As you pause at the stop of this steeper trail, take a moment to appreciate the view. From here you can see the Berkshires and Taconic to the east, the Catskill Mountains to the west, and the Copake Valley to the north. You might also share this space with a small bird that loves swooping over the marshy areas. This is the least bittern. A species of conservation interest, this small heron with a pointed bill and a hunched back loves wetter environments and feeds on fish. Large marshes like this one are an important breeding area for them, but New York State has lost over half its wetlands since colonization, putting the least bittern and other marsh birds at risk. They now listed as a threatened species by the state, so it's important to give them as safe a home as possible at Drowned Lands Swamp.