Bald Head Cliff (AW)

Location: York, Maine
Why Special: One of the southernmost rocky peninsulas along the Maine coast, this site is well-known as a guaranteed location to see Harlequin Ducks at close range from late fall through early spring. The area abounds in other sea ducks and wintering waterbirds and is a great place to watch for alcids and Black-legged Kittiwakes in winter. The odd thing about the site is that it is the location of a hotel complex that is little-used in winter so you can drive up and set up a scope near the ocean and still be close to your car for cover. On our 10-hour drive from Maine to Ithaca, NY, after our annual family Christmas holiday visit, we almost always stop here for our fix of harlequins in their incredible colors.
Habitat: Rocky coast, open ocean
When To Go: Winter.
Birds to Look For: Harlequin Duck, Common Eider, King Eider (occasional), White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck

Misery Township (AW)

Location: Northwestern Maine
Why Special: This is “bleak” northern wilderness—just right for those highly sought northern birds. It has personal meaning because my first date with the man who is now my husband was a Christmas Bird Count to Misery. It’s even more memorable because the heater boxes in his car at the time—a little VW bug—were rusted out, so we had to choose between carbon monoxide poisoning and freezing our toes (our trip to “Misery” was more than a trip to a township!)
Habitat: Spruce fir forests, tracts of deciduous northern hardwood forests.
When To Go: Year-round, but in winter, Great Gray Owls have visited the area.
Birds to Look For: Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker, White-winged Crossbill. In winter, Great Gray Owl (sometimes), Northern Shrike.

Monhegan Island, Maine (AW)

Location: 10 miles off the coast of Maine. Commercial ferries leave out of Tenants Harbor and Boothbay Harbor.
Why Special: In spring and fall, it is a haven for migrants and rare species. Huge numbers of migrants alight all over the island to rest during migration. There are always rarities among them. In winter, it’s a great place to look for alcids, but very cold with whipping winds, so bundle up! Monhegan is such a great birding spot that we spent our honeymoon here.
Habitat: Rocky coast, open ocean, spruce forests, low-growing island vegetation
When To Go: Winter, but especially spring and fall. Throughout the migration seasons, there are lots of birders around so there are many eyes for finding birds.
Birds to Look For: Keep your eyes peeled for anything. The island has had Ivory Gull (in winter), Swallow-tailed Kite, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, to name just a few.

Goose Rocks Beach (AW)

Location: Kennebunkport, Maine
Why Special: One of few Maine breeding locations for the endangered Piping Plover and Least Tern. Roseate and Artic terns have bred on the offshore islands, and a small colony of Common Terns have also bred nearby. I spent a few summers working as an innkeeper’s assistant at the only inn near the beach, and birding along the beach after work was always a treat. Fortunately, the residents know about the birds and their plight and a program is in place to educate the public and protect the birds, sponsored by Maine Audubon.
Habitat: Sandy beach, with small offshore islands and a tidal river
When To Go: In summer, seeing Least Terns and Piping Plovers are a virtual guarantee, especially if you’re willing to stroll the beach. In winter, sea ducks are always around.
Birds to Look For: Least Terns and Common Terns (especially diving for fish in the tidal river), Roseate Tern, Arctic Tern, Piping Plover 

Perry Stream and surrounds (SS)

Location: Pittsburg, NH
Why Special: Relatively undisturbed example of northern yellow birch, spruce forest.
Habitat: Bog habitat, boreal forests, birches, mature northern hardwoods, and recently logged areas
When To Go: During peak of blackfly season in May
Birds to Look For: Northern boreal-nesting warblers, Lincoln Sparrows, 3-toed woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, and more

Squam Lake (SS)

Location: Central New Hampshire
Why Special: Abundance of loons
Habitat: Northern clearwater lake that's not overdeveloped with miles of undeveloped shoreline, several sanctuaries, an abundance of nesting loons
When To Go: June is the best but anytime will do
Birds to Look For: Loons and a host of central NH breeding birds

McCrillis Hill (SS)

Location: Center Harbor, NH
Why Special: It's fairyland in the spring--an aspen haven
Habitat: Aspen groves,old fields, and mature northern hardwood forests.
When To Go: May 21
Birds to Look For: Phenomenal place for neotropical migrants

Name Katama Farm (BC)

Location: Edgartown, MA
Why Special: This beautiful preserved meadow is also a stone’s throw from the ocean, with nice salt marsh grasses. Home to breeding Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Nice spot to catch views of fall migrant shorebirds.
Habitat: meadow, salt marsh grasses
When To Go: Summer and fall
Birds to Look For: Upland Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden-Plover; hunting Northern Harrier

Plum Island National Wildlife Refuge (Parker River) (SS)

Location: Massachusetts
Why Special: Undisturbed barrier beach
Habitat: Beach, sand dunes and salt marsh
When To Go: Anytime
Birds to Look For: Shorebirds in summer, Snowy Owls in winter

Cape Poge and Wasque on Chappaquidick (BC)

Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA. Southeast corner of the island fronting Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean
Why Special: Great views of both land and water birds.
Habitat: Salt Marsh edged with islands of Scrub Oaks, vaccinium and Pitch Pine
When To Go: Fall
Birds to Look For: shorebirds, sea ducks and loons, land views of Northern Gannets and jaegers; tons of migrant warblers in the Fall

Mays Point Pool at Montezuma NWR (BC)

Location: East Seneca Falls, NY
Why Special: A nice open mudflat with great views of migrant shorebirds, often offering several species in the same scope field.
Habitat: mudflats
When To Go: Late summer
Birds to Look For: Stilt Sandpiper, Dunlin, Marbled Godwit and several “peeps” (sandpipers.

Niagara Falls (AW)

Location: Near Buffalo, NY
Why Special: The gull capital of the world. An important area for Bonaparte’s and other gulls (an estimated 20% or more of the world’s population of Bonaparte’s Gulls use the area).
Habitat: C’mon, this is Niagara Falls! A fresh-water river featuring some of the most dramatic waterfalls in the world. The falls stir up the water below, and the result is a feeding frenzy.
When To Go: October through December are the gulliest months.
Birds to Look For: Gulls—Franklin’s, Sabine’s, Black-headed, Glaucous, Iceland, Little, Black-legged Kittiwake, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed. Look for other rare birds along the river; a Pacific Loon was found here one year, for example.

Hawthorn Orchard (CTH)

Location: East Ithaca, NY
Why Special: Phenomenal migrant trap during spring migration under normal migratory conditions. Insectivorous birds descend to feed on the millions of insects attracted to the hawthorn florets; nectar-eating birds descend to feed upon the ample nectar food supply provided by the florets.
Habitat: 75% of the area is covered in solid hawthorn trees, with the rest consisting of buckthorn, apple, pear, white pine, and honeysuckle. This hawthorn orchard reached this state of maturity by selective grazing of cattle, years ago, and is kept in this state by continuous selective grazing by white-tailed deer.
When To Go: Mother's Day weekend (mid-May)
Birds to Look For: Tennesee Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, plus many of the more common migrant species. Other goodies seen there include Golden-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-Breasted Chat, Whip-poor-will, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. High numbers on a single day have been seen of Nashville (30+), Northern Parula (20+), Black-throated Blue (25+), Bay-breasted (6+), Cape May (6+), Mourning (3), Wilson's (3), Yellow-rumped (70+) Warblers, and American Redstart (25+).
Note: Thanks to the Cayuga Bird Club, there is a website available with information, pictures, bird list, directions, aerial shot, etc.

Malloryville Nature Conservancy Preserve (AW)

Location: Technically part of Dryden, NY, between Ithaca and Cortland.
Why Special: A little bit of northern forest within a 10-minute drive of northeast Ithaca
Habitat: Hemlocks and a small bog
When To Go: Year-round, though the trails are a little tough in winter without snowshoes or skis.
Birds to Look For: Northern Waterthrush, Black-throated Green Warbler, Ruffed Grouse are among the breeders. We’ve had Winter Wren and Common Redpoll here.

Mundy Wildflower Garden (BC)

Location: Ithaca NY
Why Special: Great spot for a quiet walk through tall deciduous woods along a babbling creek, as well as a good fall migrant trap for species below.
When To Go: Fall
Birds to Look For: Swainson's Thrush, lots of warblers and several sparrows

Lake Ontario Lakefront (MP)

Location: Rochester, NY
Why Special: The stretch from Irondequoit Bay to Braddock Bay is worth several stops to view enormous rafts of waterfowl and gulls.
Habitat: Open water, marsh, mudflats and beach
When To Go: Winter
Birds to Look For: Tufted Duck, arctic gulls, all three jaegers, Snowy Owl. 

Hawk Mountain (TG)

Location:
Pennsylvania
Why Special: I also love this place, for similar reasons as Cape May, though the habitat is completely different.
Habitat:
Mountain ridge with forest all around
When To Go: Fall and spring migration
Birds to Look For: Migrating hawks

Cape May (TG)

Location: New Jersey
Why Special: As a raptor freak, this is a heavenly place to be in early October when hordes of Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and other favorite hawks of mine are blasting through. There are also lots of migrating songbirds in spring and fall, though you don't see the huge flights of raptors in the spring that you do in the fall
Habitat: Seashore, coastal marshes
When To Go: (Spring) and fall migration
Birds to Look For: Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and other hawks

Turkey Point (BC)

Location: Cumberland County, NJ
Why Special: Great spring migrant spot and great place to listen to nocturnal migrant flyovers.
Habitat: Deciduous woods abutting open expanses of Salt marsh
When To Go: Spring
Birds to Look For: warblers, vireos, cuckoos, Black Rails, clattering Clapper Rails and a huge Black-crowned Night-Heron flyover at dusk

Parvin State Park (BC)

Location: southern NJ
Why Special: Labyrinth of trails provides a really nice place to easily see spring migrants.
Habitat: Mixed pine and deciduous forest with blackwater streams, wetland hollows
When To Go: Spring
Birds to Look For: Prothonotary Warbler and Summer Tanager

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (MP)

Location: Eastern Shore of Virginia
Why Special: Diversity of habitats, variety of birds, great seafood. Close proximity to other worthwhile stops: Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR, Kiptopeke State Park, and Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel.
Habitat: Open ocean, salt marshes, beaches and dunes, pine-dominated woodlands
When To Go: Fall, Winter, Spring
Birds to Look For: Migrating shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors, pelagic species and gulls, Saltmarsh and Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrows, an incredible assemblage of Snow Geese

Monticello Park (MP)

Location: Alexandria, VA
Why Special: 15-acre park in developed area with incredible diversity of warblers. You can sit just a few yards away as they forage and bath in the creek – you’re able to really watch the individual, not just tick off the species.
Habitat: Tall deciduous trees, open understory, creek.
When To Go: Spring
Birds to Look For: Warblers, vireos, thrushes, other passerines

Block Island (SS)

Location: Rhode Island
Why Special: Windy island habitat with an abundance of natural areas and miles of beaches for ideal birding.
Habitat: Mix of sandy beaches, tidal feeding habitats, bluffs, saltwater fields and meadows, with a sprinkling of dense island forests
When To Go: Fall
Birds to Look For: Shorebirds, migrating warblers, peregrines, harriers