Birdwatching in New Hampshire

3 | Southwestern Highlands

Southwestern Highlands 3 Greater Keene Area The Greater Keene region includes Green Wagon Farm, Jonathan Daniels Trail, Robin Hood Park, Krif Road, Keene State College Wildlife Management Area, Dillant-Hopkins Airport, Surry Mountain Lake, and Spofford Lake. Green Wagon Farm This is a good site close to downtown Keene for migrants and birds of open fields. Northern Shrike, Horned Lark, and Snow Bunting are seen here most winters, and there is good scrub habitat for sparrows during migration. Jonathan Daniels Trail Named for Jonathan Daniels, the civil rights leader and Keene native, the trail begins at the junction of Island Street and West Street, then winds north along the Ashuelot River for a little more than a mile, where it joins the Appel Way Trail (not shown). You can exit quickly onto Court Street by taking a right, or turn left and continue on the Appel Way Trail to Wheelock Park, though this section is not as scenic. Robin Hood Park This park includes almost 300 acres of forested conservation land with a trail that loops around a small pond. Here you can find many of the breeding species expected of a southern New Hampshire woodland. Krif Road and Keene State College Wildlife Management Area This is an excellent site, very close to downtown Keene, with a wide variety of habitats. The road ends at some cornfields that offer excellent habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl in spring. Green-winged Teal is a regular here Keene area T r ail/Wo o ds Road Railway gra ssla nd / fa rm la nd W etla nds co ns ervati o n la nd vi ew i ng ar ea Green Wagon Farm Jonathan Daniels Trail Robin Hood Park Krif Road & Keene State College Wildlife Management Area Dillant-Hopkins Airport To Pisgah State Park To Surry Mtn. Lake To Spofford Lake Krif Rd. Fields wils on pon d rte 9 rte 12 rte 9 rte 12 rte 101 r t e 3 2 rte 10 rte 12a 59 S o u t hw e s tern H igh lan ds from March onward. A Common Teal (the Eurasian race of Green-winged Teal) was seen here in the spring of 2007. Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, and Wilson’s Snipe occur in May, and are occasionally joined by Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin. The birds are usually in the flooded southerly section of the last field before the rail trail. The gate at the end of Krif Road is sometimes closed to traffic but pedestrians are welcome to pass through. A short walk takes you around the Keene State College athletic fields. This is a good site from spring through fall. Listen for Alder Flycatcher in the Ashuelot Floodplain just past the rail trail. The scrubby habitat under the adjacent power line is excellent for migrant warblers and sparrows; a trail conveniently follows the power line south. By wandering between this location and the Krif Road cornfields in May, an excellent diversity of species can be seen in just a couple of hours. Dillant-Hopkins Airport New Hampshire’s airfields are the last refuge of our rarer grassland birds, and Dillant-Hopkins Airport (aka Keene Airport) in Swanzey is as good as any. American Kestrel, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark are uncommon in New Hampshire but all probably breed here. Go early in the morning in late May or early June, when the birds are in song. View access is from Route 32 and Airport Road. The grassland specialists such as Grasshopper Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark can sometimes be seen teed up on weed stalks, or sitting atop one of the directional markers that line the runways. Field and Vesper Sparrows will most likely be found along the edge of the grassland in the scrubby areas. Look also for Brown Thrasher, Prairie Warbler, and Eastern Towhee in this area. On weekends, Airport Road is sometimes gated beyond the terminal, but the walk is a worthwhile 3-mile roundtrip. Surry Mountain Lake Surry Mountain Lake is a state park located 6 miles north of Keene on Route 12A. Although it is a bit farther from the Connecticut River than the excellent Spofford Lake, the river valley’s influence can still be felt here. There is a marsh at the north end that is reliable for American Bittern in spring and summer and Great Egret in fall. The shallows around...