The fall season in New England not only provides colorful foliage to leaf-peepers but it’s also a great time for birders as the migratory species use the Atlantic Flyway stops throughout the region on their journey south.

These six destinations – one for each state – provides the best of both worlds for bird enthusiasts, the opportunity to observe their favorite bird species amongst some of the most spectacular fall scenery anywhere in the world.

I will apologize now for leaving out so many great spots around the region. Also remember there is no set date for peak foliage viewing with any of these locations as there are many factors that dictate when its peak. I’ve tried to indicate average dates for great foliage but remember that Mother Nature has her own plans. Please share your own favorite fall locations in the comments section at the end of the article.

Let’s get going:

White Memorial Foundation and Conservation Center – Connecticut:
The White Memorial Foundation is located in the Litchfield hills of northwestern Connecticut and offers 4,000 acres of fields, woodlands, swamps, ponds, and trails, and countless opportunities to interact with the natural world and for bird-watching.

The Litchfield Hills is one of the more scenic areas of Connecticut during the foliage period and combine this with the seasonal migratory bird sightings it makes for an exciting fall visit.

You’ll discover 35 miles of trails winding through open water, wetlands and woodlands. Popular walks for bird-watchers are Lake Trail, the Little Pond Boardwalk Trail and the Butternut Trail. Bare this in mind, for seeing the largest variety of bird life; time your walk for early morning or late evening when they’re most active in feeding and communicating.

The White Memorial Foundation and Conservation Center is 3 miles west of Litchfield town on U.S. 202.


Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia National Park (Mount Desert Island) – Maine:

New England’s only National Park, Acadia, is made up of a number of locations but the largest is Mount Desert Island which has a visitor center and loop road. Be sure to pick up trail maps from the center when entering the park – most of the roads are closed in the winter. Acadia National Park in the fall is especially scenic and good for wildlife viewing.

Popular bird-watching locations on Mount Desert include: Cadillac Mountain in the fall for hawks and eastern towhees and dark-eyed juncos in the summer, Jordan Pond carriage roads and trails for songbirds, and Seawall rock beach is great to spot sea ducks and purple sandpipers.

Acadia National Park is one of the few spots along the Maine coast where fall color equals the interior dazzling display. Many easy hiking trails can get you into the interior quickly where the woods and forests contain a large number of the 330 bird species found in Maine amongst the orange, yellows and browns of the branches they perch on. Mount Desert Island can be reached by taking Route 95 north to Augusta and then Route 3 to Ellsworth and then onto Mount Desert Island.


Bartholomew's Cobble in the rolling hills of the Berkshires

Bartholomew’s Cobble – Massachusetts:
The rolling hills of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts always seem to have colorful autumns. The cool temperatures of the low mountains and predominate mix of deciduous trees in the south of New England, combine to create one of my favorite destinations to see the fall.

Bartholomew’s Cobble is in the southwest corner of the Berkshires close to the Connecticut border, and is 278 acres in size and includes a natural history museum, interpretive trails, ponds and plenty of walking paths.

Corbin’s Neck is a great place for bird-watchers to spot grassland birds such as eastern bluebirds, and the river running through the property attracts herons and egrets, and the forest areas are home to songbirds and five species of woodpeckers. Small and compact, this a great destination for easy walking with binoculars amongst gently rolling hills with colorful foliage by mid-October.


Common Loon

Lake Winnipesaukee – New Hampshire:

The Lakes Region in New Hampshire covers a vast area of central New Hampshire and includes Lake Sunapee, Newfound Lake, Squam Lakes, and the largest of them all in Lake Winnipesaukee. These all lie at the foothills of the White Mountains and provide dazzling shows during the fall weeks.

The hills surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee contain mixed hardwood forests which provide brilliant colors and attract many of New Hampshire’s bird species. Easy hiking paths in Alton on the western shore and Moultonborough in the north provide superb bird spotting and fall leaf-peeping opportunities.

The Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Moultonborough and offers visitors information and exhibits about the loon and nature trails over the 200-acres of the wildlife sanctuary. The habit includes: upland forests, marshes, ponds, streams and the shoreline of the lake. The sanctuary is not only home to a resident pair of loons but birders can also spot forests and woodland birds such as warblers.

To get to the center and sanctuary at Route 25 in Moultonborough turn onto Blake Road at school and go one mile to end and turn right onto Lee’s Mill Road. The Loon Center is on the left.


Block Island

Block Island National Wildlife Refuge – Rhode Island:

The Block Island National Wildlife Refuge is an important stopover for migratory birds in the fall. Many birds, either because of inexperience or the strong fall winds, are swept off their normal path and seek a rest and feed in Block Island before continuing on their journey. In late-September the Monarch Butterfly migration peaks and is another reason to visit Block Island.

The islands of New England, especially in the southern region, don’t have magnificent colorful falls like the mountain and hilly locations further north. The islands though have their own attractions in autumn as the cool coastal location makes for vivid blue skies, and low-lying vegetation affords excellent bird spotting opportunities.

The 127-acres of refuge land on Block Island attract over 70 species of migratory songbirds. For a great trail walk take the close-by Clay Head Trail near Settlers Rock and follow the trail around the scenic line of clay headlands until it moves inland and skirts the Clay Head Swamp a wonderful place for bird-watching in the early morning.

Block Island is 12-miles off the Rhode Island coast and ferries leave from Point Judith in Narragansett. Plan to take your bike if you have one and cycle out of town on Corn Neck Road and take it to the end where you can walk the beaches to the refuge.


Wood Duck in Vermont

Moosalamoo National Recreation Area –Vermont:

The Moosalamoo National Recreation Area sits in the beautiful northern half of the Green Mountain National Forest in central Vermont, and provides a diverse habit for Vermont’s bird species. The region includes: northern hardwood forests, water and wetlands, hemlock forests, shrubby openings and young hardwood forests, and each of these habitats attracts specific bird species. As maples abound in the hardwood forests here you can guarantee fiery colors for superb foliage viewing as well.

Branbury State Park is one of sixty Vermont State Parks, and sits on the shores of Lake Dunmore and provides trails for observing the great blue heron, American woodcock, wood duck, Canada goose and black duck. And nearby Silver Lake and the Silver Lake trails provides similar bird-watching opportunities.

To the south of the region near Goshen is the Blueberry Management Area which is a magnet for birds such as chestnut-sided warbler, song sparrow, gray catbird, American robin and indigo bunting. These same species can also be viewed in the fields surrounding the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail to the north near Ripton. Plan your trip for early October when this region on New England is usually close to peak.

Start your bird-watching trip at Branbury State Park – drive 7-miles south on Route 7 from Middlebury, and then 4-miles south on Route 53. The Moosalamoo Association produces a wonderful set of maps and guides for the region which they’ll mail to you – see their website at www.moosalamoo.org for details.

For more details on these and other destinations to see during a New England Vacation Trip and to pick up your free New England trip planner package go to Cliff’s New England Vacations Guide at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com

This story was published on 13 Oct 2011.