Guide

Go seeBirds

Spring warblers and songbirds on the Hellcat boardwalk

April to June

Each spring, songbirds and warblers heading north move through the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in large numbers. The refuge's Hellcat Interpretive Trail is a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk through freshwater marsh, shrub, vernal pool, dune and maritime woodland.

Why this time of year

The refuge says spring migration brings hordes of songbirds and warblers through from late April through early June. Mass Audubon calls the surrounding Great Marsh an important stopover for migrating land birds such as warblers, in both spring and fall.

How to notice it

  1. Walk the Hellcat boardwalk and stop where shrubs and trees grow close to the rails. Look for small, quick birds moving through the leaves.
  2. Stand still for a minute and listen for songs and call notes, then look toward the sound.
  3. Note one detail for each bird, like a throat color, wing bars or a head stripe, so you can look it up at home.
  4. Plan for a boardwalk trip, not a beach day: the refuge says most of its beaches close from April 1 into August to protect nesting plovers.

Try this with kids: How many different little birds can you spot from one spot on the boardwalk without moving your feet?

Word to know: A “warbler” is a small, often brightly colored songbird that eats insects.

Sources

  • fws.govRead 2026-11-10. USFWS (primary, landowner): 'Spring migration brings hordes of song birds and warblers through the refuge from late April through early June.' Wheelchair-accessible locations include 'Hellcat Interpretive Trail (boardwalk)'. 'The majority of the refuge beaches are closed from April 1st into August to protect nesting plovers.'
  • fws.govRead 2026-11-10. USFWS story (primary): 'Hellcat Interpretive Trail: 1.3 miles, boardwalk'. The trail crosses 'freshwater marsh, shrub, vernal pool, dune, and maritime woodland habitats.'
  • massaudubon.orgRead 2026-11-10. Mass Audubon IBA (primary, conservation org): 'The site is an important migratory stopover or seasonal concentration site for migratory land birds (e.g., warblers).' 'It serves as a major concentration area for migrant waterbirds, raptors, and passerines during both spring and fall.'
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon (2022-01-01): the Hellcat Wildlife Observation Area has 'a new, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk' along the marsh dike and through forest and dunes; 'the woodland trails can hold interesting passerines (small perching birds) in spring and fall'. read 2026-11-10

Checked against these sources on November 10, 2026.

In the guide for April, May, June

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