Geese, ducks, gulls, sea birds, and shore birds converge on and over the lake and its tributaries in the fall, and some continue migrating through, or staying on until ice closes in.
Charlotte Town Beach
This is a much frequented site for waterbirds of all kinds. If you happen to be looking for a Black-tailed Gull, this is the only place in Vermont where one was ever seen.
Take Rte. 7 to the Ferry Road (F5) in Charlotte and turn west toward the lake. Proceed through the village to Lake St. and turn right. When you go over the covered bridge, turn into the parking lot on the right. There is plenty of grassy space on the lake side of the road to set up a scope or have a picnic.
Shelburne Bay Boat Access
This can be a rather busy spot on summer weekends, but there are always waterbirds on the surface and overhead. It is also a good spot to observe Bald Eagles. An adjacent park on the west side of the bay provides a trail through woods to quieter outlooks. Take Rte. 7 to Bay Rd., not far from the So. Burlington-Shelburne boundary. Bay Rd. heads southeast along the south end of the bay. When you see the open water of the bay on your right, start looking for the boat access parking area. EL
Colchester Causeway
This is a typical waterfowl location with good numbers of Common Goldeneye, scaup, ring-bills, Common Mergansers, and Bufflehead. Last April the star of the show was a Tufted Duck. Reportedly, Canvasbacks and Redheads have been seen here. Both Snow and Canada Geese can be seen during their migration. Dabblers, (Mallard and Black Ducks, wigeon, and a few shovelers), are often in evidence during migration. Hunting is allowed from the Causeway and its environs in the fall. Duck hunting season ends this year on December 18th. Naturally, the availability of open water is critical for observing waterfowl. As long as there is open water anywhere in view, you are likely to see waterbirds. A scope is essential for this purpose.
The causeway is now part of the Colchester bike path. There is a small parking area just before the bike path crosses Mills Point Rd. To get there take Colchester Point Rd. from its intersection with Porters Point Rd. Go past Airport Park and bear right onto Mills Point Rd. The parking area is on the right.
It is about a half mile hike from the parking area to the causeway. The birds are often in toward the shoreline, but may accumulate in the “cuts” further out where there is a current and open water throughout the winter. BMacP
