Birding Glacial Montague Sandplains IBA

Shivers were running down my spine. I was standing on the very sand deposited some 10,000 years ago, as a delta at the mouth of a melt water stream into the giant ice age lake, glacial Lake Hitchcock. Eventually as the climate warmed the glaciers disappeared and the lake shrunk back into what is now the Connecticut River bed.

The sand delta forms the heart of the Montague Sandplains IBA. The almost impenetrable thicket of scrub oak, intermingled with pitch pine, covering the plains. forms a haven for several bird species, among them Prairie Warblers,  Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrashers, Field Sparrows and Whip-poor-wills. It's a unique habitat, even for the insects and turtles many of which would be more at home on Cape Cod.

I had arrived late in the evening and stayed till after dark to hear the Whip-poor-wills, but no such luck. However from all directions Prairie Warblers were singing.

Several of the Prairie Warblers were banded. I saw them on separate occasions, and don't believe they were the same bird.

A Prairie Warbler singing his heart out

Eastern Towhees were popping up from the vegetation to survey their terrain.

Male Eastern Towhee with brood patch

The females were staying out of sight. This one quickly scrambled into the undergrowth when she saw me.

Field Sparrow


That evening I saw at least 4 Brown Thrashers but none stayed long enough or come close enough for a good picture.


Sand, scrub oak and pitch pine

Here you can read more about the habitat, the ice age, and the glacial geology of the Connecticut River Valley, and glacial Lake Hitchcock.

This is my first post on Birding is Fun and I would like to thank Robert Mortensen for asking me to become a contributor. It's an honor for, as we all know, this is the best birding blog on the planet.