Connected to the Intervale by the Burlington bike path, the Ethan Allen Homestead is an exceptional property for birding managed by the Winooski Valley Park District. The Homestead offers trails through wetlands, grasslands, woodlands and farm lands-well, garden lands, not to mention riverside trails along the Winooski River.

During a recent visit to the Homestead on a sultry July afternoon, I found goldfinches, chickadees, waxwings, and Song Sparrows present in abundance. I spotted a few House Wrens occupying a nest box near the Homestead and a number of Common Yellowthroat popped out of the bushes near one of the well-tended community gardens. Likewise, a Chipping Sparrow announced his presence by landing on the rail fence bordering the garden. In the wetland, where a nicely constructed boardwalk allows for excellent views of the entire marsh, I saw a Great Egret fly over and spied three Gray Catbirds flitting about in the trees.

And don’t forget the bike path that winds along the border of the Intervale in parallel with Route 127. Looking east from the bike path, you can survey the wetlands and marshy area of the Intervale for Wood Ducks, Belted Kingfishers, songbirds, Red-tailed Hawks, and even the occasional Osprey.

The Ethan Allen Homestead Museum is located in a 294-acre public park on the Winooski River, owned by the Winooski Valley Park District (WVPD), a public nonprofit corporation and incorporated Vermont municipality. The park offers year-round access to the Hill/Brownell Education Center (which houses the Museum), the Ethan Allen house, walking and bicycle paths, community gardens, subsistence agriculture, and a picnic shelter used for events and private rentals. Protected by permanent land-use restrictions, the park and all buildings are required by law to remain in the service of the local community.