Belmont Lake State Park

Hello everyone! This weeks park review is going to be slightly different. This past weekend we had some pretty incredible rain and sadly I was not able to get out as I had planned. Instead, every day this week after work I went to Belmont Lake State Park. Why did I go every day for the past five days? Well, firstly, by the time I get out of work it is already around 2:30 pm. Secondly, Belmont Lake is one of my FAVORITE places on Long Island! It would not be fare to review this park on one trip when there was only about 3 hours of daylight to work with. I have long said that this park is magical when it comes to birding. To date my Life List is at 116, I would say that 65% of that was found at Belmont Lake. It truly is a place with something for everyone; hiking, fishing, peddle boats, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, pavilions, picnic areas with grills, woods, fields, lakes, streams, I can go on and on.  The park is a 463-acre day use park bisected by Carll’s Creek and Belmont Lake. In all of my time coming here (which is quite often) I have only ever had great experiences! The people that work in the park are very friendly and eager to make you feel welcome, the facilities are well looked after and always clean (even heated in the off season) and there are always security/park workers making rounds around the grounds so you feel safe walking around alone.

When you first pull into the parking lot there is a booth which during the off season is closed and entry is free (on season is $8 if you do not have an Empire pass, you can also purchase an empire right there when open or at the state park headquarters on the opposite end of the park). There is plenty of parking no matter when you come (except maybe labor day etc. as this is a very popular family park). I like to park my car about mid way into the lot in the first spots on the right, there is a trail entrance to the right which will lead you pretty much on the perfect tour of the park, showing you all there is to see ending with the main attraction, the lake! One of my favorite parts of this trail is the variety of birds you have the potential to see, the heavily wooded trail lends itself to sights of chickadees, nuthatches, robins, mockingbirds, catbirds etc. once you come upon the sports fields (in the off season or weekdays when they are pretty empty) you get to see red tailed hawks, sparrows, cardinals, mourning doves, crows and more. Keep following the trail and you cross over two small bridges leading you over two small streams where you can find sandpipers, ducks, geese, kingfishers, among many others. Keep going still and you eventually get to circle the lake! Canadian geese are in no shortage but if you look closely and are patient this lake is a duck goldmine! Mallards, Ruddy Ducks, Mergansers, Canvasbacks, Buffleheads and so many more not to mention Geese, osprey, hawks and swans! If the park didn’t close at dark I think I would live here. But now lets focus on this weeks experience in particular:

Every day I parked in the same area and took the same trail, occasionally venturing off onto smaller mini trails along the way. Right off the bat on the first visit flying over the parking lot was a large raptor circling high above. Because of how high overhead it was flying I wasn’t able to get excellent photos but they came out good enough to later identify it as a Red-Tailed Hawk, a great way to begin! The first leg of the trail cuts through the woods and is fairly dark as the trees block out most of the sun. Immediately the song of American Robins called out all around me and echoed their way down the path ahead of me. The sweat sound made me stop and soak in the moment, it was as if they saw me bundled in two coats, mittens, hat and scarf and were calling, “spring is on its way!”. With an electrically positive energy buzzing through me I walked on, amazed at how alive the woods were for the time of year, and time of day even more so. White- breasted nuthatches flitted up and down tree trunks in search of an early dinner and a group of three bright red Northern Cardinals stood out like a beacon against the dull, leafless backdrop watching me intently as I passed.

Soon the trees cleared way for the baseball fields and the cawing of American crows called down from the trees dotting the perimeter. Throughout the week this area produced very little; But continuing on once again the trees closed in overhead and I was back in the woods surrounded by the calls of curious onlookers all around me. A Hermit Thrush perched on a branch above me with a group of American Robins while the song of Black-Capped Chickadees seemed to bounce from one tree to another in every direction. The constant drilling of woodpeckers filled my ears throughout the visits shedding light on Downy woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers and a few Red Bellied Woodpeckers as well! Even a Tufted Titmouse popped in to say hi.

Before long I was approaching the little bridge and the sound of running water bubbled close by. Not a lot of activity was happening in this spot this week (however, this is a great spot come summer!) Though there were no birds in the stream there was a beautiful Painted Turtle sunning himself on a rock. Along the waters edge a lone White-Throated Sparrow rooted around in some wet leaves, and on the opposite end of the bridge a set of Mourning Doves cozied up together cooing their familiar call. After spending some time on a conveniently placed bench waiting to see if anyone else would show up I moved on again, but not before spotting a European Starling guiding the way.

When the trail finally leads me back out into the light of the sun the state park headquarters is on my right and the glitter of the lake is reflecting on my left, another Red-tailed Hawk flies over and the sound of the Canadian geese is like thunder booming from the water. The lake is pretty open and you can see most of it regardless of where you position yourself around its edges, however, always be sure to walk the whole circumference, you never know what is hiding just along the sore line. Every day this week I seemed to see the same group enjoying the freshly melted lake. The surface was blanketed in Canadian geese, I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to estimate them close to 1,000. All along the shoreline were groupings of Mallard ducks but mixed in amongst the two were 3-4 Common Mergansers diving and swimming along with the geese as if they were just one of the gang. The groups, as well as the walkways leading around the lake were dotted with gulls, particularly Ring-Billed Gulls. Continuing to circle the water I came to an area with a good amount of brambles and tree coverage and took a seat to see if anything would stop by, sure enough on the second day I was lucky enough to go unseen by a Great Blue Heron who walked around searching for fish in the shallow water a mere 6 feet in front of me! I sat and watched as quiet as possible until he went on his way not wanting to startle him from the area in case it is a possible future nesting spot. Continuing my search, scanning the huge flocks of geese for imposters, I spotted the bright white beaks of about a half dozen American Coots swimming tight together in the center of the lake, their bright red eyes sparkling like rubies whenever caught by the setting sun. On the last two days I got a particularly nice surprise, my favorite ducks floating around the water, looking like tiny specs next to the massive geese; Ruddy ducks! Sadly, due to the time of year they were missing their signature sky blue bills but either way they are always an exciting sight for me to see! Each day when I was satisfied, the sun setting at my back and the cold air growing even colder I made my way along the path toward the parking lot, but on the way I pass the docks used for boat rentals in the warmer months. As if coming to bid me farewell two magnificent Mute swans rushed the shore each and every time (Most likely accustomed to people throwing bread to them and expecting me to do the same), If you are brave enough to risk a bit finger these beautiful birds will put their bills right to your palm to investigate, though I don’t recommend letting them get quite that close as they can be quite aggressive. Even though I would NEVER feed these beauties I do take advantage of the opportunity to a few great close-up shots! (Feeding wild waterfowl is extremely hazardous to both the animal as well as its environment! Even though it is meant as a kind gesture please be aware that this is a major issue which leads to disastrous repercussions. Keep an eye out for my follow up article on the subject –  soon to come.)

Weather is an unpredictable force but unfortunately it is a major part of Birding. Sometimes the best laid plans just get rained out. This was not the ideal way I would have wanted to review this park but it wound up being a great week of visiting one of my favorite parks, which is something I could never complain about! This is an amazing place to take a trip to with the family, alone, or just to take the dog for a walk. The park has its own designated exit off of the Southern State Parkway which makes it super easy to get to and parking has never been an issue so long as I have been coming here (9+ years). This park holds a special place in my heart; it is where I fell in love with Birding, where I held my husbands college graduation celebration, where our parents held our rehearsal dinner for our wedding, were I learned to fish for carp and our go to summer date spot. In my opinion it is one of the highlights of living on Long Island! I will absolutely do a follow up review of this park as the weather warms up, until then, happy birding my friends!

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