Friday afternoon wife Lelia and son Myles headed up the Beaver Brook trail on Moosilauke. (1.8 miles)

This is not a trail for the faint of heart. This is the AT.  And the trail goes straight up. Following a gorgeous brook for a mile plus.

Many cascades, shoots, cool pools. And there are numerous steps cut into the rock, and wood steps for steep parts. Hand holds as well.

Myles and I stayed in the AMC/DOC shelter with 3 “through hikers” (that’s good for stories).  Lelia hiked down.

I am up at 4:20 and hiking to Mtn Bird sites by 4:30.

There are 6 stops at 20 minutes each on the route. 10 target species, mostly focused on Bicknell’s Thrush.

Basically it is done by ear, due to the density of the surrounding forest.   I did fine. 

I did do Mtn Bird on Monadnock Mtn in Lemington VT for 12 years. Now we have new sites.

Highlights:  2 BiTh….one full song, one call notes. Awesome bubbly song…kind of like a bobolink thrush.

Lots of Swainson’s Thrushes, lots of Blackpoll Warblers, many Winter (aka summer) Wrens, bunch of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, couple Boreal Chickadees,

                some White-throated Sparrows.  I had  official numbers (still to tally) and additional birds, as many others were not on the route but around.

Did see a trophy Blackpoll and a Magnolia warbler. Also DE Junco, and a Summer Wren.

So….head on up to the mountains, many great songs and birds await.

“thanks for listening”

BS

Bill Shepard       

Project Coordinator

CT River Birding Trail

2360 Academy Road

Thetford Center, VT  05075

Home: 802 785-2855