Bloomingdale Bog--A Boreal Bird Hotspot

In the winter Bloomingdale Bog is hands down the best trail to walk in all of the Adirondacks. Its use by snowmobiles keeps the trail packed down so that skis and snowshoes aren't even necessary, you just have to choose times such as early morning or during the week to avoid the snowmobile traffic. On our walk yesterday we didn't come across any snowmobiles until after 10am. A winter visit won't have as many birds as a summer visit, in fact you're likely to only see a handful of species, but the many boreal specialties are still present and are easier to spot in the winter. The best place to see these species in winter is on Bigelow Road, a seasonal road off of Oregon Plains Road that provides a more open view and more upland habitat than the main bog trail. This was the route we took yesterday, and we had much success. 

First I have to apologize for the lapse in postings on account of the fact that I was away from the Adirondacks for the past two weeks, vacationing in the southwest. I wanted to blog about the amazing mountains of Nevada and California, but it didn't seem as that would be appropriate for a blog about the Adirondacks. Maybe on another blog...

While I haven't had the chance to get my snowshoes out and tackle any peaks yet, I did have the opportunity to lead a walk for the Northern New York Audubon Society yesterday to one of my favorite places--Bloomingdale Bog. In fact it ranks as my second favorite place in the Adirondacks behind Stony Pond. While there are larger and more scenic bogs than the one in Bloomingdale, it is by far the most easily accessible of our lowland bog complexes, and the first large bog I ever visited. Bloomingdale bog isn't an ADK maintained trail, so you won't find it listed in any of the the ADK guides, which helps limit the amount of use on this trail. It is one of the few trails of its size that is more popular with locals than with park visitors, as it's miles of flat trail provide a great spot for leisurely walks, and is a great place to bring dogs. It is also widely known as a mountain biking trail, and in fact George W. Bush was seen mountain biking here last summer. In the winter the flat grades make this a perfect trail for winter activities such as skiing, skijouring, and snowmobiling. But what really makes this bog unique from the other trails in the Adirondacks is something few of its visitors realize--that it is one of the best places in the Adirondacks to see boreal birds.

A Pitcher Plant, which traps insects to
 obtain the nutrients that it can't get from
 the acidic peat

In the Adirondacks the term boreal refers to habitats that have the same composition as the boreal forests of Canada, a habitat which extends south to just a few places in the northeastern states. These boreal habitats consist of lowland bogs where the presence of peat creates acidic conditions where only certain plants, such as heath shrubs, tamaracks, spruce, and pitcher plants, can survive. While the lack of nutrients in the soil limits the biodiversity in these habitats, the species that are found there are specialized to the harsh conditions and therefore many of them are not found anywhere else. In the Adirondacks our boreal forests are found mostly at low elevations, though a few patches can be found on some of the high peaks. The largest amount of boreal habitat is the western Adirondacks, where large bogs like Spring Pond Bog and Massawepie Mire stretch for miles. Bloomingdale Bog isn't as large as these, but it's location more central to the Adirondacks and the fact that an old railroad bed crosses right through it make it the most accessible bog in the Adirondacks. Despite its smaller size it is still large enough to support most of the species of plants and birds that one would find in the larger bogs.

Bloomingdale Bog in the summer

Spring and summer are definitely the best times to visit Bloomingdale Bog in search of birds, as there are dozens of species breeding there. The trail following an old railroad bed traverses a number of habitats ranging from cattail marsh on its western side (which begins on rte 86 north of Saranac Lake), to an open bog mat about a mile in, to an alder swamp that gradually changes to upland conifer forest on its eastern edge (After crossing rte 55 just north of Bloomingdale). Such a walk is about 5 miles long, and is best done with cars parked on either end of the route, though I like to visit a different part each time I go rather than walk all the way through. Each habitat brings different breeding birds such as Canada Warblers, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrows, Palm Warblers, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. The bog in early summer is alive with the songs of warblers and sparrows, but is also alive with black flies and mosquitoes, making fall and winter more popular times to visit.

A male White-winged Crossbill, which migrates south from boreal Canada
when cone crops are poor further north

Boreal Chickadees are one of the species that birders visiting the Adirondacks always hope to see, but they are much more elusive than their Black-capped cousins, and you need a little luck to get a good look at one. Yesterday luck was on our side, though, and we had amazing looks at not just one, but two boreal chickadees. Both birds came out of the thick spruces to feed on seeds in a bare branched tree just a few feet above our heads, a rare treat. Shortly after that we were treated to a sighting of another elusive bird--the White-winged Crossbill. These birds only visit the Adirondacks in some winters, and usually in fairly small numbers. Even when they are abundant they are usually seen or heard quickly flying overhead, and are rarely seen up close. Yesterday I used a pishing sound to draw in a pair of male and female crossbills, who cooperatively perched at the tip of a nearby spruce for about 5 minutes. This was plenty of time to admire their criss-crossed bills, which they use for prying seeds out of cones. Also present in the bog yesterday were hundreds of Pine Siskins, which continue to be abundant this winter. We finished our walk with a short visit to the bog trail, where we knew the Gray Jays would be waiting for handouts. We only saw one, but it approached us immediately for some handouts.

The Boreal Chickadee is common in boreal Canada,
but is only found in small numbers in a few U.S. states

In most birder's books a day of birding with only 8 species would be a disappointment, but on a single-digit snowy winter day 8 species is pretty good, especially when we had such good looks at rarely seen species. The three hardy souls that came out for the walk, all residents of the Adirondacks and active birders, had never seen either a Boreal Chickadee nor a White-winged Crossbill, so it was surely a rare treat to see them so up close. Experiences like that are why Bloomingdale Bog is my favorite Adirondack birding spot at any time of the year.