Monthly Bird Walk

Please join us for our monthly bird monitoring walks on the refuge.  Ken Copenhaver and Julie Filiberti lead the walks on various refuge trails on the third Saturday of each month (except December, when it will be on the second Saturday). The purpose of the walks is to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Observations are entered into the Vermont eBird database where data is stored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. These walks are appropriate for birders of all skill levels and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds throughout the seasons.

Our walk this month will be on Saturday, March 18 from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at the Jeep Trail.  Meet at the Louie’s Landing fishing access on Rte 78, about 3.5 miles west of Swanton village. We will meet at the gate and drive in to the trailhead at Mac’s Bend.

Trail description: The walk starts at a gravel parking lot at Mac’s Bend. The trail follows the river and thus is level. The trail is very close to the riverbank edge in one section. The trail surface is uneven, with many roots, rocks, and ruts. There are no benches. We usually walk about a mile and turn around, making it approximately a 2-mile walk.

Trail conditions: In March the trail can be expected to have packed snow if the weather stays cold, or possibly muddy if it gets warmer. There could be blown-down trees to navigate over or around.

If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com