DATE – SAT. May 17, 2025
TIME – 6:30 AM – 12:00? AM ET
WHERE- Crane Swamp Conservation Area. Meet at the parking lot at 272 Lyman Street, Northborough
QUESTIONS? hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
This event is free, but you must register in advance. Spaces are limited. You’ll receive an email with additional info including the meeting location after you register.
We also request a signed release, which you can complete on line or print, sign, and bring or complete onsite.
Please look for the email we send in advance for updates. We always send a pre-trip update!
GPS ADDRESS
272 Lyman Street, Northborough
Meet in the parking lot near trail entrance on the right side of the lot.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING
There is free parking at this location. No restrooms, but we can make pit stops.
LINKS
Crane Swamp Conservation Area offers lots of birds in diverse habitat. With fields, wetlands, uplands, woodlands, wet and dry meadow, we can expect a nice variety of species. Add in a nearby working farm, and a couple of other neighboring locations, and we might even get a Big Day. The eBird Crane Swamp list alone is an impressive 179.
We’ll take our time and enjoy the day with the goal of wrapping up by noon with a great list. Sometimes, all it takes is a long stretch of birding and seeing a lot of birds to reach “next level.”
Spaces will be limited to a 12 for this trip. If you are comfortable carpooling, hop the 5:00 am communter train from South Station to Southborough, and we’ll get someone to pick you up and bring you back for an afternoon train. Please let us know in advance.
New birders are welcome on this walk. Loaner binoculars are available. Free.
PHOTOS: Crane Swamp trail, Cedar Waxwing. Black & White Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, @MFB @Getty Images,
TRAILS
This trip includes multiple locations for a combined 3-4 miles depending on the birds. The Crane Swamp/Cedar Hill section (about 2 miles) is described as “easy” in All Trails but includes a fairly steep climb through woodlands up and down. We will be going slowly.
Trails can be rough. Poles are not a bad idea. The rest of the trails we might explore are easy/moderate, but contain hazards such as roots and rocks, mud and heat.
CHALLENGES
Ticks can be a problem at Crane Swamp. We recommend wearing socks over your pants and covering openings with tape. Light-colored clothing is highly recommended. Permethrin sprayed around the opening of your shoes/boots is more effective that spraying your whole boot as permethrin also kills amphibians and insects in puddles and wet grass.
We’re happy to share additonal recommendations concerning ticks, but encourage you to follow scientific advice and take standard precautions. (FWIW, we have not had any ticks on multiple past trips.)
Mosquitoes can sometimes be an annoyance here. Consider a neck gaiter, bandana or mask and a sun hat in addition to a bug spray.