Birdwatching

Late winter sunshine strengthens, days grow warm and snowmelt accelerates in the northern half of New Hampshire. South-facing slopes open-up early. Acorn-producing red oak trees grow best on steep, well-drained south and west-facing slopes.

Figuratively speaking, Northern harriers have largely stayed out of sight, and out of mind of wildlife managers... even though their populations across New England have been on the decline for decades.

 When we think about the kinds of people making important contributions to science, we might imagine someone in a white lab coat, squinting into a microscope, or pouring over reams of computer data.

Standing dead trees (often called snags) are common in our forests, and it’s hard to overstate just how vital a role they play in a healthy ecosystem.

Sunday, June 9, 2019 - 8:00am
LempsterSullivan County, New Hampshire

Join Forest Society land steward Jack Swatt and Dylan Jackson for a morning of birding at the Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest.  Since its purchase by the Forest Society in 2010, The Ashuelot Headwaters Forest on Mountain Rd. in Lempster has become a hotspot for finding birds typically found in more northerly forests.  Co-sponsored by NH Audubon.  Bring binoculars and water, long pants recommended.

Parking is limited on Mountain Rd. so meet at the parking area for the Duck Pond Trail (Lempster Town Forest) on Long Pond Rd. about a half mile in on the right from Mountain Rd.

As spring tentatively unfolds around the state, (and the more diligent of us celebrate International Migratory Bird Day - 5/11) the familiar nuisance of black flies also reappears. And as annoying as we find them, as we’ve discussed earlier, they are a sign of healthy eco-system.

On a recent edition of NHPR’s The Exchange, Chris and Iain MacLeod, Executive Director of the Squam Lake Natural Science Center were on hand to discuss one of their favorite species.

As we hunker down for the winter weather, we’re frequently too preoccupied with what is in our front yards that we tend not to notice what isn’t there. The snow and ice have muscled out the grass, and the chilly sounds of the north wind have blown away the dawn chorus that woke us this summer.

NHPR's "Outside/In" host, Sam Evans-Brown, joined Chris Martin and Dave Anderson in the field this week for Something Wild in the field segment.