The Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve is a site (including submerged areas) along the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...

in the Town of Clifton Park, New York, near the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Vischer Ferry. It is owned by the

New York State Canal Corporation New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

, but Clifton Park maintains its extensive trail system under a special lease arrangement.New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Vischer Ferry BCA Management Guidance Summary
/ref> The preserve also is known as Vischer Ferry Bird Conservation Area. The preserve includes an original section of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

and towpath, constructed in 1825.U.S. Department of Transportation's Byways America site
/ref> The main entrance to the preserve includes an 1862 Whipple Truss Bridge, a design commonly used to cross the Erie Canal. Numerous migratory bird species and at-risk bird species use the preserve as habitat. Among these species are: *

Virginia rail The Virginia rail (''Rallus limicola'') is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae. These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a ga ...

* Green heron * Heron *

American bittern The American bittern (''Botaurus lentiginosus'') is a species of wading bird in the heron family. It has a Nearctic distribution, breeding in Canada and the northern and central parts of the United States, and wintering in the U.S. Gulf Coast ...

Egrets Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

Common nighthawk The common nighthawk (''Chordeiles minor'') is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird of the Americas within the nightjar family, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark (gray, black and brown), di ...

* Rusty blackbird The preserve also includes an abundance of flora, both native and invasive, from hazelnut to

bloodroot ''Sanguinaria canadensis'', bloodroot, is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America. It is the only species in the genus ''Sanguinaria'', included in the poppy family Papaveraceae, and is most closely related to ' ...

to white campion.A Field Guide to Wildflowers - Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve (PDF)
/ref>

References

External links

Byways American website

(PDF), 2010 Protected areas of Saratoga County, New York Nature reserves in New York (state) {{SaratogaCountyNY-geo-stub