Swan Point Cemetery is unquestionably the best warbler location in northern Rhode Island. It has a large following and every single day in May there will be a group of people birding there. But if you are a new birder or want to make a trip from a different part of the state where to begin can be intimidating.
First off, it is good to know that staff opens the pedestrian gate to birders at 7 am in May. This has been a very nice gesture for years and when I go, I always make sure to say thank you. Since only the pedestrian gate is open, you can't drive your car into the cemetery. You can park along Blackstone Blvd. Parking is on the right hand side and free. Obviously, you can drive your car in after gates open for normal visiting hours. If you arrive before 7 am there will be birders waiting at the gate and you may be able to tag along with them and make the entire rest of this article pointless.
Next for the purpose of this article, you need to know directions. When you walk through the gate, if you were to walk straight down the road you are on, that is east. If you take a left at the first intersection that is north, and a right would be south. If you were to walk in a straight line as you walk into the cemetery you would come to the Seekonk River which does run north and south.
The first place I usually go is the North Woods. To get there, take that first left and walk past the main building (it will be on your right). As you walk, you will see the woods on your left. Keep walking and you will see a couple of paths. The easiest of which to follow is at the extreme northwest corner of the cemetery. There are two parking places and directly in front of them is a path. If both parking places are taken, not to worry, you can park along any road, just pull off to the side.
Before you enter the woods look up at the huge oaks. These oaks get hit with light early in the morning. This gets bug activity going which gets the birds feeding. I've seen many warblers up high in these trees including Blackburnian and Bay Breasted.
The paths in the north woods aren't too complicated and you really can't get lost. After you walk down the path in front of the two parking spots, if you take the left path, you'll eventually end up back on the road you came down. If you take the paths on the right, they will take you through the woods to the right. At no point will you lose your sense of direction and the worst case scenario is you end up walking five minutes back to your car. All of these paths are good and I can't tell you where the rarity will be because it could be anywhere. Two years ago on different days, there was a Wilson's Warbler on a left path, and a Summer Tanager on the right. Take your time and follow Matt Schenck's advice and "bird every bird".
If you take a right after entering the cemetery and follow the road on the right you will come to the Mausoleum. On your way there, you will see flowering trees. This is a very reliable spot for Orchard Oriole. Right before you get to the Mausoleum you will see a wide path going into the woods to your right. It is made of wood chips and I've heard it called the Wood Chip Path. Again, just pull off to the side if driving. Before you enter the woods, look at the trees on the other side of the street, Baltimore Orioles frequently are seen in them.
The Wood Chip Path is short. Maybe fifty yards. The trees are tall and if you hit it right, full of singing warblers. Unfortunately, this is the prime example of "Warbler Neck". The birds are usually high up in these seventy foot oaks. Along the floor are some muddy areas on both sides. Keep an eye out for Northern Waterthrush. At the end of the path, if you take a left there are mulch corrals. To the right you will head out to the flowering trees in the cemetery that can have Orchard Orioles. Keep an eye out on this path for Swainson's Thrush.
After you get back to the beginning of the Wood Chip Path, walk towards the Mausoleum with the woods on your right. This area is good for Yellow Warblers and the water can have Northern Waterthrush.
Two other areas I'd like to quickly mention are the Seekonk River and the pond. To reach the river take a left at that first intersection and go all the way to the northwest corner. Now take a right and follow this road to the water. There will be a steep hill and a turn around at the bottom. You can park there. Walk down to the water and you may see Bald Eagles, Osprey, and I've seen a Peregrine on the chimney across the river. Check the gulls and ducks that are in the water. Near the end of the month, this area is great for Spotted Sandpiper at low tide. There is a trail off to the right that follows the water but be forewarned it is muddy. I've seen perched Eagles and many warbler species on this trail.
The pond is in the middle of the cemetery. It is called Rock Pond and it would be impossible to describe the directions but you can easily see it and follow the directions if you Google "Swan Point Interactive map". Once you find it, just like everywhere else, park along the side. This little pond is cool. It has frogs, Red Eared Sliders, and goldfish. Around the pond I've seen many cool birds including Ruby Crowned Kinglets. Pine Siskins were hanging out at the birches one year. I always walk around this pond twice. Even if I don't see a good bird, I like that there is always something to look at.
Other than Rock Pond, you may have noticed that all of the good birding is in the woods, along the edge of the woods, or the river. While these are the most popular spots, there can be birds in the cemetery. The size of the cemetery makes walking all the roads looking for birds impractical. If you drive around, you may find many warblers. Just last year a Yellow Throated Warbler was hanging around the east side of the cemetery. It had a favorite tree that it would fly into for a couple of days. I hope this helps anyone wanting to go to Swan Point but didn't know where to start. Good Luck and Good Birding!
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