Boats and birds in the Manchester area

Birds and Boats make a good combination at Umbagog Lake.

Boats and Birds is a song from the album Gregory and the Hawk (you can find the video at the end of this article), but boats and birds are also a great combination for birdwatchers in the Manchester area. There are many different types of opportunities to see birds that are otherwise quite difficult to find if you have the use of a boat. In Southern New Hampshire there are many different kinds of boating venues that make for great birdwatching.

A previous article has already talked about the opportunities for birdwatching by kayak on Great Bay along the NH seacoast, but coastal estuaries aren’t the only places to combine kayaks and birdwatching. Almost any small river or lake in New Hampshire offers a great combination of kayaking and birdwatching. The silence of the kayak cutting through the water offers a great chance to hear the songs and calls of many of the birds that live near waterways so clearly, you'll swear you can almost hear the lyrics to their songs. With a kayak you can often get much closer to ducks and loons as they bob along the waves than you can with a larger motorized boat.

One great spot for birding by kayak is Umbagog Lake which straddles the border between Maine and New Hampshire. A great kayak put in area can be found to the north of Errol, NH on Route 16. You’ll follow the Magalloway River down to the lake and can explore the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. Those taking their boats through this area can expect to see, not only a variety of ducks including quite possibly the distinctive ring-necked duck, but also a number of birds of prey. Osprey and a number of hawk species can be found in this area. Many will glide above the lake looking for surface fish. Bald eagles have been spotted in this area as well.

Birds and boats also combine for a great deal of fun on Lake Winnepesauke. Motor boats can tour the lake’s edges and duck into the secluded bays to see shoreline birds, as well as a wide variety of water birds. The lake is very big so plan your time to allow for the return to the dock before dark.

New Hampshire’s Atlantic coastline is absolutely wonderful birding territory. Boaters looking for pelagic birds off the NH coast can find a great many varieties including petrels, gannets, gulls, terns, and sea ducks such as the eiders or scoters, along with the occasional vagrant pelagic carried here by the winds. Here is a link to a list of whale and bird species that you might see along with complete whale watch tour schedules for the NH coast.

Where ever you live in New Hampshire, there is a nearby opportunity to combine boats and birds, and even a fishing pole if you are so inclined. Meanwhile, here's a beautiful song called Boats and Birds from Gregory and The Hawk. This is a live acoustic version.