O u td oor R ec rea ti on
birding
wa l k s Suggested by Marek Smith, The Nature Conservancy
In spring time, Neotropical migratory birds will be returning to our area and the rest of the Central Appalachians from their wintering grounds in the tropics. Many are summer resident birds which will stay in the region through the fall, while others which nest farther north will just be passing through. Peak migration is generally around Mother’s Day. Here are a few of my recommendations for easy to access birding sites from the Warm Springs Valley in Bath County. For a nice walk along a paved road with very little, if any traffic, hike Delafield Road from the Omni Homestead Resort up the hill past the Owners Club and over to Holly Park (where Delafield turns east and North Forest Trail begins). You can make a 2.5-mile roundtrip loop by continuing along North Forest Trail and then turning right on Morgans Lane and returning to Delafield. For those not wanting to walk up Delafield by the Owners Club, you could drive up to Holly Park or enter from North Forest Trail at US 220. This stretch of road within The Homestead Preserve is an excellent area to see and hear Scarlet Tanager, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Cerulean Warbler. For a river walk, travel (via Route 39 west) to Hidden Valley Recreational Area in the George Washington National Forest. Park at the low water bridge near Warwickton and hike the Hidden Valley Trail east along the river to the swinging bridge. You can return via the same trail or cross the bridge and return via the Jackson River Gorge Trail. Look and listen for Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager, Eastern Kingbird, and perhaps even Golden-winged Warbler in the shrubby field areas. Or better yet, just stay at Hidden Valley B&B with Pam and Ron, and you can wake up for an early morning walk before breakfast.
For a quiet drive along a national forest road, travel to Mares Run Road on the eastern slope of Warm Springs Mountain (via Route 39 east). Slowly drive the well-maintained, gravel and dirt road watching for Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, White-tailed Deer, and maybe even a Black Bear. But for migratory birds, stop at the end of the road and hike back along the road for as far as you like looking and listening for Acadian Flycatcher, Hooded Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Black-throated Green Warbler, mostly in the hemlocks and rhododendrons along the creek. This is a good route to suggest for visitors wishing to stop somewhere on their way back to Staunton, Charlottesville, Richmond, or other places to the east. Finally, after the trees leaf out in the Valley, take advantage of the higher elevations along the Warm Springs Mountain ridgeline while the trees are still leafing out there. Without leaves in the way, viewing of many of these tree-top denizens is much easier. On the southern end of the mountain, drive up Airport Road (Route 703) very slowly, pulling over at the Airport Overlook and other wide places along the shoulder. Look for Chestnut-sided Warbler and Indigo Bunting near any overlooks on the western side of the road and perhaps catch a glimpse of a Canada Warbler along the rock/boulder slides on the eastern side of the road. For those wishing to hike rather than drive, travel instead to the northern end of the mountain at the Dan Ingalls Overlook on Route 39 and hike The Nature Conservancy’s Ingalls Overlook Trail north for 1.5 miles and return. The elevation is not quite as high as near the Airport and leaves emerge sooner, but the bird diversity is similar and tree-top viewing ideal.
There are many other good spots, including Douthat State Park, Bolar Recreation Area at Lake Moomaw, and the National Forest’s Wallace or Walton tracts on the Cowpasture River, but these are among my favorites. If you want to locate our rarer bird species, such as Golden-winged Warbler or Mourning Warbler, please give Nikole or Marek Smith a call at 540-839-3599.
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