BirdingWeek: Saratoga National Historical Park and Wright's Loop

Saratoga NHP is a unique location for birders to explore, in that it offers a one-way tour loop road that covers much of the park. There are ten official stops with parking areas, each related to a particular physical setting or event of historical significance. The roadsides also have occasional pull-offs, and a vehicle can be safely pulled off on the left shoulder (out of the bike lane) in most places. This allows exploration of a variety of locations, from grassy fields to rolling woodlands. From one stop a magnificent view of the Hudson River is afforded as well.

On Saturday morning we stopped at the Visitor Center to obtain our seasonal pass ($10), and to check the edges around the building, which is on high ground in the NW corner of the park. There was an Eastern Phoebe, a Field Sparrow, and a Chipping Sparrow present.

View from behind the Visitor Center at Saratoga NHP (click to enlarge)

The south end of the park (and alternate "walking" entrance off Rt. 32) is a series of short grass fields with scattered trees and shrubs. It is terrific sparrow and open field-bird habitat. Eastern Meadowlarks frequent the fields, Savannah Sparrows are numerous, and American Kestrels hunt from on high.

Savannah Sparrow perched up singing (click to enlarge)

Wright's Loop is a road that "loops" from Rt. 4 next to the Saratoga Sod Farm, down to the Hudson River, turns north for maybe a half-mile, then returns west to Rt. 4 alongside a farmer's field that is frequently flooded. The flooded field has historically hosted a wide variety of waterfowl and shorebirds. It contained about forty Green-winged Teal, two Pectoral Sandpipers, five Killdeer, and two Greater Yellowlegs late this morning.