Warblers & Pollinators Tour

Want to see (and hear) some spring warblers?  If so, you might want to participate in the Warblers & Pollinators Tour at MassWildlife’s Stafford Hill Wildlife Management Area Friday morning, May 19^th, in Cheshire.

May is a perfect time to see a wide variety of warblers as they return from southern wintering grounds to Massachusetts to breed and raise their young.

Because of its diversity of shrubland, grassland & woodland habitats, MassWildlife’s 860 acre Stafford Hill WMA is a great location to see a mixture of birds and wildlife that breed in the different settings.

Since 2005, MassWildlife foresters and biologists have overseen reclamation of about 200 acres of grasslands, shrublands and young forest habitat at Stafford Hill to benefit birds and other species.  While encroaching trees have been removed from much of the overgrown pastures to restore the

grasslands, old apple trees were retained to encourage pollinators and provide natural foods for wildlife.  The tree removal and periodic mowing also encouraged aspen regeneration to provide habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and mourning warblers.  The brushy habitat also benefits rabbits and other wildlife.

Currently Mass Wildlife is doing more work at Stafford Hill to restore a calcareous sloping fen, a 55-acre priority natural community of open wetlands and sedges that contain some rare plants.

Friday’s tour will meet at 7:30 am at the gravel parking area off Stafford Hill Road north of 211 Stafford Hill Road.  Participants should wear pants and long sleeves and boots suitable for a hike in varied terrain.  They should also bring binoculars, insect repellant and tick repellant.

Friday’s tour will be led by MassWildlife biologist Patrick Conlon and forester Tom Wansleben and is sponsored by the Massachusetts Forest Trust, which is part of the Massachusetts Forest Alliance.