maryland birding

Natural History, Oct, 2001 by Stephanie Fekety

In the fall, sparrows, warblers, and yellow throats all stop in Maryland on their annual migration south. Visit Charles County to take advantage of a dense population of nesting bald eagles, acres of beautiful forestland, and 150 miles of spectacular shoreline. The county is bordered on the east and south by the Potomac River, on the west by the Wicomico River, and on the north by the Mattawoman Creek. The habitat includes many large and small lakes, ponds, and extensive wetlands.

Chicamuxen Wildlife Management Area abounds with a wide variety of waterfowl species. Check your field guide to identify gadwalls, widgeons, wood ducks, hooded mergansers, ringnecks, and maybe a scalup or a canvasback. Also, adult and immature bald eagles can be seen almost daily hunting the marshes and upland areas.

Birding in Worcester County offers a remarkable unspoiled wilderness that attracts, sustains, and protects much natural life. Within a radius of just a few miles exist the unique-yet easily accessible-worlds of a barrier island, a cypress swamp, centuries-old forest, tidal wetlands, and secluded fields. Stop along the coast in Assateague and view innumerable migratory species, including peregrine falcons, merlins, and enormous flocks of tree swallows continuing their flight south.