Birds of Interest Kesick Swamp WMA provides suitable habitat for many nesting and migratory birds. Great blue herons have a small rookery here. These birds are quite sensitive to human disturbance near the colony site and are known to abandon nests when disturbed. Please keep a respectful distance. The most commonly seen species are wood ducks, mallards, black ducks, hooded mergansers, red-winged blackbirds, kingfishers, teal, and Canada geese. Great egrets have also been spotted on the property. These large white birds stand about 35-40 inches tall and have a 55-inch wingspan. Woodcock and ruffed grouse can be found throughout the wooded areas of the WMA.

Kesick Swamp WMA is an 80-acre parcel of land owned by the State of Vermont and managed by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The WMA is located in the Town of Sunderland just off Route 7 between Exits 3 and 4. Access to the WMA is through a 25-foot right-of-way at the end of Beaver Meadow Road.

Kesick Swamp is a historic beaver pond meadow. The beaver dam is washed out and rebuilt periodically – a natural process. The wetland is a mix of cattails and scrub-shrub emergent marsh with a fringe of alder, red maple, and white pine. Beavers, mink, otters, raccoons, muskrats, and white-tailed deer all utilize the habitat within the WMA. There have also been numerous sightings of moose and black bears. Birds including Great Blue herons, wood ducks, black ducks, hooded mergansers, and red-winged blackbirds can also be seen in the WMA. Brook trout can be found in Cole Brook and Beaver Meadow Brook, as well as the beaver pond.