Hooded Warbler, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023
Just back from a brief trip down to the area of where West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland come together (plus a brief foray into Pennsylvania). Our original plan for July was a trip out to western Colorado for a week and a half but Wilson's surgery and recovery changed those plans and instead took a shorter trip a lot closer to home. It was not a birding trip per se with the main 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 and the border with Maryland.
Burnside's Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023
Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 15, 2023
Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 15, 2023
On our first full day of our getaway I headed across the Potomac River to Maryland and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail (C&O Canal). I arrived there before sunrise and immediately had a singing Yellow throated Warbler (I eventually had at least four individuals with all of them still singing…a count that tripped the eBird filter for the area, which is always a fun thing to do). The hour and half walk there produced a few more warblers including the first Prothonotary Warbler for me this year. I then headed back to our lodging and we headed northeast to Gettysburg, where we spent most of the day. A few more warblers were added for the hot day there. I had a total of seven species for the day (Ovenbird, Black and White Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Yellow throated Warbler and Prairie Warbler).
Kentucky Warbler, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023
Louisiana Waterthrush, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023
The second full day dawned dry despite the forecast of rain early on. I took advantage of the dry weather to head to the nearby Yankauer Nature Preserve where I had just three species of warbler with no new ones for the trip. We then headed down to the south with a stop a Harpers Ferry where we walked along the river and I added Louisiana Waterthrush as a new warbler for the trip. The next stop was to Sweet Run State Park in Virginia where we took a long walk through the woods and out of the sun. My main target here was Kentucky Warbler and I finally found a couple near the end of long walk and got a few marginal photos…another new warbler species for the year. Another highlight was seeing an Ovenbird give a broken wing display as we walked by. I’m sure there was a nest or young very nearby as he led us down the trail faking an injury for a few dozen feet before he flew back past us. Overall a half dozen species of warbler for the day.
Hooded Warbler, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023
American Redstart, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023
Cerulean Warbler, 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
American Redstart, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023
Ovenbird, Rocky Branch Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023
Monday was the best day overall for warbler diversity with a total of ten species with new species for the trip being Hooded Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart and Yellow Warbler. I started the morning along the canal again and had a few warbler species. A brief stop at a small wetland at Shepard University produced a Yellow Warbler. This was the day we decided to make the trek down to Shenandoah NP where we arrived a little before nine and then made various walks at a bit higher an elevation then we had been at the rest of the trip. The main road through the park follows the Blue Ridge Mountains through some high elevations and normally features some great views. The multiple vistas on our visit featured very hazy conditions due to an influx of wildfire smoke from the ongoing fires in Canada. Thankfully the haze didn’t have an impact on finding warblers. The park held several species of warbler with several adults feeding young. The most numerous species in the park was American Redstart. The number of Hooded Warblers around at various stops was also impressive.
Prothonotary Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 18, 2023
Prothonotary Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 18, 2023
Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 18, 2023
On the last day of the short trip I started my morning at C&O canal again and had my best looks of Prothonotary Warblers so far and even got some photos despite the overcast and fog. I also added a Pine Warbler, Northern Parula and a few singing Yellow throated Warblers. The small wetland near Shepard University produced a Common Yellowthroat for the day. After a few more brief walks in the Shepardstown area we started the drive toward the airport for an evening flight (with a brief detour to put air in a slowly leaking tire). Our last destination was the Manassas National Battlefield in Virginia where we visited several spots of the battlefield in the mid day heat. We made it to the airport in mid afternoon and after a slight delay in our departure we arrived back home.
Overall for the trip I had 14 species of warbler with two of them new for the year for me (Prothonotary Warbler and Kentucky Warbler).
The breakdown of warblers by state during this trip breakdown as follows:
Virginia: 11 species (all new species for me)
West Virginia: 8 species (all new species for me)
Maryland: 6 species (four new species for me)
Pennsylvania: 2 species (all new species for me)
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