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At first glance, the entrance landscape of Grand Lake Reserve (GLR) may look like abandoned farmland: young trees crowding together, and shrubs forming dense, irregular thickets, much as it did 10 or 15 years ago when it was recognized as having great potential as a modified habitat for Golden-winged Warblers and other species already there. But, like many of the North Country open areas bordering forests, crowding advances and habitat management is required.  

Hidden within is a carefully restored, but aged, 15-acre shrubland habitat, created to support one of the Northeast’s most imperiled songbirds: the Golden-winged Warbler. What many visitors may not realize is that this habitat has been years in the making and maintaining.

Discovering a Rare Opportunity

Long before habitat plans were written or grants awarded, local birders were already paying close attention. One such connection emerged when Ed Robertson discovered a misplaced birding book along Kunkle Road. It belonged to Steve Caldwell, a devoted birder who spent decades documenting bird sightings and sounds on his 150-acre property along Cottage Hill Road, known as Better Farm, which he later donated roughly 86 acres to the IRLC, leaving about 64 acres on the present-day Better Farm property.

Through Caldwell’s meticulous records, it became clear that the corridor between Cottage Hill Road and Burns Road supported one of the densest populations of Golden-winged Warblers in the region.

Steve Caldwell’s own notes describe hearing Golden-winged Warblers consistently along areas of Cottage Hill Road, a  landscape uniquely suited to the bird’s needs.

“I first heard both golden-winged and blue-winged warbler May 7 and continued to hear both most days until June 21, after which I heard blue-winged only twice.  I heard golden-winged for another week.  The golden-winged I heard all along the 2 miles I travel on Cottage Hill Road, but mostly where there was second-growth.  The blue-winged I heard mostly in a single second-growth field about a half mile toward town, just east of Kunkel Road.  I’ve tried to mark this area on the map.  Occasionally, I saw golden-winged.  I never did see a blue-winged.  The only time I saw a bird giving the blue-winged song, it looked like a golden-winged, but I’m sure there were several individuals singing like blue-winged.  Whether they were hybrids, I don’t know.  I do know that in 1999, the first year I learned the golden-winged’s song, I listened carefully for blue-winged and heard none.  Also, there seemed more golden-winged this year (2000) than last.”  

Why Habitat Matters

The Golden-winged Warbler depends on early successional shrubland, a transitional habitat of grasses, shrubs, and young trees. Today, the habitats are disappearing rapidly as land either matures into forest or is developed.

Recognizing both the opportunity and the responsibility, IRLC committed to actively managing and maintaining this habitat. The presence of Golden-winged Warblers is an indicator of a healthy, diverse ecosystem, one that supports countless other species. 

Stewardship Through Collaboration

With guidance from environmental consultant and birder Sherri Smith, IRLC developed its first Environmental Management Plan for Grand Lake Reserve, formally recognizing its value as habitat for rare and sensitive bird species. Support from the Land Trust Alliance of New York and the NYS Environmental Protection Fund helped fund trails, parking areas, and educational signage.

Over time, partnerships grew. A landmark collaboration brought together IRLC, Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Clarkson University, NYS DEC, and the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT). TILT contributed equipment, staff, and funding to help rehabilitate the 15-acre shrubland area, while our wonderful volunteers pitched in with countless hours of hands-on work clearing brush, planting native species, and maintaining trails, ensuring the habitat remained suitable for Golden-winged Warblers as the landscape matured.

The Ongoing Challenge: Combating Invasive Species

Maintaining habitat is not a one-time effort. One of the most persistent threats at Grand Lake Reserve is invasive species, particularly swallow-wort, which can overwhelm native plants and undo years of restoration work.

IRLC actively monitors the Reserve and works to manage invasives through targeted removal and education. Swallow-wort can be controlled manually or chemically, and sightings are reported through iMapInvasives, the state’s tracking system. This ongoing stewardship is essential to protecting not only birds, but the integrity of the entire ecosystem.

Why This Matters Beyond Grand Lake Reserve

The work happening at Grand Lake Reserve is precisely why IRLC is participating in the “Take Action for Birds and Wildlife” webinar.

By sharing lessons learned at GLR, IRLC and its partners hope to empower landowners, municipalities, and organizations to take similar action, whether through habitat restoration, invasive species management, or collaborative conservation planning.

By branching out for birds, IRLC continues the legacy begun by Henry Carse, enriched by the careful observations of birders like Steve Caldwell, and strengthened through collaboration.