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Julia Bird Reservation [11]
Detail Map (75k)
Area Map (60k)
Location: In Ipswich. Turn west from Route 1A onto Waldingfield Road. The Julia Bird Reservation is located on the north side of Waldingfield Road just west of the railway bridge. Access also by canoe from the Ipswich River. A landing site is available.
Parking: You will find a small turn-off at the trailhead and sign. Park there.
Permitted: Hiking, horseback riding, nature study and snow-shoeing in season. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed.
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Trail
The footpath to the right of the hydrant leads through a mature stand of swamp white oak, red oak and red maples, some with a diameter of nearly four feet. As you work your way through the thick wood, you are flanked on the left by a paddock: this is privately owned and we ask that you use good sense and respect this neighbor's land.
Eventually you will cross a stone wall and enter an open woodlot. This is the site of an experimental cordwood cut by Greenbelt, a test to evalute the feasibility of forest management t
hat does not infringe on other forest uses.
Follow the woods road. To the left is a hemlock stand which shades the banks of the Ipswich River. There are a number of connecting trails. If you explore these, please respect those that are on private property.
Special Features
During the summer breeding season, the canopy above the mature forest at the entrance to the reservation hosts nesting crested flycatchers, common flickers, crows, bluejays, Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owl.
In the spring mud season (March) the many vernal pools form likely places to look for breeding salamanders.
