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Washington County A Hub For Birding Enthusiasts

Lucas Willard
/
WAMC

Credit Lucas Willard / WAMC
/
WAMC
The new observation platform at the Washington County Grasslands

On a blustery spring day, a small crowd gathers at the parking area of the Washington County Grasslands, a DEC Wildlife Management Area located on 286 acres in the heart of the upper Hudson’s farm country.

DEC Region 5 Director Bob Stegemann is leading a tour to the preserve’s new observation platform. From the road, the preserve appears unassuming. Stegemann agrees that many passersby might take the open farmland for granted.

“And that’s exactly what this is all about. It’s a natural occurrence here. This is what people do here. So it’s nice to be able to say ‘let’s do something to make sure it stays like this’ and this habitat stays protected and then the traditional activities of this area can continue.”

After an easy quarter-mile hike, Stegemann addresses the small crowd on the new platform that offers views of the Green Mountains to the east and Adirondacks to the west.

“OK, well, welcome everybody! What a glorious day. You couldn’t find a nicer day to do this,” says Stegemann.

The raised platform is a great place to peer through binoculars or a spotting scope. The preserve has gained a lot of attention among birdwatchers.

John Loz, President of the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society, says the region serves as a stopover for several species of migrating birds. Some have brought in tourists from across the country.

“Especially with the eruptions of snowy owls that have stopped over here. That is a big draw. This is a safe place for them to get food and to refuel when they’re hungry. And when that happens, when the Snowy Owl Report happens, people come from all over to come into this area,” says Loz.

The preserve is a place to spot several at-risk species, including American Kestrel, Upland Sandpiper, Short-Eared Owl, and Northern Harrier.

“Some of the stuff like the harriers and that sort of thing that we saw this morning, you can’t see anywhere else,” says Bob Henke, Chairman of the Washington County Board of Supervisors.

Henke spotted the threatened harriers on the walk in, hunting for food among the field that is kept mowed to preserve habitat.

A former DEC officer himself, Henke says when patrolling this area years ago, he took a photo of a Northern Hawk Owl, a raptor he had never seen before. Days later, he wrote about his sighting in his column in the local newspaper, but wasn’t prepared for the reaction.

“The paper called me up and said ‘What on Earth have you done?’ Their switchboard was just lit up from all over the place, trying to find how to get a hold of me and see just where it was that I saw this thing. And long story short, 10 days later we recorded people from over 38 states in here trying to add the hawk owl to their life lists. I think that’s when it encapsulated it for me, the importance in people’s minds of birding. I just hadn’t, I guess, given it importance that it really does deserve.”

DEC hopes preserves like the Washington County Grasslands will give an economic boost to local businesses.

On May 14th and 15th, the Friends of the Washington Country Grasslands IBA is holding its annual Winter Raptor Fest. The event that started on a farm down the road six years ago will be moved this year to the Washington County Fairgrounds. Laurie LaFond, president of the Friends of the IBA, says the event is growing every year.

“We had 2,000 last year. This year we’re thinking we can get 4 to 5 thousand.”

Visitors will be able to meet several predatory birds and a young wolf and coyote. LaFond is proud to boast about her community’s natural assets.

“In the whole region, Washington County is the best place," says LaFond.

For more information visit:http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/97661.html

Lucas Willard is a reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011.
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