For the birds

NH Audubon Massabesic Center and NH Audubon McLane Center.

Photo by Jennifer Gingras.

Find feathered friends

Catch a glimpse of New Hampshire’s avian wildlife at these birdwatching hot spots.

1. New hampshire auDuBoN’s massaBesic ceNTer BesT of The BesT

26 Audubon Way, Auburn, 668-2045, nhaudubon.org The 49-acre wildlife sanctuary situated on a historic farm site features 5 miles of trails, including trail access to Lake Massabesic, winding through mixed forests and open fields. According to the NH Audubon website, the fields are managed for grassland nesting birds, and nest boxes are managed for tree swallows and Eastern bluebirds. The trails are free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. The property also has a nature center, open Tuesday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., where visitors can see live animals and nature exhibits.

2. carTer hill orcharD

73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com The family-owned farm has had an active orchard since the mid 1700s, according to its website. Today, it yields more than 11 varieties of apples, peaches, plums, pears, watermelon, cantaloupe, raspberries, blueberries and pumpkins, depending on the harvest. The farm also has a country store, a bakery, hiking trails and an observation tower with views of the region’s mountains. It’s open daily, July through mid-December.

3. New hampshire auDuBoN’s mclaNe ceNTer

84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org NH Audubon’s longest established center and operational headquarters situated at the 12-acre Silk Farm Wildlife Sanctuary features 3 miles of mostly forested trails, pollinator gardens, grassland fields and access to the Great Turkey Pond shoreline. Grassland management and nest box programs are aimed at Eastern bluebirds, tree swallows, American kestrels, bobolinks and Savannah sparrows, according to the NH Audubon website. The trails are free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, along with the raptor mews, accessible through the courtyard, which are home to a bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, barn owl and barred owls. At the nature center, open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors will find exhibits, a reptile room and a nature store.

4. mouNT washiNgToN

Route 16, Pinkham Notch; for GPS: 1 Mount Washington Auto Road, Gorham; mt-washington.com New Hampshire’s highest peak, located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in the township of Sargent’s Purchase, stands at an elevation of 6,288 feet. From May through October visitors can drive themselves to the summit via the Mount Washington Auto Road ($39 to $45 per car and driver, plus $14 to $20 per adult passenger, depending on the time of year; $9 for child passengers ages 5 through 12; free for child passengers age 4 and under; and $25 for motorcyclists); take a driven guided tour ($45 to $51 for adults, $40 to $46 for seniors age 62 and older and $25 to $31 for children ages 5 through 12, depending on the time of year, and $10 for children age 4 and under); hike and take the one-way hiker shuttle up to or down from the summit ($50 to $75, depending on availability; operation is weather-dependent); or, with proper preparation and extreme caution, hike both ways.

Milne Pond at NH Audubon Massabesic Center and NH Audubon McLane Center.

Photo by Jennifer Gingras.