West Virginia (part of Maryland ? ..... isn't it ?)

ECKERD@Schinnerer.Com
Thu, 1 Oct 1998 11:45:55 -0400


> Going to Berkley Springs in West Virginia this weekend.  Anything I should
> look for/expect to see?  Any advice?

Nobody else answered this so I'll give it a shot.  To my eyes the birdlife in
the
panhandle of West Virginia is not so different from central Maryland.  There are
a few exceptions.  Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse are more common.  We own
property just east of Berkley Springs, and both are on our "yard list".  With
more
undisturbed areas there are more areas to bird in, but lots may be private
property
and could be off limits.

A nice place that I bird when I'm in Berkley Springs, is the C & O Canal which
can
be accessed in Hancock, Maryland.  Walking south along the canal takes you to
Little Pool, where in the spring the birding can be great.  Yellow-throated
Warblers are
common, along with Warbling Vireo and Lousianna Waterthrush.  I've even found a
few Prothonotary Warblers there.  These will all be gone at this time of the
year, but
along the river is an okay spot to look for fall migrants as well.  They'll just
be fewer and
harder to ID.  Going north along the canal there eventually takes you by an old
cement plant
that is also very interesting.  Birding is usually a bit slower to the north
though.

Most of my West Virgina birding has been done on private land that I have
permission
to bird on.  Depending on where you are, you may find either Carolina Chickadee
or
Black-capped Chickadee.  It should be fun trying to tell them apart.  I've been
finding
Ruby-crowned Kinglets lately,  a few warblers, Yellow-rumped should be showing
up soon,
and Lincoln's Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow are showing up.  I had my first
Dark-eyed
Junco the other day.

If you get really bored, a drive to the Snicker's Gap Hawk Watch is not out of
the question.  It's
about 30 minutes to Winchester, then take Rt 7 east towards Berryville. Probably
less than an
hour from Berkley Springs.  The hawk watch is in a Park and Ride on the right at
the top of the
hill right after you cross the river.

Have a good time.

Please don't reply to this email address.  It's work. Use dariuse@abs.net
instead.

Darius Ecker (dariuse@abs.net)

Columbia, Maryland.