June 01, 2012

The Jackrabbit Trail is a regular trail for my cross country skis in winter, but not to be missed as a hike during the rest of the year either. And so Kendra and I managed to steal away briefly from our crazy May schedules to hike to McKenzie Pond from the McKenzie Pond Road access in Saranac Lake. The mixed coniferous woods were green with life, and our path was paved by bunchberry, Canada mayflower, star flower, and foam flower. Birds sang along the way, and we soon began to assemble a nice list.

Black-throated Blue Warbler
A black-throated blue warbler poses in the hand of a bird bander at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory near Rochester, NY.

Our hike started with an American redstart and soon other warblers added their songs. Black-throated blue and black-throated green warblers were common along the trail as were Nashville and magnolia warblers which frequent more coniferous stands. We were soon up to nine species of warblers with blackburnian, northern parula, black and white warbler, ovenbird, and yellow-rumped warbler to round out the list of one of my favorite families of birds.

We heard the drumming of a ruffed grouse as we approached the stream crossing of McKenzie Brook about a mile along the trail, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers answered one another's territorial drumming on the trees – the sound echoing through the forest. They seemed to like the resonating nature of a few snags in an open area on the left side of the trail as you head out toward the stream. The brook is also a favorite place for Wren who always goes for dip and gets a drink while looking for sticks to chew. We continued on our way, listening to dark-eyed juncos and red-breasted nuthatches, as well as many more warblers.

Not far from the junction of the trail that takes you to McKenzie Pond, Kendra pointed out the nesthole of a hairy woodpecker high and off the trail to our left. I stood attempting to get distant photos of it while the mosquitoes – which had been harassing us when we stopped walking – pulled up a chair and dined on my exposed skin. I finally gave up and headed to the pond where Wren was already enjoying the water while Kendra threw sticks for her.

Their arrival had already flushed a great blue heron along the shoreline, and a female hooded merganser (a species of duck) flew out from a protected cove. As we enjoyed the view across the water, an osprey flew across searching for fish, and a distant common loon

Wren chews a stick on the shore of McKenzie Pond
Wren chews a stick on the shore of McKenzie Pond.
came into view while diving for fish and aquatic invertebrates.

The loon was disappearing and reappearing and then, just as we were leaving, it popped up perhaps 40 yards from us. It peered into the water looking for prey before each dive and finally popped up farther off shore and began working away from us. It was a fitting turnaround to our hike and we began retracing our steps to the car.

Our trip back was highlighted by a garter snake and several toadlets – tiny toads that hatched last year – which seemed to just tumble and bumble along the path as we walked – being very careful not to step on them. 

Black-throated Blue Warbler
A black-throated blue warbler poses in the hand of a bird bander at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory near Rochester, NY.
Wren chews a stick on the shore of McKenzie Pond
Wren chews a stick on the shore of McKenzie Pond.

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