US-MA-Longmeadow+Flats--Pondside+Road

Also, see Longmeadow Flats
 * =Birding in Massachusetts=

Hampden County
=Longmeadow Flats= =Pondside Road= Longmeadow, Massachusetts 01106 Longmeadow Flats webpage Allen Bird Club Birding Spots webpage Longmeadow Flats map

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Longmeadow Flats--Pondside Road
Coordinates: 42.0506311, -72.5920343 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding Longmeadow Flats
Getting there: Go south on Rte 5 from Exit 1 off Rte 91, turn right on Emerson Road at 4th light.

Timing and Species: April and autumn for migrant water birds. Summer for nesting water birds, riverine land birds, and migrant shorebirds.

Birding Plan: Pull over to scan first pond before RR crossing. Turn left before the crossing and pull over at various convenient spots to view other ponds and wooded wetlands along Pondside Rd. At end of road park and study refuge sign for trails you can use to view other ponds and explore woodlands on foot. To continue by car, return to RR crossing and turn left over tracks, following West Road as it curves left. About 200 yards down, park in large turnout after last house and follow narrow trail to edge of river. Scope the island and large sandbar (summer) for shorebirds and ducks or wade out if water is low enough. In early spring, continue straight on West Road where it becomes a dirt road through fields. Shorebirds and waterfowl can be found by scanning large vernal pools on left side of the road, some located near treeline.

Note: Railroad tracks are active and trains can travel at high speeds. Walking along the tracks is illegal and unsafe. The only legal crossings are at Emerson Road and Tina Lane. From Allen Bird Club Birding Spots webpage

About Longmeadow Flats and Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge
Beginning more than fifty years ago, members of the Allen Bird Club, especially Benedict Breitung, worked to acquire approximately 330 acres of land between Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. This property became the Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge, owned and managed by a separate Board of Trustees elected by Allen Bird Club members. William Natti and subsequently Edward Dzielinski played primary roles in maintaining and overseeing the property with the help of other members. Eventually the Town of Longmeadow began acquiring additional property in the area, leading to the protection of over 1000 acres. The Stebbins property and the larger floodplain area known as the “Longmeadow Flats” has been designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior and an Important Bird Area by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

The area encompasses one of the largest remaining patches of floodplain forests and wetlands along this heavily human-impacted section of the Connecticut River. The wetlands provide breeding habitat for marsh birds and stop-over habitat for migratory waterfowl. During summer and fall the shoreline offers shallows and sandbars for resting and feeding gulls, raptors, shorebirds, and herons. The woodlands and brushy areas provide important habitat for many species of breeding, migratory, and wintering land birds.

In order to ensure the protection of the Stebbins Refuge lands in perpetuity, negotiations began with the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. They were interested in protecting and enhancing the natural value of the Stebbins Refuge through acquisition and restoration. This process, temporarily aided by The Nature Conservancy, is ongoing and should be completed in the next few years. Allen Bird Club member Kate Leary has led the lengthy transition effort, working with various committees and organizations to assure the land will receive proper care. The property is to be known as the Stebbins Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. From Longmeadow Flats webpage

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media type="custom" key="28828582" || L675885 US US-MA US-MA-013 42.0506311 -72.5920343 Longmeadow Flats--Pondside Road