Trip Report: Bird Watching at the Fernhill Wetlands

When: 12/09/2017 Location: Fernhill Wetlands Conditions: Sunny and a bit nippy Duration: About 2 hours to walk a very slow 3 miles Difficulty: Totally flat trails, very easy access Kid Friendly: Yep - although be respectful of the quiet birders Pet Friendly: Not sure - probably no dogs because it's a protected bird migration area Usefull links: www.fernhillnts.org The Full Report: My friend and I went out to Fernhill Wetlands for some midday bird watching and it was a great birding success. We made our way about 45 minutes west of town to Forest Grove just past the sewage treatment area where there is a huge restored wetland. Great time of year to catch all the cackling and Canada geese migrating through as well as tons of pintails, great blue herons, and egrets! We even saw a beaver. Even got to see the resident pair of bald eagles hanging out in their nest just off the trail. It wasn't super busy, which was nice for a birding experience, but they are re-doing the parking lot right now through the end of December, so parking is primarily limited to turnouts along the road. The trails are mostly decommissioned roads used for casual walking and jogging. Different birds pass through the wetlands on their migrations throughout the year, so there's always something new to discover here!