THIRTEEN IPSWICH RIVER BIRD TRIPS 
RALPH LAWSON 
During the month of May 1906, and also during several 
previous Mays, two boys made several week end trips up 
and down the Ipswich River by canoe between Howe Station 
and the town of Ipswich, Mass. During the same period a 
group of men made annual trips to different favorable points 
in the northeastern part of the state, and in June 1906 com¬ 
parisons were made of the lists of birds that had been observed 
by each group. 
It at once appeared that the Ipswich River Valley was a 
peculiarly favorable section for bird observation and study. 
It was then agreed that in May 1907 the two parties would 
join forces and make a canoe trip from Howe Station to 
Ipswich, on the week end which would come next after the 
middle of the month, thus approximating as closely as possible 
the peak of the Warbler migration. 
The course which has now been followed annually for thir¬ 
teen years starts at Howe where the river is crossed by the 
Salem-Lawrence Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad 
and the Andover-Salem highway. Each of the trips has 
started at about two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, and 
from that time until about six when “The Pines” are reached, 
is spent in paddling downstream in groups or in single canoes. 
Many stops are made at favorable points, and searching par¬ 
ties cover the country for a short distance back. Owing to 
rain in 1910, Saturday night was spent at Mr. Hubon’s 
camp, and the whole trip to Ipswich was made on Sunday. 
From Howe the stream winds down through a narrow 
marsh with rolling high ground on either side. Coming at 
right angles to a hill about a half mile from the bridge it takes 
a sharp left turn by Mr. Hubon’s camp and running along 
the base of the hill it bears again to the right after a few hun¬ 
dred yards, and soon after doubles in an elbow where Boston 
Brook enters. The course from here, for the next mile or so, 
flows through narrow marshes and both open and wooded 
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