Bird-Watching in Nantucket

Hundreds of species flock to the island's moors, meadows, and marshes in the course of a year. Birds that are rare in other parts of New England thrive here, because of the lack of predators and the abundance of wide-open, undeveloped space. Almost anywhere outside of town you're sure to see interesting bird life, not just in migratory season but year-round. Set up your spotting scope near the salt marsh at Eel Point any time of year and you're bound to see shorebirds feeding—low tide is the best time. Endangered piping plovers and least terns nest on the ocean side in spring. Folger's Marsh about 3 mi east of town and the Harbor Flats at the end of Washington Street on the eastern edge of town are also good shorebird-watching sites. Inland, a walk through Sanford Farm from Madaket Road to the south shore, traversing upland, forest, heath, and shore habitats, will bring you in range of Savannah sparrows, yellow warblers, osprey, and red-tailed hawks, the island's most common raptor. Be on the lookout for the protected Northern harrier. For woodland species, check out the trails through Windswept Cranberry Bog or the Masquetuck Reservation near Polpis Harbor.

Eco Guides: Strong Wings (9 Nobadeer Farm Rd. 508/228-1769. www.strongwings.org) customizes environmentally savvy birding tours based on interest and group size and, depending on your preferred degree of difficulty, can include a hike, a bike ride, or a casual stroll.

The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA, 4 Vestal St. 508/228-0898. www.mmo.org) leads marine-ecology field trips and nature and bird walks weekly in spring and early summer and three times a week from June through Labor Day.