LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 30 LOCALadk Village of Tupper Lake Whether you're here for a weekend or a life me, you'll enjoy your stay. Visit Today tupper-lake.com tupperlakeny.gov (518) 359-3341 Celebrating our 33rd Anniversary! 33rd Anniversary! Serving the Adirondacks from our 2 locations in Tupper Lake & Long Lake 518 - 359 - 3228 RaquetteRiverOutfi tters.com Free demos on site! O ering the nest canoes, kayaks, SUP boards, paddling accessories and camping equipment for rent and sale! Two bogs with good access but no boardwalk are Bloomingda- le Bog and Massawepie Mire. Bloomingdale Bog is accessible via an old railroad bed that runs through the middle of the bog from the north, starting from the Bloomingdale Road, or from the south off of Route 30. A bird feeder, which is main- tained near the north entrance attracts gray jays and boreal chickadees. They will eat sunflower seeds out of your hand! Massawepie Mire, the biggest bog in the Adirondacks, is west of the Massawepie Boy Scout Reservation in Gale, north of Tupper Lake. It also has an old railroad bed running through the middle of it. The Department of Environmental Conser- vation (DEC) has a 100-foot right-of-way for public access. Land outside it is private. This is another great place to see spruce grouse dusting in the dirt of this right-of-way road. The last time I walked through this bog, I counted twenty-three singing male palm warblers and several Lincoln's and Savan- nah Sparrows. I also photographed gray jays and black-backed woodpeckers right from the trail. Take some raisins and share it with the jays - they'll eat it right out of your hand! Sabattis Bog is off Sabattis Circle Road, between Long Lake and Tupper Lake. Most of the bog area is off the northern loop of this road, but some good birding can be found right at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake where Merlins may be nesting in the big pines along the road. Several boreal areas exist in the Moose River Wild Forest. The most popular is around Helldiver and Icehouse Ponds. Harold, the big bull moose, has been visiting Helldiver Pond for five years, to the delight of thousands of visitors. The short hand- icap trail to Helldiver offers easy access. Early morning is the prime time to see Harold. This year, he only made a few ap- Previous spread, inset: A pitcher plant amongst the grass Previous spread, bottom: Showy Orchis blooming in Spring Pond Bog Facing page: A Bull Moose wades through Helldiver Pond in the Moose River Plains Above: Grass Pink on a fresh dew covered morning Bottom: Spring Pond Bog in the fall Carl Heilman

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