Brief trip to corner of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland (with a side trip to Pennsylvania) July 14-July 18

Burnside's Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

Bloody Lane, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

Dunker Church (with famous photo in the foreground), Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

We just returned from a brief trip down to the area of where West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland come together.  This trip was a replacement for our original plan for July which was to be a trip to western Colorado for a week and a half but Wilson's surgery and recovery changed those plans.  We toyed with a number of ideas for a trip closer to home and finally settled on the above mentioned area with the focus being on some historical stops as well as a visit to the Shenandoah National Park.  We flew down to Dulles on Friday the 14th and stayed in Shepardstown, West Virginia right along the Potomac River. After a two hour delay in Hartford due to thunderstorms we finally made the short flight down to Dulles and then drove out to the northwest to our lodging in Shepardstown in West Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Maryland. We made it there around 3:30 and dropped off our stuff and then decided to head across the river to the historic town of Sharpsburg, Maryland where the battle of Antietam was fought in September of 1862, which was the single bloodiest day in American history.  A thunderstorm was moving through as we arrived and we dodged it on and off for the next hour plus as we visited multiple sites at the battlefield. Typical open country birds sang and called from the various fields and other species were present along hedgerows and along Antietam Creek. It was neat to finally see a battlefield I had read about so many times in the past.  Although certainly not a bird centered trip I had a number of species and warblers were among them and a more detailed look at them can be found at the following link.

Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 15, 2023

Wood Duck, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 15, 2023

Little Round Top from Devil's Den, Gettysburg National Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA, Jul 15, 2023

High water mark (pinnacle of Pickett's Charge), Gettysburg National Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA, Jul 15, 2023

On the first full day on the short trip I was out before dawn to take a walk along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail in Maryland. The trail is over 180 miles long and follows the path of the old canal and is a wide open dirt road with easy walking (with the bonus of some good birds). I’m certain the place is really hopping during migration as it was still quite active even during the low activity time of July. I spent about an hour and a half walking the trail and found 42 species including some still singing like Acadian Flycatchers (many), various sparrows and a few species of warblers including Yellow throated Warblers. I then returned back to our house rental and then we headed northeast to Gettysburg where we spent most of a very hot day exploring the battlefield as well as a few museums. I last visited the area when I was a kid so it was nice to go back many years later to see it again.

White eyed Vireo, Yankauer Nature Preserve, Sherpardstown, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Potomac River, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

John Brown's Fort, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Common Mergansers, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Kentucky Warbler, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

Louisiana Waterthrush, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

Carolina Chickadee, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

On Sunday the forecast called for some possible showers but thankfully they never really materialized. It was a bit threatening looking early on with a few sprinkles of rain as I headed out again at first light. I decided to try a new spot which was just five minutes away, the Yankauer Nature Preserve.  I walked a bit over a mile and half and spent about an hour and a half exploring the various trails and had the place totally to myself the entire time. I added a number of species both for the trip and for my West Virginia list. I also made a very brief stop along the Potomac River at a spot called Dam #4 before stopping at our house and then heading down to the Harper’s Ferry area (about a half hour away). We walked along the river down to the historic old town area (made famous by the John Brown’s raid there in 1859). After taking in some more history we headed across the Shenandoah River and into Virginia with our destination being Sweet Run State Park.  I hoped to catch up with some new species there and had some decent luck as we walked a few miles through the forest. By this time the sun was starting to pop out and being in the shade of the forest made it more tolerable. 

American Redstart, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Hooded Warbler, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Purple Martins, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Indigo Bunting, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Ovenbird, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Hooded Warbler, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

 Land Run Falls, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Smoky view of mountains, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

White spotted Skipper, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Ovenbird, Rocky Branch Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Monday we decided to head down south to the Shenandoah National Park, where we would spend several hours. Before making the drive down I headed out early again and went back over to the nearby Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It was another productive stop with the most unusual sighting being a Black crowned Night Heron calling as it flew upriver. I tried to relocate along the river without any luck. Once we got our stuff together for the day we drove down to the north entrance of the park in Front Royal, arriving a bit before nine. Our first walk was along the Fox Hollow Trail where I added a number of new species for the trip. We then headed further south going past multiple overlooks that typically would offer fantastic views of the mountains but more smoke from the ongoing Canada wildfires dropped visibility considerable. After a few more stops we made it out of the park at Thornton Gap a little before two and started the long drive back toward Shepardstown. Overall a productive day with 67 species total. We finally made it back to our lodging around dinner time after lots of time outside and on the road getting down and back from the park.

Prothonotary Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

Potomac River in the fog, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

View from Henry Hill, Manassas National Battlefield, Manassas, VA, Jul 18, 2023

On the last day of our getaway I started my morning along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal once again and yet again the location produced some good birds including some good looks at Prothonotary Warblers.  We then went for a walk at the Yankauer Nature Preserve before starting our drive down toward the airport for an early evening flight.  We ran into a bit of an issue when one of the tires on the car was slowly leaking air and after four stops we finally found an air compressor that worked and we filled the tire back up.  Our final destination before heading to the airport was the Manassas National Battlefield, where we spent a hot early afternoon exploring various parts of the battlefield.  We made it to the airport in mid afternoon and then got delayed a bit on the flight home.  

Overall for the trip I found a total of 94 species with the breakdown by state listed below:

Virginia:71

West Virginia: 75

Maryland: 67

Pennsylvania: 44

Florida in the Orlando and Melbourne Beach area -March 17-24

Tricolored Heron, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Morning fog, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Purple Gallinule, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Glossy Ibis and White Ibis, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Limpkin, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Northern Parula, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Swallow tailed Kites, Signia by Hilton Hotel, Orlando, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Palm Warbler 'western', Signia by Hilton Hotel, Orlando, FL, Mar 18, 2022

Northern Parula collecting nest material, Signia by Hilton Hotel, Orlando, FL, Mar 18, 2022

After my trip down to Colombia I continued the vacation down in Florida. We would spend a few days in the Orlando area before heading to Melbourne on the east coast. On my first day I decided to drive up to the Orlando Wetland Park where I arrived before the sun was up. I had to contend with some fog to start the morning off but it also kept it cooler longer (it eventually got up to around 90 by the early afternoon). I walked several miles around the roads and got lots of expected species as well as an unexpected King Rail calling. The area consists of several water impoundments of varying depths which attract a variety of species. I spent a lot of my time tracking down warblers and had eight species. I finally left the area a bit after noon and made my way back to our hotel where I then spent another hour of so exploring some edge habitat and finding more species for the trip. 

Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Dawn, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Palm Warbler 'western', Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Osprey, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Swamp Sparrow, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

American Bittern, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Boat tailed Grackle, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Common Gallinule, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Caspian Tern, Lake Apopka North Shore, Apopka, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Pileated Woodpecker, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Red eyed Vireo, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, FL, Mar 19, 2022

Hermit Thrush, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, FL, Mar 19, 2022

On Saturday I decided to head north to check out some areas I have never been to before. My first stop of the morning was to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The area around Lake Apopka (the third largest lake in Florida) had for years been farmland that heavily polluted the lake. Several years ago the government bought the area and have worked on restoring the lake and surrounding areas. This has resulted in a boon for wildlife and the area now has one of the largest bird lists for a single location in the state. The wildlife drive covers just a portion of the area and is only open a few days a week and thankfully Saturday was one of those days. I arrived when the drive opened at 7AM and then spent nearly three hours exploring the area and added a bunch of species for the trip plus a couple new species for me in the state with Fulvous Whistling Duck and Louisiana Waterthrush. The vast amount of the drive has various water impoundments on either side which held lots of waterfowl, waders, shorebirds and others. Once I completed the drive I decided to drive down the west side of the lake and made a few more stops before heading back to the hotel. My next stop was at the Green Mountain trailhead on the southwest side of the lake and this stop produced two new state species for me with Yellow throated Vireo and Red eyed Vireo (both of which were singing). My final stop of the morning was Oakland Nature Preserve at the south end of the lake. Some nice mixed flocks but nothing unusual in them although I did manage to add a fourth state bird for the morning with a couple Hermit Thrushes. I finally made it back to the hotel in the mid afternoon and made another walk around the woody edges nearby but didn’t find much (the 90 degree heat kept activity down a bit). 

Cape May Warbler, West Beach Park, Orlando, FL, Mar 20, 2022

Carolina Chickadee, West Beach Park, Orlando, FL, Mar 20, 2022

Snowy Egret, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Mar 20, 2022

Beach, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 20, 2022

Sunday was the day when we would be heading east to the coast so I didn’t have a lot of time in the morning so I decided to stay fairly local. I had plans to go to the Tibet Butler Preserve but the gates there didn’t open until eight so I tried to come up with a spot to stop before the preserve opened and decided to try a small park on the way called West Beach Park. I hoped the gates to the area would be open there and I arrived there around 7:45 and found a worker had arrived and opened the gates just before I arrived. I didn’t expect much there given the tiny size of the park but I made a quick walk around and found a few species and then came across a mixed flock feeding in a few trees in the park and quickly picked up a Yellow throated Vireo and a Cape May Warbler among several other species. I quickly returned to the car and got the camera to document the Cape May Warbler as it is flagged as early. I eventually got some identifiable photos of the warbler. Sometimes you never know what even a small bit of habitat can produce. Tibet Butler Preserve was fairly quiet as I walked a few of the trails there. I then returned to the room around ten to pack up and start the journey east. We broke up the trip with a visit to the Orlando Wetlands Park and I tried in vain to find a reported Magnolia Warbler at the location. Even without the warbler and the midday sun the location was still active. We eventually made it to the coast and our lodging for the next four nights in the Melbourne area. 

Mourning Dove, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 21, 2022

Common Ground Dove, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 21, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 21, 2022

The overall word for the first day of birding out on the coast was SLOW. I tried several areas and none were very active at all, especially in regards to passerines. I started the morning before dawn at Maritime Hammock Sanctuary and walked almost all of the trails and had few birds. I then headed north a bit to Coconut Point Sanctuary and that spot was even worse. I then made a brief stop off at our lodging before heading south to Pelican Island NWR where I walked nearly three miles but came up fairly empty for birds overall. After a break for lunch I decided to try my luck at an a spot I had never visited before (Barrier Island Sanctuary). The trail there was nice but not surprisingly quite quiet. The rest of the day was spent sitting outside enjoying the warm breezy weather. 

Short billed Dowitcher, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 22, 2022

Black bellied Plover, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 22, 2022

Great crested Flycatcher, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 22, 2022

Prairie Warbler, Jungle Trail, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 22, 2022

Wood Ducks, Captain Forester's Hammock Preserve, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 22, 2022

After having little luck in finding birds on Monday I decided to head a bit further south on Tuesday in the hopes of having better luck. I started off at Captain Forester's Hammock Preserve and walked most of the trails. It was a little better but still less than I would expect given the date. At least there were some passerines around to see. The habitat at the location looked great for migrant birds and I’m certain the place can be hopping at times. I then covered various locations along an old road known as the Jungle Trail that has been known to be quite productive for migrants but I didn’t have much luck. I finished the morning with a walk at Pelican Island NWR and although slow for passerines I did have some decent looks at shorebirds. I was back to the lodging by late morning. At least it was another beautiful day with sun and warm temperatures (the strong winds persisted throughout the day). 

Pine Warbler, Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Palm Bay, FL, Mar 23, 2022

Northern Cardinal, Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Palm Bay, FL, Mar 23, 2022

Prairie Warbler, Captain Forster Hammock Preserve, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 23, 2022

The last full day in Florida started out warm and just got warmer with highs in the upper 80’s. With the lackluster showing of birds nearby I decided to make a trip off the barrier island and went to Turkey Creek Sanctuary where I spent nearly three hours exploring most of the trails. I got there well before sunrise in the hopes of hearing a nightjar but nothing was heard calling (the wind was much less pronounced early on compared to the conditions on the barrier island). Once it got light enough to it see I started walking the trails. Although not as active as I hoped it was still much better than places on the island have been the previous two days. I ended my time there with 36 species although I was unable to locate the reported pair of Short tailed Hawks. Once I finished up there I headed back onto the island and made a stop for around an hour and a half at Captain Forester's Hammock Preserve. I had some warblers around including a few mixed flocks but nothing that indicated recently arrived migrants. I got back to the lodging for lunch and then we headed south to a winery and then came back to the lodging to enjoy our last afternoon in warm temperatures for awhile. 

Sunrise, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 24, 2022

Cape May Warbler, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 24, 2022

Thursday was the travel day home and I only had a short time to get out in the morning before we made the drive back to Orlando.  I got to see a great sunrise and turned up a nice male Cape May Warbler along the road near our lodging.  With storms and a maintenance issue with our flight coming home we never got home until well after dark.

Overall I had 131 species in Florida with five of those being new for me in the state which brought my Florida state list up to 227.  More details on the warblers seen on the trip can be found at the following link.