Birding
Birding Overview
While most activities in Vermont are seasonal, Birding is an incredible way to explore the Vermont landscape 365 days a year. You don’t need to leave the property to see a wide range of species. A short drive over the mountains brings you several Wildlife Management Areas, the Green Mountain Audubon Center, and the North Branch Nature Center.
WHEN TO GO
Winter is a great time to get started birding as there are fewer birds to keep track of and the ones that show themselves are easier to identify.
Spring is full of migrations, specifically from March–May. Many different species will be flying through Vermont to various destinations, or searching for a suitable nesting location.
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The early summer months are the loudest of the year, with males doing their best to attract a female and defend their territory. Come July the singing will taper off.
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As fall rolls around, a number of species start their migration south in the middle of August, like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Audubon Vermont
Audubon Vermont is a state program of the National Audubon Society. They are a nonprofit conservation organization whose mission is to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Their 255-acre Green Mountain Audubon Center located in Huntington, Vermont has been a community hub of outdoor education and conservation for 60 years, making it the oldest operating nature center in the state.
North Branch Nature Center
Serving 17,000 people annually, their floodplain forest and fields, nestled in a gentle bend of the North Branch of the Winooski River, offer year-round opportunities for walking, skiing, swimming, and quiet reflection just two miles from downtown Montpelier.
Snake Mountain
Snake Mountain is a large island of forested habitat amongst the farmlands of Addison County. The woods at the base of the mountain produce Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers. The summit offers good opportunities for hawk-watching in September as well as stunning views of the Champlain Valley.
Berlin Pond
Berlin Pond, located just west of Berlin, is one of the last undeveloped waterbodies in the State of Vermont, primarily due to its function as a municipal water supply for Montpelier and Berlin. The pond is approximately 270 acres. Emergent marsh and shrub swamp can be found adjacent to the pond. Associated with the pond are equally undeveloped uplands of characteristic northern hardwood forest, which grade into wetter forests of cedar, red maple, and black ash. Vermont Natural Community Types include Northern Hardwood Forest, Northern White Cedar, Sweet Gale Shoreline swamp, Shallow Emergent, and Cattail marsh.
