“To find birds I need to hike deep into the mountains.” Nope… remember, beautiful
is not always better for birds. Large tracts of undisturbed forest, miles of pristine
beach, and large lakes and rivers are not always the best places to look for
spring migrants. While these natural areas will support the breeding species come summer, during spring migration birds may be “diluted” in these large natural areas. To see
higher concentrations of birds consider habitat sacristy and habitat diversity.
Habitats that are no longer common in New England
such as salt water marsh or open meadow attract habitat specific birds and (due
to human development) are increasingly limited making them prime locales during
migration. Habitat diversity is an area where different habitats meet such as where forest meets field or a wetland within a forest. Spend time around habitat
edges to find species typical of both habitats.
