Nesting Warblers of the Allegheny Plateau: Where Birding Began in America - the Home of Roger Tory Peterson

Located 8 miles southwest of Jamestown, Watts Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and nearby Hill Higher State forest comprise an area of some 3,000 acres of wetland and forest in the Town of Harmony, chautauqua county, NY.  Watts Flats WMA, which straddles the East Branch (tributary of Little Brokenstraw Creek), is mainly a wetland shrub swamp and emergent marsh with a series of beaver ponds and artificial impoundments totaling 1382 acres.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages the area to provide habitat for a variety of resident and migratory species. Over 70 species of birds breed here. Waterfowl commonly nesting include Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, Mallards and Canada Geese. Nesting warblers include Canada, Mourning, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Hooded, Blue-winged, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat. Sparrows breeding here include Swamp, Song, Savannah, Field and Chipping. The endangered New York State raptor Northern Harrier nestsin the swamp areas blanketed with Leatherleaf. 
The upper elevations of Hill Higher State Forest provide nesting habitat for Blackthroated Green Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Blue-headed Vireos and Dark-eyed Juncos.

During previous Birdfest Field Trips, Watts Flats was the only site where we located a singing male Nashville Warbler, as well as Sand Hill Cranes.