LOCALadk Magazine

While cats are rarely a benefit to birds, CATS trails are one of the best things that have happened for birds and birders in the Adirondack Park. LOCALadk 19 Fewer crowds, gentler terrain, and family-friendly trails bring most hikers to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network. For bird lovers, the CATS trails offer even more: e Low Peaks of the West Champlain Hills host some of the most biodiverse natural communities in the Adirondack Park and a variety of outstanding birdwatching opportunities. Vast meadows and lowland forests protect important river corridors which form rich, sandy deltas where they spill out into Lake Champlain. It is a unique wilderness that can be fully appreciated on the trails owned or managed by CATS. Birdwatching (or "birding") has grown in popularity over the past decade, and its draw as an outdoor "sport" has been enhanced by the pandemic. People young and old are enjoying the activity. Some are eager to challenge themselves to find a species they have never seen before and others simply delight in watching birds visit their backyard feeders and nest boxes. Once you are hooked, finding and viewing birds becomes an endless pursuit, and the availability of local opportunities to explore interesting birding lands becomes increasingly important. ere are some exceptional birding trails offered by CATS and our private landowner partners. Each trail is different, and the mixed habitat types attract a suite of unique bird species to view, several of which are not commonly found in other parts of the Adirondack region. Perhaps most exciting is that there are still plenty of discoveries to be made as CATS and other local conservation groups work to expand outdoor opportunities through trail creation and land conservation in the valley. As a sport, birdwatching also benefits our region's economy. A national survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016 cited birding as contributing $80 billion to the annual U.S. economy —another strong reason to celebrate birds and create more birding opportunities for our local communities and visitors. Best Trails for Birds So, which CATS trail should you choose for birdwatching? Highlighting one location over another is a difficult task, as time of year and habitat type oen determine bird activity. Each of CATS' approximately 40 trails is unique in its own way. Here are a few great birding trails to get you started on your quest to bird the CATS trail system. e Art Farm Trail is located along Sayre Road and is part of what I refer to as the "Wadhams Birding Complex," a series of magnificent trails and lands that lead hikers through an array of habitat types, including ponds, streams, cattail marshes, forests, swales, and meadows. CATS partners with several visionary private landowners to make this complex available for hiking. e birding is good year-round and the location hosted New York State's largest numbers of Common Redpolls this past winter, a highly irruptive winter finch species from the Arctic that travels south in search of food when their primary source is scarce. Hoary Redpolls were also documented here this past winter, the rarer and highly coveted of the two redpoll species. During the winter season, the Art Farm Trail is a great place to catch a glimpse of a Northern Shrike, a small predatory songbird known for hanging its prey on thorns or tree branches, earning its clever nickname, "butcher bird." Spring migration marks the return of colorful neotropical migrants,

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