Nations Road

Rating

Fall	Winter
Spring	Summer

Site history/background

Nations Road lies in the old flood plains of the Genesee River between Avon and Geneseo. The entire area is rich in Native American history. In fact, Nations Road is itself named after the Iroquois Five Nations. Nations Farm, the largest farm in the area, is also named for the Five Nations. The Nations Farm, and much of the area around Nations Road, is owned by the Wadsworth family, which is a locally historic name. The Nations Road area is unique in that the massive oaks are protected and still stand like giants across the pastoral landscape.

Actually, all of the flood plains of the Genesee River south of Scottsville have extensive habitat which is likely for all grassland species. The Nations Road area is birded because it holds one of the few dependable spots for Red-Headed Woodpeckers in the Rochester area, plus extensive Eastern Bluebirds nestbox trails. A large heronry is also nearby (although few birders know about it). It is one of the dependable spots for wintering Short-Eared Owls. If you come to the Rochester area looking for grassland birds, the author recommends this to be your first stop!

The Nations Road area is in the triangle formed by Geneseo, Fowlerville and Avon. Nations Road is off NYS Route 39. Much of the west side is open fields from the road to the river. The east side is broken by oak trees, oak woods (Red-Headed Woodpecker), and fields. The southern part of the road is mostly oak-laden horse pastures bordered with sharp-thorned locust trees, barbed wire and open fields.

This is very much of a birding-by-car route. The land is privately owned in this area and it is posted. Please respect landowners' rights.

Best Birding

Birding is good all year round, with the exceptional times being summer and winter. Chose winter for winter raptors, winter visitants and, perhaps, lingering field birds. Try summer for grassland breeders. The recent Breeding Bird Atlas (2000) has recorded over 100 species in at least three of the blocks in the Nations Road area, with over 90 in another. If grassland birds are your target, this should be your first stop in the Rochester area.

Birding and Conservation at this locale

The Executive Director of the Genesee Valley Conservancy is pleased that the region is known for its avian activity. The Genesee Valley Conservancy (GVC) has protected almost all of the land east and west of Nations Road (~7200 acres), south of Huston Road. The GVC are still working fervently with additional landowners in the region to obtain more protection. With luck, they will obtain easements on more than 300 additional acres in the heart of the Nations Road area. If you would ever like to discuss the Conservancy's activities, please feel free to visit the Genesee Valley Conservancy and select their contact web page to email them.

Regular Specialties

All year - Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern Mockingbird, Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel
Winter -Short-eared Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, Horned Lark and ocassionally Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur.
Spring/Summer - Grassland birds: Bobolink, E. Meadowlark, Upland Sandpiper, Savannah, Grasshopper, Vesper and Henslow's Sparrows.

Noteworthy Records

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Dec 2000-Feb 2001), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Sandhill Crane (Spring 2001), Dickcissel (1996), Orchard Oriole (regular summering bird), White-Eyed Vireo (Spring 2001), Nelson's (1997) and LeConte's Sparrow (1998), COmmon Raven (Apr 2000). An albinistic (not 100% albino) Red-tailed Hawk nests and winters near the Little Road area. Plus, the regular but rarer specialties mentioned above.

Loggerhead Shrike has historically occurred in the area, but has not been sighted in the past few decades, although this area is ideal for them.

Warnings

The Nations Farm regularly hosts steeplechases and fox hunts plus several other minor other equine activities. Many of these big events occur in September and can draw over 6,000 people. This dirt road can become a major traffic highway when these events occur. Beware of horse riders on the roads in all seasons and give them the right-of-way, as the maintenance of the habitat resides on the horse owners in the area.

Areas of interest (a tour)

From NY Route 39, take Fowlerville Road west. About 0.75 miles on the right, a large heronry exists. Great Blue Herons start occupying nests in March and over 100 herons can be seen in the leafless trees throughout the spring. Large numbers of Canada Geese feed here during spring migration. Shorebirds sometimes gather in the wet portions of the field enar here.

Continue west for a mile or so. Nations Road is the second left. Watch carefully for a green road sign because a yellow and black intersection sign ("T") does not exist. Turn left (south) onto Nations Road. Shorebirds sometimes gather in the west portions of the field to the southeast. About a half mile on the left is a swampy spot (sometimes the pond is seen). Ducks, bitterns and rails have been recorded on this pond. The fields near here have had Vesper Sparrow in summer. Horned Lark and Snow Bunting can be seen along the corn fields on the west side of the road in winter, as can Short-eared Owl in the evening.

Between the first left (Little Road) and third left (South Avon Road), centered around the second left (Hogmire Road) is the predominant location for the Short-eared Owl (if they are present) during the winter. Check the telephone poles and fence posts, or look for low-flying owls between December and March, right at dusk. If the sun us still up, it is probably still too early (although they have been recorded mid-day. Many birders do not stay late enough to see the owls. Be patient! The loop of Little Road to Boyd Road, turn right to Hogmire Road, turn right to Nations Road, is often good for raptors, wintering sparrows and occasionally Northern Shrike.

In the spring and summer, the target birds are the sparrows. Savannah Sparrow, Pheasant, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks occur in numbers all along this road. The numerous nest boxes have attracted several Eastern Bluebirds, especially on the southern half of the road, and many Tree Swallows. Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows, as well as Vespers, can occur at undetermined stretches of the fields. The best Vesper Sparrow location (2000-2002) seems to be east of the "lonely barn" between South Avon and Huston Roads.

A quick turnoff on Houston Road will produce more of the same habitat and more of the same birds. Houston Road has had dependable Henslow's (one admirably nicknamed "T-slick!"), Sedge Wren and Yellow-breasted Chat in recent years, although their presence is intermittent and irruptive. Note that the birds may nest on Houston Road and not on Nations Road. It is advisable to travel many of the side roads (not just Houston Road) and investigate all the fields for the sought-after species.

Continue south on Nations Road to the intersection of Roots Tavern Road. The oak woods behind the new house on the northeast corner usually harbors Red-headed Woodpeckers during winter, but they are more apt to be seen in the southeast corner. A stroll down Roots Tavern Road may be necessary to find them. Be sure to check the large stately oaks in the pastures as they frequently feed there. On windy days, the Red-headed Woodpeckers are very hard to see. The fields to the south and west of the intersections usually have Eastern Bluebirds. Upland Sandpipers nest near the Nations Farm entrance (and sometimes at the Houston/Nations Rd intersection), which is just south of the intersection, as well as along other spots on this road. The Roots Tavern woods has had all the seven local woodpeckers in a single spring day, and all, except Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, are expected to nest here regularly (Sapsucker nests on occasion). Blue-winged Warbler, both cuckoos, and all three local mimids are regularly recorded in the summer months.

Travel south past Nations Farm. The road passes over a small stream known as Jaycox Creek. The streambank to the east has provided the home for Belted Kingfisher and Rough-winged (not Bank) Swallows. The woodlot on the east side (to the end of Nations Road) is another good spot to find Red-headed Woodpeckers. The fields on either side of the road (past the barbed wire fences and the thorny locust trees) hold more of the same species. Nations Road ends at NYS Route 39.

Directions

Located on the Delorme NYS Atlas and Gazetteer on page 57, blocks A6, B6. A map that accompanies the following directions is located here (41KB).

From the North: From NY Route 5 & 20 (west of exit 10 from I-390), head south on NY Route 39. Travel south past the Five-Arch bridge and the town of Ashantee. The next right past the Five-Arch bridge is Fowlerville Road. Take this right.
From the South: From NY Route 20A (west of exit 11 from I-390), head north on NY Route 39. Travel north through the town of Geneseo, and past the high school. Although the next left past the high school is Nations Road, continue a few miles on NY Route 39 to Fowlerville Road and take this left to provide a common starting point for the tour given above.

Nearby Birding

At most, birding Nations Road will take a few hours. More of the same sort of habitat can be found at Retsof only a few miles away. Or, ice-permitting, Conesus Lake provides a change of pace in about a 10 minute drive.

During late spring or early summer, it is worth a quick stop at the Roemer Arboretum at SUNY Geneseo to try and find the annual (since 1997) Orchard Oriole.
Directions: To reach the arboretum, travel NYS Route 39 south into Geneseo. At the traffic light (NYS Route 20A intersection), turn right. Follow Routes 20A/39 around the bend heading south. About a half mile south - just beyond the parking area for the SUNY campus dorms, it a guard rail and a pull off on the right. Park hear. Only one trailhead is here. Walk the arboretum loop (not very large). The Orchard Orioles are usually located on the southern or western portion of the loop.

Another site possibly worth checking is the Geneseo airfield. One local birder has had exceptional luck there. Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Upland Sandpiper, Orchard Oriole, Grasshopper and plenty of Savannah Sparrows have been tallied. In wet years, migrant shorebirds in spring, and possibly nesting rails and bitterns have been found here.
Directions: To reach the airfield, travel NYS Route 39 south into Geneseo. At the traffic light (NYS Route 20A intersection), turn right. Immediatelly turn off Routes 20A/39 (they bend ot the south). Continue due west down through campus. At the yield sign at the bottom of the hill (NYS Route 63), turn left at the NYS State Police Heaquarters on the airfield access road. Bird along the road all the way to the airplane hangars.

Another site possibly worth checking is the White Devon Farm. Short-eared Owl, Upland Sandpiper, and plenty of grassland sparrows have been tallied.
Directions: To reach the White Devon Farm from the south end of Nations Road, turn left onto NYS Route 39. It is the first farm on the right (east). Check both the north and south sides of the house/barn.

Facilities

There are no restroom facilties in the Nations Road area. The closest ones are probably the "fastfood" restaturants in Avon or Geneseo, where you may obtain "food" as well. Many local diners provide a decent meal as well as having a restroom.

This page was last updated on 06 June 2002.