If you carefully keep your bird records by county, be sure to use the specific hotspots in this park so that the birds will be assigned to the proper county.

Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, located 40 miles west of Boston, is one of the eight refuges that comprise the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge gives nature enthusiasts various opportunities to enjoy nature with acres to explore, unique species to observe, and numerous year-round activities to enjoy such as photography, hunting, and boating down the Nashua River.

Within its boundary is a diverse array of habitats beneficial to wildlife, including wetlands, forested uplands, old fields, oxbow ponds, and of course the Nashua River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the refuge for an assortment of wildlife species, with a special focus on migratory birds. Specifically, American woodcock and Massachusetts threaten Blanding’s turtle are important species for the refuge. Frequent residents of the refuge include white-tailed deer, fox, turkey, waterfowl, and various species of insects, amphibians, and reptiles.  

The AllTrails website has descriptions and maps of hikes at Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.