Birding Vermont’s Moose Bog

Excerpted from Birdwatching in Vermont
by Ted Murin and Bryan Pfeiffer
University Press of New England
ISBN 978-1-58465-188-8

The highlight of any birding trip to the Northeast Kingdom, the quintessential Vermont boreal experience, is a visit to Moose Bog in Wenlock Wildlife Management Area. The forest here includes black, red, and white spruce, balsam fir, and white pine, all mixed with white birch and aspen species. Interspersed are sphagnum bogs and spruce-fir-tamarack wetlands. Moose and black bear roam the woods and wetlands. And boreal bird species attract birdwatchers from Vermont and points south. This is a remote and delightful place, explored best on foot or by ski or snowshoe.

Much of the prime lowland boreal habitat is remote and inaccessible for all but the insect-tolerant bushwhacker. A notable exception is Moose Bog, one of Vermont’s most magical places. Here an observant non-bushwhacker can locate (with more luck than skill) the boreal grand slam: Spruce Grouse (rare, with a photo below), Black-backed Woodpecker (rare), Gray Jay (uncommon), and Boreal Chickadee (sparse but fairly common). Keep in mind that playing a recorded bird song (“taping”) to attract an endangered or threatened species such as Spruce Grouse can be construed as harassment and, as such, is illegal in Vermont. All these birds are here, so relaxed, patient exploration is the best approach.

Directions: From the old railroad depot in Island Pond, drive Route 105 east for 9.4 miles and turn right onto the unmarked and unpaved South America Pond Road. Pass through a metal gate and park in a small pull-off ahead on the right. This road is unplowed in winter, but a cautious driver can sometimes find a spot along Route 105 about one-quarter mile east of South America Pond Road. Or about 1 mile west is a parking lot on the north side of Route 105 just east of a bridge. From this parking lot it is about 0.25 mile to the western end of the Moose Bog trail.

In spring the excitement begins with the first step away from the car (where a Gray Jay might greet a lucky visitor). Walk the road toward an open spruce wetland a few tenths of a mile from the parking area. Nashville Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler are common nesting species. Shy Boreal Chickadees sometimes join the more inquisitive Black-capped Chickadees. And Gray Jays sometimes float ghostlike over the road. At the wetland look carefully for Black-backed Woodpecker, which has nested here.

While walking to the wetland, notice on the right (west) side of the road large boulders blocking a path through the woods. This is the Moose Bog trail–three-quarters of a mile of delightful walking and birding. Dense with conifers, this trail passes through good habitat for Spruce Grouse (especially near the start and end of the trail), Gray Jay (pictured to the left), and Boreal Chickadee, in addition to the aforementioned warblers. Ruffed Grouse lives here as well. Cape May Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler make appearances here on occasion in late May. Both kinglet species nest here, as does Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. The nomadic and sporadic White-winged Crossbill can be abundant and nests here from winter to spring during heavy cone years.

Approximately two-thirds of a mile down the trail from South America Pond Road (past a small stand of white cedar on the right) are a few well-worn (and not-so-well-worn) paths on the left leading to the bog. (Not very far beyond the paths, a large boulder blocks the other end of the trail near Route 105. Missing the paths to the bog might not be a bad idea, however, since Spruce Grouse can be found toward the main trail’s terminus.)

Moose Bog, only a few hundred feet from the main trail, is a classic black spruce woodland bog — a dreamy place at dawn. At the opening’s edge is a floating mat of sphagnum and woody peat, featuring Labrador tea, bog rosemary, and other bog specialists, including the unusual (and carnivorous) pitcher plant and sundew. (Don’t worry, they only eat humans indirectly via black flies and mosquitoes.) Expect wet feet. Look for Common Raven overhead and Boreal Chickadee in the woods around the bog. Black-backed Woodpecker and Gray Jay can sometimes be found in the woods here or among the bog’s scattered black spruce and snags. Cedar Waxwing loves it here, and Lincoln’s Sparrow belts out its bubbly song.

You’ll also want to investigate the region’s Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Nulhegan Basin Division), which will be holding a wildlife festival on August 21 from 10am to 3pm.