TASL Routes: Central 0

TASL Census Routes:
Belle Isle Marsh
to Pleasure Bay
(East Boston
to South Boston)
This is intended as a guide only.
Please use a detailed
street map to navigate.

• CEN0: Rosie’s Puddle, Belle Isle Marsh —From Bennington Street, East Boston, go E on Palermo Street 1 block. Scan the salt pan and marsh to the right.
Eastern boundary: Belle Isle Creek.
• CEN1: Logan North—Return to Bennington Street and turn left (SW). Turn left on Saratoga Street just past Orient Heights MBTA Station. Take a right on St. Andrew Road and a left on Bayswater Street. Scan all the way to the airport, checking the airport itself for raptors such as Snowy Owl.
Eastern boundary: The point of the airport to Belle Isle Bridge (hidden).
Western boundary: The point of the airport to the middle of Constitution (Orient Heights) Beach.
• CEN2: Wood Island Marsh—Return to Bennington Street and turn left; take the fourth left (traffic light) on Byron Street, go to end and take a right on Coleridge Street. Park at the end of Coleridge (but not on Short Street or you’ll get accosted by the neighbors!). Walk around the fence at the end of Coleridge, go left along the top of the riprap with the hedge on your left (this is a public-right-of-way, believe it or not !) until you reach the open meadow behind the houses. Scan the marsh to your right (Wood Island Marsh) and the open water to your left all the way to Constitution Beach. Scan the airport for raptors.

• CEN3L: Jeffries Point—After passing through the airport South Gate, proceed along Harborside Drive. Take a left toward the Water Shuttle Pier and scan toward Jeffries Point Cove. Return to Harborside Drive and proceed to the airport exit gate on your left. On the way scan the lagoon to your left.
• CEN3: Donald McKay Docks—Go left at Ruth Street, proceed to Maverick Street and go left (at The Wall). Proceed all the way to the last right on Border Street. Immediately after this right pull off on the left and look through the fence at the abandoned docks all the way to Charlestown. This is an important spot for Double-crested Cormorants in winter.

Due to current construction, Amelia Earhart Dam may not be accessible by car.
• CEN4: Amelia Earhart Dam (fresh)—From Route 16 rotary E of Wellington Circle, Medford, take S exit (toward old Monsanto plant). Check fresh water on the right all the way to the dam.
• CEN4A: Amelia Earhart Dam (salt)—Check E side of dam. At the gate walk on path to the left to the edge of Phragmites and check lagoon to left for Mallards and American Black Ducks. Return to rotary, take second exit; at the second rotary take the first exit, Route 99 toward Boston. Check both sides of bridge over the Mystic River.
• CEN5: Charles River Dam—From Mystic River bridge on Route 99, bear left and go through underpass. Then bear right and take a right after Bunker Hill Community College. Go over Prison Point Bridge and take a left on the Charles River Dam (Route 28-McGrath & O'Brien Highway). Turn into the Museum of Science driveway, go to the far E edge of building and drive around the back of the building. (Either remove the barrier or go around it.) Check the entire Charles River basin plus lawns on the Boston side.

• CEN5A: Reserved Channel—From Charles River Dam go east to rotary then drive up ramp to the Central Artery southbound. Exit at South Station, go left at Summer Street. Stop after the third bridge and scan out toward the open Harbor. Check for cormorants on rotted docks and lagoon walls.
[Currently, due to Central Artery/Williams Tunnel construction, Summer Street to the Reserved Channel is rerouted around the entrance to the Tunnel. After crossing Fort Point Bridge (right past South Station), bear left, then right, finally take a left back onto Summer Street.]
• CEN6: Inner Harbor from Castle Island—From the bridge proceed S on L Street. Take the fourth left on East Broadway, go to the end and take a left on Day Boulevard. Park at the end and walk around Castle Island, scanning in all directions. Areas of particular interest are along the NE edge of Thompson Island, Governor's Island Cove at Logan Airport, and along the SW edge of the airport. Check the airport itself for Snowy Owls. Check the top of Fort Independence for Snow Buntings. Keep an eye out for Harbor Seals.
Eastern boundary: ILS (Instrument Landing System) dock to Long Island.
Southern boundary: Point of Pleasure Bay causeway to point of Thompson Island.
• CEN6A: Pleasure Bay—Return along Day Boulevard, all along scanning Pleasure Bay. The best place to scan it all is from the parking area at the SW corner.

Acrobat version of this route

last updated: 11/30/1999
url: http://www.szgraphics.com/tcen0-6a.htm

• CEN0: Rosie’s Puddle, Belle Isle Marsh —From Bennington Street, East Boston, go E on Palermo Street 1 block. Scan the salt pan and marsh to the right. Eastern boundary: Belle Isle Creek. • CEN1: Logan North—Return to Bennington Street and turn left (SW). Turn left on Saratoga Street just past Orient Heights MBTA Station. Take a right on St. Andrew Road and a left on Bayswater Street. Scan all the way to the airport, checking the airport itself for raptors such as Snowy Owl. Eastern boundary: The point of the airport to Belle Isle Bridge (hidden). Western boundary: The point of the airport to the middle of Constitution (Orient Heights) Beach. • CEN2: Wood Island Marsh—Return to Bennington Street and turn left; take the fourth left (traffic light) on Byron Street, go to end and take a right on Coleridge Street. Park at the end of Coleridge (but not on Short Street or you’ll get accosted by the neighbors!). Walk around the fence at the end of Coleridge, go left along the top of the riprap with the hedge on your left (this is a public-right-of-way, believe it or not !) until you reach the open meadow behind the houses. Scan the marsh to your right (Wood Island Marsh) and the open water to your left all the way to Constitution Beach. Scan the airport for raptors.
• CEN3L: Jeffries Point—After passing through the airport South Gate, proceed along Harborside Drive. Take a left toward the Water Shuttle Pier and scan toward Jeffries Point Cove. Return to Harborside Drive and proceed to the airport exit gate on your left. On the way scan the lagoon to your left. • CEN3: Donald McKay Docks—Go left at Ruth Street, proceed to Maverick Street and go left (at The Wall). Proceed all the way to the last right on Border Street. Immediately after this right pull off on the left and look through the fence at the abandoned docks all the way to Charlestown. This is an important spot for Double-crested Cormorants in winter.
Due to current construction, Amelia Earhart Dam may not be accessible by car. • CEN4: Amelia Earhart Dam (fresh)—From Route 16 rotary E of Wellington Circle, Medford, take S exit (toward old Monsanto plant). Check fresh water on the right all the way to the dam. • CEN4A: Amelia Earhart Dam (salt)—Check E side of dam. At the gate walk on path to the left to the edge of Phragmites and check lagoon to left for Mallards and American Black Ducks. Return to rotary, take second exit; at the second rotary take the first exit, Route 99 toward Boston. Check both sides of bridge over the Mystic River. • CEN5: Charles River Dam—From Mystic River bridge on Route 99, bear left and go through underpass. Then bear right and take a right after Bunker Hill Community College. Go over Prison Point Bridge and take a left on the Charles River Dam (Route 28-McGrath & O'Brien Highway). Turn into the Museum of Science driveway, go to the far E edge of building and drive around the back of the building. (Either remove the barrier or go around it.) Check the entire Charles River basin plus lawns on the Boston side.
• CEN5A: Reserved Channel—From Charles River Dam go east to rotary then drive up ramp to the Central Artery southbound. Exit at South Station, go left at Summer Street. Stop after the third bridge and scan out toward the open Harbor. Check for cormorants on rotted docks and lagoon walls. [Currently, due to Central Artery/Williams Tunnel construction, Summer Street to the Reserved Channel is rerouted around the entrance to the Tunnel. After crossing Fort Point Bridge (right past South Station), bear left, then right, finally take a left back onto Summer Street.] • CEN6: Inner Harbor from Castle Island—From the bridge proceed S on L Street. Take the fourth left on East Broadway, go to the end and take a left on Day Boulevard. Park at the end and walk around Castle Island, scanning in all directions. Areas of particular interest are along the NE edge of Thompson Island, Governor's Island Cove at Logan Airport, and along the SW edge of the airport. Check the airport itself for Snowy Owls. Check the top of Fort Independence for Snow Buntings. Keep an eye out for Harbor Seals. Eastern boundary: ILS (Instrument Landing System) dock to Long Island. Southern boundary: Point of Pleasure Bay causeway to point of Thompson Island. • CEN6A: Pleasure Bay—Return along Day Boulevard, all along scanning Pleasure Bay. The best place to scan it all is from the parking area at the SW corner.