Audubon trip going to marsh
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will sponsor a birding trip to the Stauffer’s Marsh Nature Preserve in Berkeley County on Sunday, Mar. 11. The event is free and no pre-registration is required. Anyone with an interest is welcome to come along, regardless of their birding skills. Binoculars will be available for anyone who needs them.
The Stauffer’s Marsh Nature Preserve is located in Back Creek Valley in Berkeley County, one-half mile south of Shanghai, on the east side of Back Creek Valley Road (County Route 7).
Participants can meet at the marsh at about 8 a.m. or, if they wish to carpool, meet at 7:45 a.m. at the Eagle Plaza parking lot on Route 9.
The preserve is only 46 acres in size, so the distances to be walked are not great. However, the terrain will include wet meadows and marshlands, as well as dry areas, so waterproof footwear is strongly recommended.
Possible species to be sighted include Bald Eagles, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks, several woodpecker and sparrow species, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Great Blue Herons, Northern Mocking birds, Blue Jays, possibly a Virginia Rail and other varieties.
Formerly marshy farmland, the preserve property was restored as a wetland by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1990s. It was the first USDA wetland restoration project in the state of West Virginia. The property was donated to the Potomac Valley Audubon Society last year by Stauffer and Elinor Miller, of Charlottesville, Va.
Participants should dress appropriately for the prevailing weather and bring water and bug spray. In the event of snow or steady rain, the trip may be canceled. Various trip details could also change depending on weather or recent bird sightings.
For more information or to check on possible weather cancellation, contact the trip leader, Sandy Sagalkin at monsansagalkin@myactv.net or 240-291-6465.
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a United Way of the Eastern Panhandle partner agency and a member of the Combined Federal Campaign.