Birding Festivals in the Adirondacks:
2015 Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Heaven Hill Farm and John Brown Homestead Field Trip
Heaven Hill Farm/John Brown Trip Report (7 June 2015)
Birds of the Adirondacks: Bobolink at Heaven Hill Farm. Photo by Larry Master. www.masterimages.org
- Time: Saturday, 6 June, 9:00 AM and Sunday, 7 June, 9:00 AM
- Fee: Included in Great Adirondack Birding Celebration registration fee
- A la carte price: $30 per person. Register by 30 May. Fees paid at the time of registration.
- Where to Meet: The Heaven Hill Farm parking area, off Bear Cub Road, Lake Placid.
- What to Bring: Gear for a short day trip: hat, binoculars, sunscreen, snack, water, rain gear, insect repellent
The field trip to Heaven Hill Farm and the John Brown Homestead in Lake Placid -- part of the 13th annual Great Adirondack Birding Celebration -- offers the opportunity to see a wide variety of birds, including those which make their home in meadowland, successional meadows, and woodland.
Heaven Hill Farm is a 600-acre farm, formerly owned by Henry Uihlein and now administered by the Uihlein Foundation. The acreage includes meadowland, successional meadows, and woodland. Bird species usually seen here include Bobolink, Northern Parula, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Broad-winged Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Savannah Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Harrier, and Cooper's Hawk. The walking is easy along farm roads.
The field trip continues with a trip to the John Brown State Historic Site, located just outside of the village of Lake Placid. The John Brown homestead is at the end of John Brown Road – a dead end road off Old Military Road, about three miles from Heaven Hill Farm.
The birds normally seen at the John Brown homestead in early June are those which inhabit successional fields, such as the Brown Thrasher. A network of easy-access trails through mixed hardwood-conifer forest and hardwood forest provides opportunities to see a variety of warblers, such as Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Black-and-White Warbler.
Getting There
From the Paul Smith's College VIC parking lot: Turn RIGHT onto Route 30. After 0.8 miles, turn LEFT onto Route 86. Drive 12 miles to Saranac Lake. Continue to follow NY-86E. After driving through Saranac Lake, drive 6.1 miles, then make a slight RIGHT at Old Military Road (County Route 35), following the signs to the ski jumps. Drive for 2.8 miles to Bear Cub Road, where you bear RIGHT. The entrance to Heaven Hill Farm is 1.5 miles from this intersection. Turn RIGHT at the gate and drive up the long driveway to the farmhouse. Allow about 40 minutes driving time.
From Saranac Lake: Take Route 86 towards Lake Placid. Look for sign to the Olympic Ski Jumps and turn RIGHT onto Old Military Road (County Route 35). At about 3 miles (just past Olympic Training Center on your left and Uihlein Mercy Center on your right), turn RIGHT onto Bear Cub Lane. Drive 1.5 miles to Heaven Hill Farm, which will be on your RIGHT. Continue up the long driveway to the farmhouse. Allow about 20 minutes driving time.
From Lake Placid: From the intersection of Routes 73 and 86 in Lake Placid, follow Route 73 toward Keene. Continue 0.2 miles to Station Street on the RIGHT. This road is the first RIGHT after you cross the Chubb River. Follow this road for 0.75 miles to Old Military Road (County Route 35). Take a LEFT on Old Military Road and follow for 0.9 miles to Bear Cub Lane on the RIGHT. The entrance to Heaven Hill Farm is 1.5 miles from this intersection. Turn RIGHT at the gate and drive up the long driveway to the farmhouse.
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