GENERAL AREA OF ATHOL
Comfortable birding Athol, Mass
ACCESSIBLE BIRDING SITES
Silver Lake: Athol
Located near downtown Athol this glacial kettlehole pond is an excellent place to watch for summer resident
and migrating waterfowl, Mallard Ducks are common through the summer and are joined by Hooded
Mergansers, Wood Ducks and an occasional specialty like a Long-tailed Duck (formerly called Oldsquaw).
While you're there look for Great Blue and Green Herons, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Kingbird and Eastern
Phoebe. The area is excellent for car birding as a road circles the bank of the pond about 2/3 of which is
paved an open for public vehicles.
Branch Bridge: Athol - New Salem
The long causeway over the "Branch" of the Millers River which now makes up the Lake Rohunta complex. The
Lake Rohunta has sections named Eagleville, Partridgeville, is located between White Pond Road in South and
Blackington Road in New Salem. From mid-March through the spring the area is visited by flocks of waterfowl.
This is the local "best" waterfowl spot in the North Quabbin. Ring-necked Ducks can number in the hundreds
and are joined by Lesser and Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Hooded and Common Mergansers, Green-
wing Teal,
Barton's Cove: Gill - Turners Falls
Described in the "Birdwatchers Guide to Western Mass" this Valley birding hotspot is easily viewed from two
locations. The first is off Route between the DCR Public Boat ramp and the Turners Falls Bridge. By exploring
the neighborhood adjacent to the river you will easily find the quiet streets and resting waterfowl during the
spring and fall migration. Large numbers Mallards and Canada Geese are joined by Ring-necked, Lesser
Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Mute Swans, Common and Hooded Merganser. Often large flocks of
gulls gather on the ice flows and the savvy observer may find among the Herring, Great Black-backed, and
Ring-billed Gulls such specialties as Iceland, Glaucous, or Lesser Black-backed Gulls
A special treat each spring is the return of the nesting Bald Eagles. A spotting scope is helpful in observing the
birds across the cove. A stop at the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge Discovery Center (just over the
Turners Falls Bridge from Route 2) will allow you to view the Eagles nest on close circuit TV and the Center's
accessible exhibits are not to be missed.
An additional stop at the Turners Falls Rod and Gun Club (watch for sign on left as you head for the airport
from the Discovery Center) allows a view of a different section of the river and in addition to the species
mentioned above is one of the best places to view Canvasback Ducks in migration. A Red-headed
Woodpecker spent several months around the TFRGC
Other Accessible Sites
Several other accessible birding sites whose directions and descriptions can be found in the "Birdwatchers
Guide to Western Mass" include the "Canal" at Turners Falls, The Umass Campus Pond in Amherst, and
Quabbin Park in Belchertown.
PROJECT INSPIRE BIRDWATCHING CONTACTS
• Jerry Berrier jerryberrier@townisp.com
508-845-9944
• Megan Briggs megan@alloutadventures.org
• Susan Cloutier susan.cloutier@verizon.net
978-248-9491 Millers River Environmental Center
• Marcy Marchello marcy.marchello@state.ma.us
413-545-5758 Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation Universal Access Program
• Jan Ortiz jtortiz@aol.com
413-549-1768 Hampshire Bird Club
• Dave Small Dave@dhsmall.net
978-544-6343 Athol Bird and Nature Club