19th Annual Hamilton County Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival

The Hamilton County Department of Tourism and Audubon NY welcomes you this June for the 19 th Annual Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival.

The Adirondack Park in upstate New York is a bird-watching haven! In June, the Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival in Hamilton County celebrates the height of the breeding season with 4 days of birding hikes, walks, safaris, outings, and presentations throughout the county.

Joan Collins, owner of Adirondack Avian Expeditions & Workshops, LLC, leads birding tours year-round, is a New York State licensed guide, an Adirondack 46er, and has climbed all the Adirondack fire tower peaks. She writes the Birdwatch column for Adirondack Explorer magazine, and has published several journal, magazine, and newspaper articles on wildlife and conservation topics in various publications including Audubon, Conservationist, Adirondack Life Magazine, Adirondack Explorer, New York Birders, LOCALadk Magazine, and The Kingbird. Joan authored several warbler species accounts, in addition to serving as a peer reviewer for The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. She is a past President of the New York State Ornithological Association and Editor of New York Birders. She served for many years as a Board of Directors member of the Audubon Council of New York State and Northern New York Audubon Society, and as a past President. Joan is a frequent keynote speaker and presenter on ornithology topics.

Follow Joan on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian
Her website can be found at: http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/

Rich Hanlon is a birder, naturalist educator, author, NYS licensed guide, and owner/operator of Wild Neighbors Nature Connection, LLC with an Environmental Studies degree from Penn State University ('09) and 17 years of experience investing in his passion of helping people to experience transformational connection with nature's community. Most of his work involves guided birding in the northern Adirondacks and young naturalist series at local rec parks. He is a relational birder, meaning that his focus is on the connections between birds and their environment. With him, you can expect to learn as much about the habitats of our feathered neighbors as the birds themselves. Rich lives in Duane Center, NY, just a little north of Paul Smith's with his wife Erin and their dog Polly.

Follow Rich on Facebook at: http://www.Facebook.com/adknatureguide
His website can be found at: http://www.wnnc.net

Pat Bixler is an experienced hiker, birder, and licensed guide who has spent countless hours in the Adirondack wilderness. He is an official 46er, Northville-Placid trail finisher, and can also be found on his kayak or mountain bike. During the summer months, Pat serves as a steward on the summit of Whiteface Mountain protecting the sensitive alpine habitat and interpreting the flora and fauna for visitors. Through all of this, he has found a personal connection to our feathered friends and hopes to share that experience with you. Pat lives in Saranac Lake, NY, just outside of the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks.

Mike & Wanda Moccio have visited the Adirondacks since their college days. While working in their careers in Connecticut, Mike’s newfound interest in bird watching inspired him to help establish the Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford, Connecticut, dedicated to conserving habitat for birds and other wildlife. This sanctuary is now an Important Bird Area (IBA). Mike and Wanda became NYS-licensed hiking guides to lead and engage bird-watching participants. They also participate in breeding and waterfowl surveys for various state and federal organizations. They retired in 2016 and currently reside in Indian Lake, NY.

Schedule:

Thursday, June 5, 2025
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Dawn Chorus: Lower Dam Access at Bog River Parking Area, Adirondack Park, Tupper Lake, NY 12986 – 5:00 AM
***Handicapped Accessible***

We’ll set up our camp chairs and get comfy while birding in place right there at the edge of the parking lot where picturesque forest meets cool flowing waters. Bring your morning coffee or tea if that’s your vibe while we enjoy a forest symphony marked by the sounds of thrushes,  warblers, vireos, and other songbirds. We’ll give our attention to connections of awareness  between these morning songsters and look for pair bonding and territorial interactions  between birds.
GUIDES: Rich Hanlon and Pat Bixler
EVENT LENGTH: 2 hours.
LIMIT: 20
BRING: A camp chair, bug protection, water, snacks, a hat, sunscreen, binoculars, and coffee or
tea if you would like.
MEET: Lower Dam Access at Bog River Parking Area
GPS Waypoint: 44.11587, -74.626486
DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Route 30 and Rt 421, travel 5.8 miles on Route 421. Then turn left on the side road that leads to Lower Dam Access. Drive carefully because the road may be bumpy and include some potholes. Follow the side road for 0.7 miles and you’ll arrive at Lower Dam Access at Bog River parking area.

PADDLE: Bog River Flow to Hitchins Pond – 7:00 AM
***Bring your own kayak/canoe***

Need to rent a kayak? Here are some local options: campstore!
Enjoy a 5-mile paddle (2 ½ miles out and back). Beginning and ending at Lower Dam Access. We’ll follow the Bog River upstream and into Hitchins Pond before turning around. Expect to observe a wide variety of birds which includes, but is not limited to, bald eagle, great blue heron, palm and Nashville warblers, Lincoln’s and savannah sparrows, yellow-bellied and olive-sided flycatchers, and black-backed woodpeckers. Birding from our kayak/canoe will provide a unique vantage point to enjoy these birds’ connections with the forest and peatland habitats we’ll pass along the way.
GUIDES: Rich Hanlon and Pat Bixler
EVENT LENGTH: 6 hours
LIMIT: 10
BRING: Kayak/Canoe, Bug protection, water, lunch, snacks, hat, sunscreen.
MEET: Lower Dam Access at Bog River Parking Area
GPS Waypoint: 44.11587, -74.626486
DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Route 30 and Rt 421, travel 5.8 miles on Route 421. Then turn left on the side road that leads to Lower Dam Access. Drive carefully because the road may be bumpy and include some potholes. Follow the side road for 0.7 miles and you’ll arrive at the Lower Dam Access at Bog River parking area.