Winding like a gravel ribbon for 450 miles through the boreal forest and across the Arctic tundra, the Dempster Highway offers unparalleled scenery and numerous opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing. It is truly one of the continent’s most exciting drives.

Golden eagles, long-tailed jaeger and willow and rock ptarmigan are common birds seen from the road. Gyrfalcon and peregrine falcons build their aeries on roadside cliffs, and 25 species of ducks and swans are easily observed. Northern hawk-owls sit atop spruce trees, visible to passersby.

In tundra areas, Smith’s and Lapland longspurs breed, while northern wheatear can be found in the talus slopes. Mammals will not be overshadowed, as moose, gray wolf, caribou, snowshoe hare, lynx, grizzly and black bears are also observed.

Sam Fried is a past president of the Hartford Audubon Society and has photographed 708 species of birds and seen 733 species of birds in North America alone. He has published hundreds of photographs and more than 30 feature articles in field guides, books, and magazines worldwide. These include National Audubon, Birder’s World, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Birding, and Living Bird Quarterly magazines.

He has also written several chapters for the new Insight Guides book on birding in North America, published by The Discovery Channel. He is a co-founder of Flights of Fancy Adventures, Inc, a birding, photography, natural history, and golf travel company offering small group, low cost, high quality trips to North, Central, and South American destinations.

 The public is invited to this presentation free of charge. There is a social gathering at 6:30 pm and the meeting begins at 7. Western Connecticut Bird Club meetings are usually over by 8:30 pm. This presentation will be held in the Fellowship Hall (side entrance) at the First Congregational Church of Woodbury, at 214 Main Street South (Route 6). From Newtown, take Exit 15 off I-84 at Southbury and follow Route 6 into Woodbury. Just past the traffic light at the junction of Route 317, look for LaBonne’s Market on the left. Parking is available around the back and to the right.

The Western Connecticut Bird Club is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the pleasure of bird watching. The club meets the third Thursday of the month from September to April (except December). In May, there is a club picnic and in June, the club participates in a June Bird Count. For more information contact club president Larry Fischer at 203-426-3901, or club treasurer Anne Kehmna at 860-354-8417.