This article was originally published in the Winter 2023-24 issue of New Hampshire Bird Records.
It’s no secret that New Hampshire’s major river valleys are known hot spot areas during spring and fall migration. The Merrimack and Pemigewasset River Valleys that run through the middle of the state and the Connecticut River Valley that forms most of the border of New Hampshire and Vermont are the most notable of these migration flyways. Every spring these avenues host scores of ducks and geese in the early months of migration followed by shorebirds, neotropical migrants and everything else once the month of May approaches. These renowned flyways contain several “hotspots” that draw birders; they just seem to attract the best birds. In the Connecticut River Valley, Wetherby Road in Charlestown has quickly become one of those spots.
Wetherby Road is a small dead-end road off Route 12A (Langdon Road) in Charlestown. It’s a typical neighborhood road with a handful of residences near the entrance. As you go down the road it leaves the neighborhood setting and is surrounded by swampy and scrubby brush areas on either side. Just past the last driveway, the road turns into an unmaintained portion that runs into some cornfields before ending where it meets the active railway along Route 12. The good birding spots are in these scrub areas and cornfields.
As the snow begins to melt in late March and early April, the cornfields at the end of the road flood and host thousands of migrating ducks, geese and other waterbirds. When spring approaches, the scrub area between the last two driveways on the road seems to work as a major migrant trap. This is likely due to the mix of pines, farm area, bog, alder thickets, and flowering trees that provide a perfect mix of habitat to condense a remarkable diversity of species in one spot. This area also holds true as a migrant trap for passerines in the fall.
As of May 2024, this location has hosted 163 species according to eBird, with many of them being quite notable. There are always a lot of Canada Geese here in the spring, but this spot has hosted Snow, Greater, White-fronted, and Cackling Geese as well. Sullivan County’s first Redhead was found here in 2023 as well as the county’s second Eurasian Wigeon in 2022. Glossy Ibis, an occasional county visitor, was found here in 2018 and a very rare Ruff was found here in 2011. In just the last year, this location has boasted its first record for Little Blue Heron, one of the few county records of Black-crowned Night-Heron, and most notably, the state’s second record of MacGillivray’s Warbler found on November 25, 2023.
Because this is a residential neighborhood, proper viewing etiquette is essential to keeping this spot available for future birders. For early spring during waterfowl migration, the best viewing is actually from the nearby overpass of Route 12A where it passes over Route 12. There is a wide shoulder here which is great for roadside parking and provides a panoramic view of the cornfields which is fantastic for scoping the waterfowl below. It also allows for optimal viewing that won’t flush the birds by trying to walk into the fields themselves.
In regard to birding the scrub patch for passerines and other migrants, it’s best to park just past the second to last driveway on the road where the scrub area begins. From here one can walk through the whole area that’s worth birding, including the cornfields after the waterfowl have moved on, without disturbing the residents. Most importantly, it’s just wise to use common sense and not disturb the residents that live in this birding hotspot.
While Wetherby Road has eBird records spanning back to 2011, it only really gained recognition as a birding hotspot in the last five or six years, so it certainly has many more surprises in store for birders in the future. With new species still being added regularly to its overall list, with time it will surely become one of the top spots in the area. Considering this, it’s important to stress proper birding etiquette to continue this harmonious relationship between resident and birder, ensuring it can be enjoyed for years to come.
Map of Wetherby Road in Charlestown, NH.