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Birding in the Nashua River Watershed

According to a recent national poll, one of the top five hobbies of Americans is bird watching. The Nashua River watershed, with its diverse, high quality habitats within a relatively small area, is a very good region to watch birds all year round. Habitats within the watershed range from pockets of northern hardwood – conifer forests in the hills of Ashby and Townsend, to freshwater marshlands in the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge. The most common habitats in the watershed, including mixed pine-oak forests, overgrown hay fields, and the ‘open forest’ of older suburban areas, feature a diversity of species that can thrill and challenge birders of all stripes.

The eastern hardwood forests are home to some of North America’s most brilliantly colored bird species-- the neo-tropical migrants-- which include many types of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and birds such as the Scarlet Tanager and Baltimore Oriole. These bird species nest in our eastern forests and then head to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America for the winter months. One of the thrills of seeing these birds is the knowledge that they migrate over such large distances.

The greatest diversity of species can be seen during the spring and fall migration periods. The spring migration starts in March with the arrival of such birds as Red-winged Blackbirds, grackles, robins, and Eastern Bluebirds. April brings more species, including Chimney Swifts and Tree and Barn Swallows. Early to mid-May is the peak of the spring migration period, when the majority of neo-tropical species arrive at our latitude, including many that breed further north in the spruce-fir forest of the White Mountains, northern Maine and Canada. May is the only time to see many of these species in their bright breeding plumage.

Fall migration gets underway in mid-August, when many of the neo-tropical migrants leave in what we would consider late-summer in order to get a head start on their long journeys to the tropics. One of the highlights of the fall migration is the annual flight of many hawk species, including Broad-winged and Sharp-shinned Hawks, over our larger hills and mountains (including Mount Wachusett and Mount Watatic). On peak days in mid-September, it is often possible to see many thousands of hawks soaring in the thermals over these high points of the watershed. Fall birding can be very challenging as many of the species molt into more subdued plumage, tend to sing and call much less, and are often seen at a distance that requires powerful binoculars or scopes.

The majority of summer resident birds have left by mid-October, leaving behind the familiar year-round resident species such as chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, and woodpeckers. In addition to these year-round residents, many far northern species come out of Canada to spend the winter in our relatively warm and food rich environs. These include Tree Sparrows, Northern Juncos, Snow Buntings, Snowy Owls, Evening Grosbeaks, and Bohemian Waxwings.

No matter the season, there are always interesting birds to see and pursue in the watershed. View NRWA's PPT on "Neighborhood Birding". If you are a beginner or casual birder, one of the best ways to expand your birding skills is to attend a bird walk led by more experienced birders. The Nashua River Watershed Association organizes birding trips. Be sure to check our Upcoming Programs for bird walks and presentations, and sign-up for our enews for our monthly enewsletter for our latest news and advance notice of our programs. And visit our Featured Photo Gallery and Nature Photo Gallery to see bird photos submitted by local birders.

So pick up that field guide and pair of binoculars and get out birding in the Nashua River watershed. You never know what you are going to see! And be sure to come back to our website and share your birding story. And be sure to send along your photos if you get any. Just email your stories and images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  We’d love to share them in our Featured Photo Gallery.

Birding Resources

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Massachusetts Audubon Birding

New Hampshire Audubon Birding

How to Start Birding

Biking and Rail Trails in the Nashua River Watershed

The cities and towns that make up the Nashua River watershed provide many opportunities to get out on a bicycle, whether it’s for exercise, recreation, or non-motorized transportation. The gently rolling terrain of most of the towns in the watershed is conducive for bicycling.

Several towns, such as Harvard, Massachusetts and Hollis, New Hampshire, are biking destinations for racing enthusiasts who are looking for the challenge of hills combined with scenic views. Some communities run races annually for amateurs and semi-professionals. Real bike racing excitement can be found at the annual Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic in Fitchburg, MA. The race, run since 1960, is named for Art Longsjo, a Fitchburg resident, who was an incredibly talented athlete, qualifying for both the 1956 Winter Olympic team as a speed skater and the 1956 U.S. Summer Olympic team as a cyclist. The race draws international-caliber racers including Tour de France winners, Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond, as well as Olympians like Eric and Beth Heiden.

For those who are not looking for competition and prefer to ride away from car traffic, options found in the Nashua River watershed include paved or crushed gravel rail trails, such as the Nashua River Rail Trail, which offer a predictably even surface and level grade for bikers at any skill level.

Watershed Rail Trails

Nashua River Rail Trail
The NRWA played a role in the creation of the Nashua River Rail Trail, a 12-mile paved trail running from the center of Ayer, through Groton and Pepperell, to Nashua, New Hampshire. The trail is flat with only a gradual grade making it perfect for biking at any age (also perfect for strollers, wheelchairs, walking, or rollerblading). The trail is great for cross-country skiing in the winter. There is an additional gravel path beside the trail for the seven-mile stretch through Groton to Dunstable to allow for horseback riding. The trail’s northern half is predominantly forested, traveling through J. Harry Rich State Forest, and alongside the Nashua River. The southern half tends to be more open as it runs along agricultural fields, wetlands and small ponds. A day on the trail may bring you a sighting of a Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Wood Ducks, swans, beaver dams, and more.

Mason-Greenville Rail Trail 
One of the most outstanding recreational features in Mason, New Hampshire is the Railroad Trail which runs 6.7 miles across the center of town from the state line north of Townsend State Forest through Russell Abbott State Forest in the northwest corner of Mason. It passes right by Pratt Pond in that state forest, a very peaceful scenic spot. Travelers on the trail will glimpse a bit of Mason’s history from old quarry sites to the 1849 Jackson Road trestle to Wolf rock, inscribed for a traveling preacher who spent a winter night on its top besieged by wolves.

Mass Central Rail Trail- Wachusett Greenways
Wachusett Greenways is a team of volunteers who advocate for greenways and open space, working to expand a network of trails for non-motorized recreation in Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling, and West Boylston. Their current massive undertaking is the completion of the Wachusett Greenways section of the Mass Central Rail Trail. This 10 foot wide multi-use trail will run from Sterling Center to Oakham and eventually west to Barre, a total of 30 miles. Views along the trail include West Lake Waushacum from the Quag Bridge in Sterling, the scenic Quinapoxet River in West Boylston, the historic Springdale Mill site in Holden, and the dramatic trail through a granite cut and tunnel on Charnock Hill in Rutland.

Squannacook River Rail Trail – Proposed
The NRWA has been continuously involved in the proposed Squannacook River Rail Trail (SRRT) project for over ten years. The goal is to build a rail trail along the MBTA owned, but discontinued, rail line that runs near the Squannacook River. The proposed trail is a 3.7 mile rail trail that would stretch from West Groton to Townsend center, passing by the North Middlesex Regional High School, two shopping centers, historical districts, protected open space, and other key resources; furthermore, it would allow for alternative transportation parallel to, but off of, the heavily trafficked Route 119. There is strong community support for this project and abutter concerns have been considered and addressed. Work on the SRRT is being forwarded by the non-profit organization, Squannacook Greenways.

Enjoy riding the roads and trails of the Nashua River watershed. After your adventure, we hope you’ll share your stories and pictures with us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..