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| Cape May Warbler photographed on Plum Island May 13 |
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is probably the premier birding destination in New England. During any season it can be spectacular. However, it is safe to say Parker River is most colorful during the spring when the warblers are coming through. I try to get to Parker twice during May every year. Some years I succeed some years I fail. Hopefully, I can give you some advice on how to bird there.
Though I would consider Parker River an "exotic" destination it really isn't intimidating. The birding can be fantastic. Though it is far for a typical Rhode Islander, it is possible to do as a daytrip if you so choose.
Parker River NWR is on Plum Island. It is in the town of Newburyport. From the MA/RI border it is about an hour forty. I ALWAYS leave the house very early. I take I-495 instead of I-95 to avoid Boston traffic. However, Lowell traffic around the Rt 3 interchange can be bad, so I try to be safely past that before 6:30 am. I assume everyone has GPS so it is pointless to give you directions. Choose I-95 if you want, but I think I-495 is the safer bet.
Once at the refuge, there is a pay station. It is staffed during the day. If you get there before a ranger is there, there are self pay envelopes that you fill out and drop your five dollars. The refuge has one seven mile road that goes south down the island to Sandy Point. You can't get lost. Just past the gate is Lot 1. There is a nice bathroom here. There is a Purple Martin colony that you have to walk within feet of to get to the restroom. PRO TIP come back at noon to photograph the Martins. The sun will be at your back. If it is a sunny day, you will have a blue sky behind them and the sunlight will catch the eyes of this very dark bird.
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| Purple Martin |
After my bathroom break I take a left out of the lot. The first stop will be the Salt Pannes. Here you could find a variety of shorebirds and herons. You will hear and see Willets for sure. I'm after warblers in May, so I don't spend much time here.
As I drive down the road I keep my window open listening for birds. Any vegetation can hold migrants. If you see a few cars bunched together it is probably a good idea to ask what they are seeing/hearing. Sometimes there can be a false bird jam when a few cars are together others assume there is something special so they pull over...etc..., but in reality there isn't anything there. "Monkey see, monkey do". Still, it is worth the risk to check. I saw a Cape May on Friday thanks to a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road.
The first major stop are the famous S curves. You'll know you reached them because you'll see people walking up and down the road. Also, the first bend is an indication you reached them. There are trees on both sides of the road for a couple miles. Birds can be anywhere. Walk as far as you dare then walk back to your car and repeat a couple tenths of a mile down the road. The S curves can be very good.
However, here is your dilemma and it is real. You have to make sure you leave the S curves in time to get a spot at Hellcat. Hellcat parking area is big, it holds at least 50 cars, but it can fill up fast. When I was there on Thursday I didn't get to Hellcat until almost 8 am. But it was foggy and drizzly. Friday (and I believe Wednesdays) Audubon runs guided walks there. The participants used to carpool but (say it with me) Covid. So giant Audubon groups of twenty or more people take up a lot of spaces. I arrived at Hellcat before 7 am and there was only two spots left in the lot. Before I got out of my car, other cars were pulling in and turning around in the full lot.
Once parked at Hellcat you walk on boardwalks through the woods. There are a couple of very long paths but you really can't get lost. There are maps at every trail junction. Take your time here. There will be a lot of birders so don't expect solitude. It is my experience that the birds will be flocked together. You may not see anything for six hundred feet then come across a loose group of ten different species. Once you find the birds it is best to stay with them until they pass through. Just because you just saw five Yellow Rumped Warblers in a row does not mean the next one won't be a Nashville. Once the birds pass through, find some more. I usually walk these boardwalks at least twice spending a couple of hours here. These woods are referred to as Goodno Woods
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| Northern Parula |
Included in this area is the road itself. From the parking lot back to the pedestrian crossings can be just as good as in the woods. I make sure to walk this part of the road multiple times. The pine trees just a few feet north of the parking lot can be excellent. I've seen everything from Purple Finch to my lifers Chestnut Sided and Bay-Breasted Warblers in those trees.
Taking a right out of Hellcat. The road turns to dirt just past the parking lot. The next stop is the Bill Forward blind. This is another shorebird spot. I've seen nice birds on the fifty yard trail to the wooden blind. My life highlight here wasn't bird but a coyote that was very active one morning.
Going further south you come to the Pines Trail. Pull down the bumpy dirt road. Before you walk into the little trail look into the field. Bobolink are common as are turkeys. I've seen teal in the pool to the left and Kingbirds on the tops of brush.
In the woods you never know what you will see. Half the time you won't see any good birds and you'll wonder why I wasted your time. But if you hit it right this short circular path can be fantastic. I've seen Canada and Wilson's Warbler in here. I've had Swainson's Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and an uncountable number of Redstarts. This trail is a crap shoot. If there aren't any birds you can be in and out in ten minutes so you have nothing to loose. There is an observation platform where you look over the marsh. There are usually some Black Bellied Plovers, Gadwall, and Osprey around. You can see the Osprey nest from here.
I don't spend much time south of the Pines. If I have two days I'll squeeze in a trip to Sandy Point State Reservation at the tip of the island. Sandy Point is owned by Massachusetts (state parks/beaches) and not by USFW. Therefore it has different rules. If you are keeping a list of how many species you are seeing, a trip to Sandy Point is a good idea. You have a very good chance of seeing Piping Plovers, Least Terns, BB Plovers, gulls, and even sea ducks ( I had a White Winged Scoter fly by me on Friday). You will pick up a few species you can't find in the woods.
Sandy Point has two parking areas. The one just left of the entrance will bring you to the beach. The right side will bring you to bigger area that is on the bayside. If you are shooting for as many species as you can find, doing both sides is a good idea. If you only want to see warblers, I wouldn't bother going this far.
Another good place to add to your day list was Lot1 at the beginning of the refuge. You can scope the ocean from the top of the stairs. You will pick up sea ducks, loons, and gulls.
The last place I'll mention is "The Warden's". Heading south from the Salt Pannes it is on your right. You will see a maintenance building and a bathroom building. If you park her and walk between the buildings to the trees in the back you will see Barn and Tree Swallows. This area is very good for sparrows. If a Clay-Colored, by far the cutest sparrow, shows up on the refuge, chances are it will be here.
It usually takes me about five hours to bird Parker River. I won't leave birds or rush. I'm there to enjoy them. I usually stay overnight. I camp at Salisbury Beach (about $40 after fees). There are motels in the area too.
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| Black Throated Green Warbler |
When I make it an overnight I go to other places around the area. I usually go to Mill Pond Recreation Area in West Newbury. I have been to Martin Burns (nesting and easy to find Indigo Buntings), and I've gone to Rough Meadows in Rowley (I didn't see much). I usually stop at the observation deck on Scotland Road (ebird hotspot). One place I'd like to check out is Cherry Hill Reservoir.
Of all of the advice I can give you, try to get there before Boston traffic and before Hellcat fills up. Enjoy the Purple Martins after noon with the sun at your back. And try to make it an overnight trip so you can do the island twice and explore other great spots in the afternoon.
ENJOY!
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