Graves Farm on Adams Road in Williamsburg is one of 60 Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries. The former dairy farm is now primarily mature pine and hemlock as well as mixed deciduous forest and grassy fields studded with nest boxes for Tree Swallow and Eastern Bluebird. The former Graves farmhouse was once part of the sanctuary and the barn was managed for Cliff Swallow nesting sites, but it has now passed into private hands and the owner is not interested in birds and the Cliff Swallows have disappeared.
The property consists of 1.5 miles of walking trails that will take an hour or less to cover. Come here in late winter for Winter Wren and the possibility of Purple Finches; Hermit Thrushes love the deep woods in summer. The ticks also love this property.
Follow Adams Road west until you come to Joe Wright Brook. There is a pulloff where you can park and look at the stand of dead trees on the south side of the road. This is a good place to check for Olive-sided Flycatcher during spring migration. A little farther west is the former Graves farmhouse; you can hear Alder Flycatchers singing here in summer. Continue along Adams to Depot Road and turn left; down this road you can hear numerous Louisiana Waterthrushes singing in season, as well as the occasional breeding Magnolia Warbler.
I typically visit Graves Farms woods a few times in late winter, and in spring to hit the little swamp at Joe Wright Brook to check for Olive-sided Flycatchers and walk as far as necessary to get Alder Flycatchers. Just that one spot can yield a decent little list, and in summer if you start here and walk the short distance toward the farmhouse you can do even better (but no OSFL, sorry).
