Bird walk set for April 14
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will sponsor a birding trip to the Shannondale Springs Wildlife Management area in Jefferson County on Saturday, Apr. 14.
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. Children will be welcome.
Participants should plan to meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot in front of the Martin’s Supermarket in the Jefferson Crossroads Shopping Center off Route 340 just east of Charles Town.
The 1,361-acre Shannondale Springs property is managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources; it includes a mixture of forest, brush land and open fields covering rolling hills. The trip will involve walking about two miles over mostly level ground, although some hilly, uneven terrain will be encountered.
Possible species to be sighted include Bald Eagles, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, vultures, Great Blue Herons, migrating waterfowl, woodpeckers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and some early spring migrants such as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, swallows, House Wrens and Brown Thrashers.
For more information, contact Sandy Sagalkin at 240-291-6465 or monsansagalkin@myactv.net.
Participants should wear sturdy walking shoes or boots, dress appropriately prevailing weather conditions, and bring along water and bug spray.
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a United Way of the Eastern Panhandle partner agency and a member of the Combined Federal Campaign.