Birding Festivals in the Adirondacks:
2014 Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Little Clear Pond Field Trip
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Common Loon. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org
- Time: Saturday, 7 June, 7:00 AM and Sunday, 8 June, 7:00 AM
- Fee: Included in Great Adirondack Birding Celebration registration fee
- A la carte price: $40 per person
- Where to Meet: Participants will meet in the Paul Smith's College VIC parking lot. There will be a blue sign with yellow letters GABC (Great Adirondack Birding Celebration) at the picnic pavilion closest to the VIC building to indicate the meeting point in the parking lot for the Little Clear Pond Field Trip participants. Participants and leaders will then car pool to Little Clear Pond from the PSC VIC -- a ten mile trip.
- What to Bring: Gear for a short day trip: hat, binoculars, sunscreen, snack, water, rain gear, insect repellent
The target bird for this field trip is the Common Loon -- the charismatic icon of the Adirondack Mountains. The destination -- Little Clear Pond -- is a 385-acre pond on the southeastern corner of the St. Regis Canoe Area west of Lake Clear. The pond is part of the St. Regis Canoe Area -- a network of recreational waterways in New York State that attract canoeists and kayakers from across the country.
Little Clear Pond was chosen as a destination for the field trip because it is one of the most common places to see loons. Fishing is not allowed on the pond, because it is used by the New York State-run Adirondack Fish Hatchery to raise landlocked salmon for breeding and stocking purposes. As a result, there is plenty of food for the birds; and the pond has become a haven for the Common Loon and one of the most successful ponds for loon breeding.
The trip is led by Dr. Nina Schoch, a wildlife veterinarian at Biodiversity Research Institute. She coordinates their Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation in New York’s Adirondack Park. Dr. Schoch’s research has focused on using Adirondack Common Loons as a sentinel species to better understand the impact of environmental contaminants on aquatic ecosystems. Schoch will lead field trip participants on a graceful and educational paddle in search of these beautiful symbols of Adirondack wilderness. The loons will be nesting at this time, so participants have the opportunity to view several nesting spots from a respectful distance. Canoes and personal flotation devices will be furnished, but participants may bring their own canoes or kayaks for this field trip.
Click here for an article on a previous GABC field trip to Little Clear Pond.