Skip to main content
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
  • See & Do
    • See & Do
    • See all
      • See all
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
      • Accessibility
      • Arts
      • Attractions
      • Downtown
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Live Music
      • Parks
      • Shopping
      • Stories
      • Weddings
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Hiking
        • See all
        • Nature Walks
      • ADK Guides & Tours
      • Birding
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Cross-Country Skiing
      • Cycling
      • Downhill Skiing
      • Fishing
      • Golfing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Mountain Biking
      • Paddling
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • See all
    • Cafés & Coffee Shops
    • Craft Beer & Cocktails
    • Restaurants
  • Events
    • Events
    • See all
    • Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
    • ArtWorks ArtMarkets
    • Can-Am Rugby Tournament
    • Celebrate Paddling ADK
    • First Night Saranac Lake
    • Plein Air Festival
    • Winter Carnival
    • 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
    • Stay
    • See all
    • Cabins & Cottages
    • Camping
    • Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
    • Resorts, Hotels, Motels
    • Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
    • First Time Visitors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Accessibility
      • Downtown
      • Getting Here
      • Greater Region
      • Stories
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
  • Local
    • Local title-header
      • Live Here
        • See all
        • Meet the Locals
        • Real Estate
        • Town of Harrietstown
        • Town of North Elba
        • Town of St. Armand
        • Village of Saranac Lake
      • Do Business Here
        • See all
        • Chamber Job Board
        • Essex County IDA
        • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
        • Professional Services
        • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
      • Community Initiatives
        • See all
        • Arts & Culture Master Plan
        • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
        • Saranac Lake Brand
        • Village Community Development Department
What can we help you find?
  • See & Do
      1. See & Do
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
        3. Accessibility
        4. Arts
        5. Attractions
        6. Downtown
        7. Health & Wellness
        8. History
        9. Live Music
        10. Parks
        11. Shopping
        12. Stories
        13. Weddings
  • Outdoors
      1. Outdoors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Hiking
          • See all
          • Nature Walks
        3. ADK Guides & Tours
        4. Birding
        5. Boating
        6. Camping
        7. Cross-Country Skiing
        8. Cycling
        9. Downhill Skiing
        10. Fishing
        11. Golfing
        12. Ice Fishing
        13. Mountain Biking
        14. Paddling
        15. Snowmobiling
        16. Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
      1. Eat & Drink
      2. See all
      3. Cafés & Coffee Shops
      4. Craft Beer & Cocktails
      5. Restaurants
  • Events
      1. Events
      2. See all
      3. Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
      4. ArtWorks ArtMarkets
      5. Can-Am Rugby Tournament
      6. Celebrate Paddling ADK
      7. First Night Saranac Lake
      8. Plein Air Festival
      9. Winter Carnival
      10. 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
      1. Stay
      2. See all
      3. Cabins & Cottages
      4. Camping
      5. Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
      6. Resorts, Hotels, Motels
      7. Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
      1. First Time Visitors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Accessibility
        3. Downtown
        4. Getting Here
        5. Greater Region
        6. Stories
        7. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
  • Local
      1. Local
        1. Live Here
          • See all
          • Meet the Locals
          • Real Estate
          • Town of Harrietstown
          • Town of North Elba
          • Town of St. Armand
          • Village of Saranac Lake
        2. Do Business Here
          • See all
          • Chamber Job Board
          • Essex County IDA
          • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
          • Professional Services
          • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
        3. Community Initiatives
          • See all
          • Arts & Culture Master Plan
          • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
          • Saranac Lake Brand
          • Village Community Development Department

A Birding Trip in Madawaska

Watch Video
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
Alan Belford
August 09, 2013

            This past weekend, I helped lead a Wild Center birding trip to Madawaska – one of my favorite places in the Adirondacks.  Madawaska is a collection of public land bordered by private easement land, such as the Santa Clara Tract, and the area is composed of a diverse array of habitats.  These varied habitats contain many bird species as a result, but we were chiefly interested in the boreal habitats and their sought after bird species. 

            We carpooled our way along Blue Mountain Road, stopping in a few places to look for birds.  At one point I heard a Canada warbler singing outside the window and we stopped to find it.  Unfortunately, the warbler kept hidden in its thick, brushy habitat, but it was nice to hear a bird singing – after all, most of our birds have grown quiet as summer has progressed.  As we were looking for the Canada warbler, we did find a few other birds including a blue-headed vireo, two yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and a yellow-rumped warbler.  I hooted for barred owl to see if anyone would respond, and we were soon surrounded by an entourage of calling birds, angrily looking to escort the owl from the area.

cedar waxwing - Blue Mt Road
cedar waxwing - Blue Mt Road

            The two sapsuckers we had already seen came in calling loudly, and my calls were quickly answered by a black-backed woodpecker, which never came into view.  Two other woodpecker species did come in and join the sapsuckers however – a hairy woodpecker and a northern flicker, the calls or which were echoed by another flicker in the distance.  My calling also brought in a red-breasted nuthatch, common grackles, and a string of blue jays, among others.  We also heard a second Canada warbler – this one more distant than the first.  And we were surprised to hear a singing northern waterthrush – another nice species for our trip.

            After reaching Indian Rock parking area, we began the walk into Madawaska Pond.  We found a few warbler species such as black-throated blue and magnolia mixed in with the black-capped chickadee flocks during our walk, but for the most part we had difficult going in finding many warblers.  We fared much better with finding boreal chickadees, and not far into the walk we found one mixed in with a flock of black-caps.  We soon realized there were at least four or five boreal chickadees in the group and everyone was excited to get good looks at them.  We also discovered a family group of yellow-bellied flycatchers and even saw glimpses of a parent feeding a young bird. 

            As we approached the pond itself, we found another mixed flock of birds – this one containing another boreal chickadee as well as red-breasted nuthatch, black and white and yellow-rumped warblers, and a variety of recently fledged sparrows.  Another black-backed woodpecker called, but like the first black-backed, this bird didn’t come into view either.  We did see a lone gray jay, and the bird flew across the expanse of the bog and out of view. 

Madawaska group
Madawaska group

            The brushy areas bordering the pond itself were full of common yellowthroats and palm warblers, and we also flushed a Lincoln’s sparrow as we explored a variety of late summer wildflowers and found a few pickerel frogs as well.  There was also a common loon on the pond, a female hooded merganser, and a quick look at another duck which we thought was likely a young ring-necked duck.  An American kestrel also hunted over the bog mat. 

            We turned around, hungry for lunch, snacking on blueberries as we walked.  The day was getting warm and breezy, and while that quieted the birds down, we still found another boreal chickadee on our way back to the cars – which our youngest participant was able to photograph.  At ten years old, he was already quite a photographer!  Our final stop also offered us photographic opportunities when we stopped along Blue Mountain Road for a cooperative great blue heron and a flock of cedar waxwings.  The heron brought our total tally to 50 species of birds – a nice number for an August day. 

cedar waxwing - Blue Mt Road
cedar waxwing - Blue Mt Road
Madawaska group
Madawaska group

Related Stories

Hike Like a Pro
5 Reasons to go Birding in Saranac Lake
It's Snowmobile Season
Preparedness Is No Accident
Birding From Home
Five Ideas for Winter Family Fun
Three Fantastic Fall Hikes in Saranac Lake
A Fall Vacation with Hot Sara
Norman Ridge Ride
A Decidedly Different Fall Day in Saranac Lake
Lake Kushaqua, A Beautiful Place to Rest
Fall Fun in Saranac Lake
Mt. Pisgah: The Adirondacks’ Finest Uphill Bike Park
Hiking Haystack
Gravel biking at Kushaqua
Paddling Middle to Lower Saranac Lake
Three Great Birding Sites within Three Minutes of Town
Sixty Degrees in April
Finding Fun and Snowfleas at the VIC
Finding Winter Finches — and other Cold-Weather Species
Cross-Country Ski The Jackrabbit Trail
Skiing from Placid to Saranac Lake
First Day on the Bog
Saranac Lake's Snowshoe Centers
Snowshoeing at the VIC
The VIC's Black Pond Loop
5 Paths to Winter Adventure in Saranac Lake
A Day on McKenzie Mountain
The Kiwassa Curse
A Fall Hike up St. Regis Mountain
A Jones Pond Paddle
A Paddle (and Birding!) on Lake Clear Outlet
Exploring Dexter Marsh and Santa Clara Flow
Hiking and Birding in Bloomingdale Bog
Rebuilding a Whitewater Park
Our Five Favorite Swimming Holes
Hiking an Adirondack Mountain for the First Time
Two Ways of Exploring the Natural World at the VIC
The VIC: it's luxury hiking!
Get down! The best low-elevation hikes in Saranac Lake
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration!
Rejoice!! May Birding is Here!!
The Excitement of Early Spring Birding!
Family Paddling Day: Planned for You
WINTER IS COOL
Boreal Birds and Northern Finches!
So Much Snow! And Some Great March Skiing!
Let's Glide - Enjoy Fish Creek Park!
Top 5 tips for fishing on Lake Colby
Woods and Waters Trail, a great ski!
A Holiday Ski!
First Skis of the Season!
Get Acclimated!
Feeling Grateful
Detours are great!
Paddling Jones Pond in the Fall
A Fall Hike Up Mount Baker
An Evening Paddle on Lake Clear Outlet
Azure Mountain Adventure
A Fall Paddle on Little Green Pond
Fall Migration is in High Gear!
St Regis Mountain: Paddle and Hike
4 Go-To Paddling Destinations for Fall Foliage
Fall Seasons Cold Water Paddling
An Evening Paddle on Middle Pond
Crossbills and Boreal Birds
Paddling and Birding along Quebec Brook
McKenzie Road Bouldering
Not just a walk in the park
Birding in Madawaska
Family fun that's free
Sprung!
Three hikes to include everyone
Slow paddle to Oseetah
Skiing and Exploring the Jackrabbit Trail
A Great Ski on the Jackrabbit Trail!
Dewey Mountain - Just Wild Enough
Ice Fishing First-Timer
Counting Birds in the Olympic Region
Finding Birds on the Saranac Lake Christmas Bird Count
2016 Most Popular Blogs
Cross Country Skiing in Lake Clear
Enjoying Late Fall Cold Fronts And Their Migrants
Great Fall Birding!
New Road Mountain
A Fall Paddle On Lake Clear Outlet
The Possibilities Of Fall Birding
A Fall Hike on Baker Mountain
Ampersand: A Family Tradition Realized
Village of Boulders
Zooming Around in the Fall
So many hikes, so little time
Searching for Philadelphia Vireo and other species
Tri to stay dry
Puppy's first mountain climb
A Rainy Day Birding Trip in Madawaska
Early Spring Birding!
Springing!
Spring Ice on the McKenzie Mountain loop
Our Winter Waxwing
Cross-Country Skiing on the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
Yeah, we're cool - no matter what we're wearing!
Gray Jays!
Fun with Ice: Saranac Lake Creativity
2015 Most Popular Blogs
Five Great Wilderness Views
Trotting for Turkeys
Select seven: Family hikes under four hours
Tubing: the sport to please the masses
Timeless Tubing at Mount Pisgah
Excellent October Birding!
Brighton: Dusk 'til Dawn
Paddling and Hiking Around Little Green Pond
Camping in the Cold (Disclaimer: This is NOT a How-To Guide)
A Cool Adirondack Adventure
Fall Warblers and Other Migrants!
Enjoying Late Summer Wildflowers!
Dog Days of Summer aka Beach Time!
Martha Reben: Staring down the Great White Plague
Hiking and camping, with goats
Seeing if the boot fits: Exploring the Bays
Lake Clear: Our Secret Paradise
Paddling and Birding Around Jones Pond
Paddling Middle Pond
Paddling in the Adirondacks for the First Time!
Hiking with the Crew up Baker Mountain
Riding the Rails, Adirondack style!
Keeping It Local
July is when things heat up!
Great Birding at Intervale Lowlands - It's that Time of Year!
Finding Lots of Birds Just by Taking a Simple Walk
Coming Home to Saranac Lake
Great Birding and Loads of Warblers in Madawaska!
Saranac Inn, golf with a taste of Scotland
Free Water Park Ride In Our Backyard
Early May Wildflowers: A Kaleidoscope of Color
A Spring Hike Up Baker Mountain
5 reasons we are the Lake Country
Learning to Love Every Season
Exciting Beginnings of Spring Migration!
In Defense of Mud Season
Skiing in April and on Easter - No Foolin'!
Boreal Birding In and Around Town
The Joy of Spring Skiing
Winter Birding with Signs of Spring
Adirondack Cure for Cabin Fever
Jackrabbit Trail: Lake Placid to Keene
Jackrabbit Trail - Day 2: McKenzie Pond to Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
Winter Birding: Saranac Lake and Paul Smiths
Newbie Skier Tackles Titus
Memorable Firsts: Carnival & Cross-Country Skis
Skiing the Fish Pond Trail
Two sides of the Trifecta
Enjoying Winter Birding
A Winter Hike into the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area
Enjoying White Snow to Take Away the Winter Blues
59th Saranac Lake Christmas Bird Count
Wellness Resolutions: Easy does it!
A Winter's Hike up Baker Mountain
Four Seasons of High Points
Hiking & Tracking Wildlife on Scarface Mountain
Skiing - and Falling - in a Winter Wonderland
Early Season Cross-Country Ski Destinations
Searching for Boreal Birds
St. Regis Canoe Area - An Interesting Ski Tour
The First Ski of the Season!
Birding Along Lake Colby
Saranac Lake Remembers the Great War
Adirondack Firetower Challenge: Climbing the Fire Tower Peaks near and around Saranac Lake
New fun at Titus Mountain Ski Area
Doing the Doggie Paddle: Paddling the Adirondacks with your pet!
An Apt Pair: Ampersand Mountain & Follensby Clear Pond
Learning to Identify Fall Leaves
The Horse Knows The Way
Mount Pisgah getting ready for winter ski season
Paddling and Snorkeling Little Green Pond
A Red Phalarope at Little Clear Pond!
Searching for Fall Warblers and Other Songbirds
Boat Trip Massages: Two Roads to Wellness
Forks, Fests, and Flatwater: 3 Featured Fall events
Paddling Little Clear Pond
3 Short Paddles found in the St. Regis Canoe Area
Paddling Lake Clear Outlet
Frequently overlooked hikes near Saranac Lake
Hiking and Exploring Azure Mountain
An Evening Paddle on Moose Pond
A Great Place to Break Down
Adirondack Paddling, Choosing the Right Paddle
Adirondack Paddling - Choosing The Right Boat
Birding at the Spring Pond Bog
“One Particular Island” all to ourselves
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Spring Paddling on Lake Colby
Warblers Aplenty at Massawepie Mire
One Magic Canoe: The Seven Carries Canoe Route
Roadside Gems, Paddling the Saranac Lake Region
5 Hidden Gems for Hiking, Paddling & Trail Running
Our lakes were born for boating
Top 10 Spots for Paddling in Adirondacks
Get Ready For Fishing Season
VIC music sweetens a ski Sunday
Night Skiing at Mt. Pisgah
Mid-Winter Events 2014
Best Ice Fishing Holes
Building the Ice Palace
Slip Sliding Away Winter Hiking
Silent Night
Snowshoe Shopping
Lost and Found
Short & scenic hikes
Mount Arab
Debar Mountain and Black Peak
Ducks and Otters at Lake Colby
Muskrats!
Hiking during Hunting Season
Goodman Mountain
Ducks on the Pond
Saving Einstein
Snow up high on McKenzie
You Don't Paddle Into the Wind
Hiking St. Regis Mountain
Fall at the VIC
Panther Trifecta
A Fall Paddle on Jones Pond
A Fall Hike Up Baker Mountain
Sparrows Along Lake Colby
Going to Church
Visitors in My Yard
A Hike Up Panther Mountain
Where the leaves are on fire with color
The Colors of Late Summer
Scarface Mountain Adventure
Bloomingdale Bog Birds
Late Summer Yard Birds
Stomping out the Saranac 6 – Week 2 – St. Regis Mountain
FlavorFest at The Wild Center
Lows Lower Dam to Lows Ridge, A surf and Turf Adventure
The Osgood's
A Birding Trip in Madawaska
Black Pond to Bridge Brook Pond – A new trail
Local Family Friendly Swimming Spots
Take A Swim!
Ampersand Mountain
Hiking and Birding on Baker Mountain
Entertaining events will keep you hopping this weekend
A Birding Trip to Bloomingdale Bog
Blog on Bogs
Top 5 Family Friendly Activities in the Saranac Lake Area
Searching for Spruce Grouse
Camping in the rain - better known as "damping"
Safe Guiding Services with High Adventure!
Paddling and Fishing the Colby’s
Follensby Clear Pond to "Round Pond"
Trail Running the Deer Pond Loop
Birding in Spring Pond Bog
Hiking and Birding on the Jackrabbit Trail
Birding in Massawepie Mire
Lower Saranac Lake Path
Long Pond to Pink Pond's
Little Clear Pond and Grass Pond, a Canoeing experience
The Amphibious Choirs of Spring
The Kettle Trail
Hiking from the North End of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
Night Birding in Madawaska
What can we help you find?
Sign up to receive more information.
Enter Email
Do•Stay•Eat•Shop•Events
Work Here•Contact Us•DEI•Media Kit•Privacy Policy
39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Powered by the Regional Office of
Sustainable Tourism
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
We’ve got the best ideas for things to do on your next Adirondack adventure, and we will deliver them right to your inbox! THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! Your next adventure awaits you in your inbox! Tell us more about what interests you, and we can help you plan your next trip.
MANAGE YOUR PREFERENCES