s_misra Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hi, I am seeking recommendations on reliable sites in the DC metro area (including the Maryland suburbs and northern Virginia) for bird photography. By this, I mean sites where one has predictably excellent opportunities bird photography, perhaps conditioned on a certain time of year, or certain time of day. There is only one site I know of where I can almost be assured opportunities on each visit. That is Huntley Meadows in Alexandria. I am looking for others. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stemked Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Its been a long time ago, but some of the more interesting sites I saw were in Delware. I recall going to Lewis, DE (from Baltimore) and seeing flocks of Snow Geese in the fields along the way. Obviously this must have been winter, but it has been almost 12 years for me. Right around Baltimore the Gunflint (?) parks had a mix of common woodland species, nothing spectacular that I can recall. Some interesting amphibians though. If you head over to the Skyline Drive in Virginia you will see a nice mix of Appalachian birds including Warblers, Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 It's been a long time since I was there, but I recall the bird refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp (which was originally surveyed by George Washington) at certain times of year has a lot of migrating birds. Of course Assateague & Chinquoteague islands have their proponents as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Chincoteague Island on the Virginia coast is certainly a good destination for bird and wildlife photography, but it is not exactly inside metro DC. When we lived in New Jersey, we use to visit Cincoteague once or twice a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabseye Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on MD's Eastern Shore Prime Hook and Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuges on the Delaware coast Cylburn Park in Baltimore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carroll_hughes1 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Try Great Falls and Carderock - both sides of the Potomac also Jug Bay and Merkle on opposite sides of the Patuxent River Eagles, herons, ducks, osprey, geese, woodland and field birds depending on the season. Carroll Hughes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo7hs2 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Susquehanna State Park east of Baltimore has a population of Ospreys you might just catch fishing, and I've seen birders in the area, especially in nearby fields, quite a bit. Saw some Orioles there. Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area on Maryland's Eastern Shore (fairly close to Chesapeake Bay Bridge) has a breeding population of Ospreys, and large open fields that collect lots of birds. Calvert Cliffs State Park has a swamp habitat that might harbor nearby woodpeckers, and has ocean access as well. Assateague Island and Deal Island are supposedly also good birding locations, although I haven't gone birding there. I also saw kingfishers, red-winged blackbirds, and numerous other birds at Flag Ponds Nature Park near Lusby, MD. There is a good list at: http://www.mdbirds.org/sites/mdbirding.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo7hs2 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Douglas Stemke: Gunpower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo7hs2 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Joshua Szulecki: GunPOWDER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stemked Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Sorry, like I said. It's been more than a decade since I lived there. Glad a local could correct me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagesax Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Anything in Rock Creek Park? Haven't been there in 20 years, so this is just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_anthes Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 The White House and Capitol Hill are arguably dismal swamps, but the Great Dismal Swamp is a long way from D.C. Rock Creek Park will be no better than any other urban park. Last time I was at Huntley Meadows, the water had disappeared. Has something to do with meddling by mankind, I was told. Try to get to Delaware, Maryland or Virginia shore or Chesapeake Bay if you have time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_chappell Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 <I> By this, I mean sites where one has predictably excellent opportunities bird photography,</i><P> Do <B>predictably excellent opportunities</b> for photographing birds exist anywhere outside of a zoo? In my experience you can get skunked (or have great success) in just about any reasonably 'birdy' spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo7hs2 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Are there even "predictably excellent opportunities" at the zoo? Bird photography is inherantly unpredictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Try heading up or down the Potomac at least 20 miles in either direction from DC and you have semi-decent wildlife. My advice is to head out to the Eastern shore as everyone mention. Chincoteague and Asateague have great birding opportunities. Those are the only locations I can think of that I would consider reliable. The mouth of the Potomac around St. Mary's can be pretty good depending on the time of year as can some of the parts of the Chesapeake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl_becker2 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I live just outside the beltway and have seen many different interesting birds from song birds to flickers, nuthachs, kestrels, hawks etc if Fairfax county. I have seen owls and osprey on the Rappahannock river. I usually don't have my camera with me so I just have to watch. This weekend a hawk lit on our back fence in a townhouse developement. If you go out prepared and have patience any where around here may give results but I don't think its easy or predictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now