for migrants. Breeding birds include all the
birds of SuAsCo plus Eastern Wood Peewee, Brown Thrasher, various warblers
including Pine. The included map is old, but the trails are basically the
same. many species of migrant ducks can be found on the water and Barrow'
Goldeneye was seen here once.
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
directions: From Rt. 122 at the Grafton/Northbridge line,
head south 4.2 miles. Turn left
at the "Department of Public Works Sewer Office" sign. Park next to the
railroad tracks, well off the road. DO NOT PULL PAST THE GATE IN THE CAR.
Walk through the gate and explore the areas filter beds. A scope is good, and
this requires a bit of walking.
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
This is one the best spots for migratory waterfowl in central MA. Large
numbers of Ring-Necked Ducks and Ruddy Ducks appear here in the fall, with
lesser numbers of species like scaup, goldeneye, Bufflehead, mergansers and
American Coot. Spring can also be good. Species like Canvasback and even
Redhead have been found lately. This is a very irregulalry shaped reservoir,
so it is strongly recommended that you get a street atlas of the area. Ducks
are often tucked up into one of the many coves, so you need to scan from as
many places as possible. Most birders only go the the southern impoundment,
when in fact most of the birds are in the northern areas. I will start at the
intersection of Rt. 9 and White Bagey Road and move around the reservoir.
1) At the intersection of White Bagely Road (White's Corner Restaurant)
there is a light. Coming from Worcester, turn left (north) and immediately
pull into the small dirt pull-off on the right at the corner. This will give
you your first look at the southern tip of the reservoir. Just a bit up the
road, you will see Partridge Hill Road. You can pull in here, park facing the
reservoir, and walk to the reservoir edge for better views.
2) Further up White Bagely Road, pull off where possible to scan for ducks,
coot, gulls and herons. Watch for traffic: this is a busy road.
3) When you get to Rt. 30, go right (east). You will cross an interesting
causeway, but there is nowhere to pull off on the causeway per se, but on the
other side you will see a gated access road to the reservoir on the left
(north). Pull into this entrance way to scan both north and south of Rt. 30.
4) From Rt. 30, take a right (south) onto Central Street. Pull off at the
playground and walk across the field heading for a gate at the NW corner. You
will find a rough trail down to the water's edge and a great view of the
south reservoir. Be careful of Poison Ivy.
5) The State "Emerald Necklace Trail". This is a real gem and little used by
birders. Continue east on Rt. 30 and take a left (north) on Pine Hill Road.
Watch for another left on Clemmons Road and park just before the road takes a
sharp turn to the right. parking is difficult and there is room for only a
few cars. Walk towards the gate onto the state trail. This fairly flat trail
runs up the east side of the reservoir. Not only can you serach for
waterbirds, this trail is great in spring and fall for migrants. Fox Sparrow
is regular.I have also found wintering Hermit Thrush, Yellow-Rumped Warbler
and Gray Catbird along here.
6) Continue north on Pine Hill Road, till it intersects with Parmenter and
Edwards. Turn left onto Parmenter. This road winds through rapidly
diminishing forest (this whole area is being rapidly built upon). Watch for a
dirt parking area on the right in forest near the edge of the reservoir (you
will see it through the trees) often littered with trash. Pull in here and
walk to the edge of the reservoir. Be careful, traffic speeds along this
seemingly quiet part of the road. Large numbers of ducks are often present on
this end of the reservoir. There is a rough trail running along the edge that
you can follow south till it joins the Emerald Necklace Trail, offering
excellent views of the reservoir all along the way.
7) Acre Bridge Road area and trails: Continuing north on Parmenter, it will
"T"; turn left onto Broad Meadow Road. Follow this to Farm Road, go left
again until you can turn left once again onto Acre Bridge Road. Here you will
come to an area where this tip of the reservoir flows under the road. Pull
off in the obvious spaces. The pond on the west side of the road is good for
ducks, herons and Pied-Biled Grebe. The old sewer beds north of this pond can
be good for migrants and Northern Shrike in winter. Most importantly, just
south of the bridge, and right along the edge of the inlet (heading east),
there is a trail that takes you along the edge of the reservoir. Follow this
out and around various inlets. This whole area is great for finding hidden
flocks of ducks and connects to a network of trails that cover this
northwestern shore. Explore the area as much as you can.
8). Heading south again, this time on Framingham Road, there are several
pull-offs near the edge of the reservoir where you can bush-whack to the edge
and get views of the water not visible from other vantage points BUT BEWARE
OF DEER TICKS.
9). There are several other overlooks of the Assabet River as it flows into
the resrvoir that are good, all south of Rt. 30 heading west from the
reservoir. The first is along Rt. 85. Pull in under the pines and walk to the
edge. Numbers of mergansers and goldeneye are often here in late fall.
10) Other overlooks are along Middle Road and Parkerville Roads. Sometimes
these areas stay open later in winter and attract species like Hooded Mergs
in January.
11). Finally, as you are heading back to the city along Rt. 30, scan the
river and look for geese and mergs. Sometimes a Snow Goose puts in. Killdeer
are seen in what is left of the open fields that are rapidly being developed.
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
From Rt. 122 Petersham Center, east of the intersection with Rt. 32A, head
directly south on South Street. In about half a mile, watch for a town DPW
building on the left. Pull in way to the right of the building and you will
be overlooking a fine wooded swamp and pond. Virginia Rails and Wood Ducks
breed. Sora, American Bittern, Hooded Mergansers (may breed) and other ducks
have been noted in migration. A scope is needed. Be sure to park well away
from the buildings and keep out of the way of town workers. Do not be
surprised if a town police officer checks in to see what you are doing. My
interactions with them have all been fine.
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
This whole area is good for landbird and waterfowl migrants. A good variety
of warbler species breed as well as Wood Duck. Proceed north/west on Rt. 122
in Petersham past the intersections with Rt. 32 (north) and Rt. 32A (south).
Watch for a pond on the right. This pond has been called either Spring or
Harvard Pond depending on what map you use. There are several good pull-offs
along Rt. 122 to check the pond, and you should carefully scan from each. In
spring and fall, waterfowl like Wood Duck, teal, Ring-Necked Duck, scaup,
Common Goldneye and mergansers can be found. Look carefully in and among all
the vegetated islands (it's not easy and a scope is defintely needed). In
migration also watch for shorebirds (Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers,
Killdeer and Least Sandpiper are all regular, if difficult to spot).
Migrating swallows in numbers hawk for insects over the pond. Always keep an
eye out for raptors like Broad-Winged Hawk (which breeds), Red-Shouldered
Hawk, N. Goshawk, Osprey and Turkey Vulture. Keep a lookout for River Otters.
On either end of the pond, you will find a gated trail. The forest is managed
as part of the Harvard (University) Forest. It is possible to hike all around
the pond, though you will have to walk a stretch along Rt. 122. The forest
has breeding Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Least Flycatchers, and Pine Warblers.
To investigate the back part of the pond (Tom Swamp), continue driving
north/west on Rt. 122 and take your first right onto Athol Road. Your first
right off of this road 9a sharp right and labeled) is Tom Swamp Road. In
short order this road becomes dirt and can be passable in some years only by
high carriage or even 4WD vehicles. In dry years you should be able to make
it in a regular car. The forest has lots of hemlock and has species like
Blackburnian and Black-Throated Green Warblers. Eventually you will come to a
unique dike area that runs in back of Harvard Pond. This is an interesting
birding area with species like Swamp Sparrow. One of MA rarest butterflies,
the Bog Elfin, has been found along this dike. The dike may not be passable
after a lot of rain.
Continuing over the dike, you will see a left. On some maps, this is labeled
Tom Swamp Road too or Nelson Road. This goes through more interesting mixed
forest that has many species of warblers and Hermit Thrush and Blue Headed
Vireo. Unfortunately, the more northern end of the road is rapidly being
developed. Back at the original Tom Swamp Road, if you continue straight
(east) along Tom Swamp Road, there is still more good birding for about a
mile or more with species like breeding Black-Throated Blue Warbler and
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Eventually you will exit onto Rt. 32 Petersham
north of the town center.
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
For the south impoundment, which is more difficult to access, drive further
down Rt. 122 and take a right on Cross Street. Fran McMenemy has said that
there is an apartment complex here. Pull in back and walk across the stone
wall to the dam. Apparently (so far at least) the residents don't care. You
will be at the dam and locks. A Eurasian subspecies of Green-Winged Teal was
seen here (among other ducks) in spring of 2000.
(submitted by Mark Lynch)
