Being a short drive from Rochester, Webster has three near lake shore nature preserves and a large county park that offer good seasonal birding. An old railroad bed trail that runs miles from Forest Lawn to the North Ponds Park also offers additional habitat for birding year around.
Webster Park's close cropped picnic areas are mostly human habitat, but the campground area on the west side of the park has extensive stretches of brushy forest and thicket and some open fields that attract a good variety of spring migrant birds. The park plantings of pine spruce, crab apple, Russian Olive and the ever present multiflora rose also draw some wintering birds such as the pine sisken, common red poll and pine grosbeak.
Also worth a look for spring migrants is the trail running along the little creek that borders the east side picnic and pavilion area. The park also has access to the lake via a parking area and fishing pier. In early spring or late fall and winter you can scan the lake's open waters for ducks, loons, gulls, or other sea faring birds.
Immediately west of the park likes the Whiting Road Nature Preserve, an excellent undeveloped 240 acre area of shrubby field and thicket, early succession woods, and a magnificent (and increasing rare) example of old growth hardwood forest. Here on an early summer morning I stood among splendid black cherry, 300 hundred year old hemlocks, and tall beeches and some of the biggest gray birch and forest grown red oak, I've ever seen listening to the melodies of a wood thrush. Essentially "unmanaged" lake shore forests like this are increasingly rare. This is a fine one thanks to the private land owner who kept it intact. May it remain ever so so.
The trail leading to the older forest is a mile or so in and out, but it's well worth it if you like trees. Several small wet areas of thicket and marsh offer additional possibilities for migrant and resident birds alike and the undisturbed forest has plenty of big trees with big holes for cavity nesters.
An additional 92 acre nature reserve, the Gosnell Big Woods Preserve also offers a stand of beautiful old growth beech maple hemlock forest along with a grassy field of perhaps thirty to forty acres that as of 2008, anyway, was spangled with summer wild flowers. You hike across the field from the parking area at its south east corner to reach the forest.
Webster also has two other small areas for bird watching "on the edge", one at Four Mile Creek off Lake Road a couple miles east of Webster Park and another at the Webster arboretum. I have not explored either of these. I have poked around the large wooded area on the east side of Irondequoit Bay down in the old Y summer camp. This is an excellent place for spring migrants.
Directions- to Gosnell Big Woods Preserve from the east take Rt 104 to Holt Road, go north to Lake Road and west to Baker Road. Take Baker south to Vosburg and go left to the roadside parking area and mowed path where Vosburg curves sharply and changes its name.
From Rochester take 590 north to either lake Road and seasonal bridge at Irondequoit Bay outlet and continue east to Baker or cross the bay via the Bay Bridge to Bay road and go north to Lake Road.
Webster also has two other small areas for bird watching "on the edge", one at Four Mile Creek off Lake Road a couple miles east of Webster Park and another at the Webster arboretum. I have not explored either of these. I have poked around the large wooded area on the east side of Irondequoit Bay down in the old Y summer camp. This is an excellent place for spring migrants.
A good place to park and explore the Hojack Railroad bed trail and Vosburg Hollow for spring birds as the pumping station parking area off Vosburg Road. Turn right instead of left at end of Baker. The Whiting Road nature preserve trail head lies a .6 mile south of Lake Road. Look for sign and parking area on west side of road.
A good place to park and explore the Hojack Railroad bed trail and Vosburg Hollow for spring birds as the pumping station parking area off Vosburg Road. Turn right instead of left at end of Baker.
Webster Park on Lake Road just east of Whiting has two entrances. Take the west entrance for the campground area.
Information and photos provided for this article are courtesy of Susan Peterson Gateley. Read more about Susan in our Sports section. Susan is a Captain, Author and Naturalists. Puchase a full version copy of her 24 page booklet " The Edge Walker's Guide to Lake Shore Birdwatching" by visiting www.chimneybluff.com