The Binocular Site
Niagara Falls State Park, New York
Niagara Falls State Park is located in the city of Niagara Falls, New York. It surrounds the Falls themselves, including the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and part of the Canadian Falls. It is the oldest state park in the United States, founded in 1885, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
The outdoorsy tourist will find many opportunities for adventure. There are several nature trails and bike trails, and plenty of space to hike. You'll also find some great fishing spots and designated picnic areas.
Birders will find that the best time to visit the park if from early March to mid-May when more than 100,000 Canada geese stop during their northern migration. Some of them remain to nest. Many varieties of duck can also be seen during this migration, such as pintail, teal, American widgeon, black, ring-necked, and shoveler. It's also common to see many other wading birds and spring warblers migrating through the area.
The upper river area is home to gulls year round, many of which can be found foraging at whirlpool eddies. The open water, rock ledges, and nearby wooded areas are also nesting grounds for loons, chickadees, purple sandpipers, and peregrine falcons. Birders should always be on the lookout for a rare opportunity to see the American bald eagle.
See the Niagara Falls State Park website for more information.
The official state bird of New York is the Eastern Bluebird and you can find a checklist for birding activities in New York here.
Photo credit to JacobEnos, used with permission under the creative commons license.
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