Chip notes from Washington DC (1 Viewer)

I live in Gaithersburg MD which is in the Greater Washington DC Area. Lots of good birding hotspots near here...Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, parks, parks, and more parks.

I am in Fairfax City Virginia, also in the Greater Washington DC Area. Huntley Meadows Park is not too far from me, and is my most frequented birding stop (outside of my yard). For such a large highly populated area we are really lucky to have all of the great birding spots that we do.

A good friend of mine lives in Cabin John, MD, and I've had some fabulous birding ops on the Potomac and the canal tow-path from Great Falls to about 7 miles downstream. I'm making note of the places you two have mentioned for my next trip east!

Katy Penland said:

A good friend of mine lives in Cabin John, MD, and I've had some fabulous birding ops on the Potomac and the canal tow-path from Great Falls to about 7 miles downstream. I'm making note of the places you two have mentioned for my next trip east!

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Yes the Potomac and the C&O towpath are also great places. There are actually quite a number of great places, too many for me to list here! Anyhow, drop me a message next time you make it out this way and I can hopefully point you to some great bird spots.

Possibly of interest, the state of VA has published free guides to the "Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail". They provide much great information. Did I mention that they are free? Well actually my taxes pay for them, oh well.

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/vbwt/index.asp

The link to order them is on the left side about half way down.

Thanks for that, Jeff, and for the link. I just ordered the three birding brochures offered. Sorry for adding to your tax burden. Ideally, I'd love to get out there in late spring before the trees get too leafed out, otherwise I'll have to start NOW learning all those eastern warbler songs! I'll definitely get back in touch next time I head that way!

One of my birding jaunts down the Potomac was particularly memorable because not only did I chance upon my first barred owl in the foliage between the canal and the river, but saw a muskrat AND an eastern king snake, the latter of which crossed my path and slithered into the canal. Wow! But the best? Seeing my first fireflies! All my life I'd read about them but never saw one until two years ago. Way cool.

I live in downtown DC. Between Rock Creek Park in migration and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens at any time of year, there are some pretty good birds to be found in DC as well as outside it. But Bombay Hook is spectacular at the right times of year. You can see 80 or 90 species there in one day.