Field Trips: A – H
General guidelines:
- Carpooling is expected and expedient. Please help out drivers with a contribution towards the cost of gas.
- Be sure to have appropriate field gear: sturdy, waterproof boots and jacket, sunscreen, insect repellent and a good supply of water.
- Please do not wander off the road except on public lands. Most private land is posted, but also do not enter the woods where trees are marked with blue paint blazes along public roads.
Allegany Highlands Trail – Woodcock Hollow: (Allegany County) The Woodcock Hollow field trip is part of the Great Allegany Passage, the rail trail that runs from Cumberland to Pittsburgh, PA. The GAP trail connects to the C&O Canal in downtown Cumberland.
The Woodcock Hollow section of the trail is approximately halfway between Cumberland and the Eastern Continental Divide. It is wide and flat with a crushed stone surface. This out-and-back walk will be through woodlands at an elevation just under 2,000 feet. Expect woodland species and migrating warblers. There is limited parking at the trailhead.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
All Day– Allegany Highlands Trail – Woodcock Hollow and Mt Savage Evergreen Heritage Center: (Allegany County) This all-day outing hits the Allegany Highlands Trail – Woodcock Hollow in the morning, then Mt. Savage to bird and tour the Evergreen Heritage Center. There are restrooms there and spots to eat lunch amidst the short trails.
We’ll bird around the protected farm, including a trail to an old coal mine, and staff will join to talk about the work they are doing to educate children and adults about sustainable farming and wildlife. They have obtained a USDA grant and are receiving assistance to build habitat for Cerulean Warblers. The 130-acre historic farm and surrounding forest are ideal habitat.
Woodcock Hollow is part of the Great Allegany Passage, the rail trail that runs from Cumberland to Pittsburgh, PA. It is wide and flat with a crushed stone surface. This out-and-back walk will be through woodlands at an elevation just under 2,000 feet. Expect woodland species and migrating warblers. There is limited parking at the trailhead.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area and C&O-15-mile Creek: (Allegany County) In the 1920s and 1930s, wildlife biologists concentrated on raising game birds to help bolster low populations in the wild. The Billmeyer WMA was purchased for this purpose and game birds were raised in hopes that surplus populations would spread to adjacent lands.
Today this 758-acre tract in Allegany County is no longer a game bird farm. Forests and fields abound with wildlife, providing natural beauty and recreation for many outdoor interests. The property is dominated by mixed oak forest with a few patches of conifers, mostly Virginia pine, with about 25 acres in fields or small wildlife openings.
Here, birders can enjoy a great combination of sparrows and FIDS including American Redstarts, Cerulean Warblers, and Louisiana Waterthrushes. In the spring, Ruffed Grouse drum out their territory on fallen logs and American Woodcock dance in the air.
At the second stop at 15-mile Creek Aqueduct in Little Orleans, riparian forest is the rule and its avian denizens are sure to please.
Difficulty: Easy but wear boots Facilities: No
C&O Canal-Elizabeth St and Riverside Park: (Allegany County) Walkable from the hotel, this mix of water, woods and open field in a semi-urban setting might include Wood Ducks, Green Heron, Warbling Vireos, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, American Redstarts, Scarlet Tanagers and a variety of flycatchers.
Land for Riverside Park was donated to the city in 1893. Riverside Park presently is part of the Fort Cumberland Trail where historical markers and exhibits commemorate local heritage. These include the restored George Washington cabin used during the French and Indian War.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
C&O Canal-Oldtown: (Allegany County) Oldtown is a hidden treasure along the C&O Canal. The area hasn’t changed dramatically since the canal stopped operating there in 1924, and it’s easy to imagine the locktender stepping out the door at Lockhouse 70 to lock a boat through. With both fields and woods in an out-and-back walk, this trip should boast Yellow Warblers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Towhees and Eastern Bluebirds.
Early Native American settlements in the area date back thousands of years and five of their trails passed through the area. The town’s name, originally Shawnee Oldtown, is a reference to that tradition.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
C&O Canal-Town Creek Aqueduct: (Allegany County) Built in 1848, Town Creek Aqueduct is a single-span aqueduct lacking an upstream wall. The ample site provides a good combination of field and forest species and is popular with birders. Warblers here include Worm-eating, Yellow and Yellow-throated. Common Ravens are a regular here in this remote site on the West Virginia border.
The site boasts several waterfalls and a well-kept walking path. For those with limited mobility or other constraints, Town Creek Aqueduct makes an ideal site.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
Carey Run Sanctuary*: (Garrett County) This MOS-owned sanctuary was the first ever property to be purchased by MOS. The 162-acre sanctuary has diverse habitat communities, including mixed deciduous forest interspersed with Eastern Hemlock groves, White Pine and Douglas Fir. There is a small meadow with a large field and hedgerow combination along with an old orchard and a set of wildlife hedges and grassy meadows in the southwest corner. The fields and meadows boast a diverse assortment of grassland birds as well as plantings for pollinators.
There are 167 species on the official checklist maintained by MOS. Breeders include Ruffed Grouse, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Woodcock, Alder Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Savannah, Grasshopper and Swamp Sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and Purple Finch. The many trails on the site also offer a chance to see river otters, black bears, and coyotes. In addition to birds, this trip will include plant identification by Joe Metzger of the Maryland Native Plant Society. This additional plant identification is included in the Sunday morning field trip only.
Difficulty: Easy, boots recommended Facilities: Yes
Cunningham Swamp Wildlife Management Area*: (Garrett County) This 6-year-old Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 258-acre tract that encompasses the majority of Cunningham Swamp, a rich wetland with exceptional habitat for wetland and bog-related bird species. There are open fields and upland forest habitats as well. There are no designated trails, but three mowed paths lead away from the parking lot and can be connected to create a 1.5 mile loop.
Specialties here include Ruffed Grouse, Alder Flycatcher, Nashville Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, American Woodcock, Orchard Oriole, and Swamp Sparrow.
Difficulty: Easy-moderate, boots recommended Facilities: No
Finzel Swamp: (Garrett/Allegany County) The 326-acre Finzel Swamp, owned by The Nature Conservancy, is a relic of the last Ice Age. The main trail continues through the swamp to a pond that is in the Allegany County part of the preserve. The American Larch trees (Larix laricina) that occur here are unusual in Maryland. Other northern plants that occur in Finzel include Alder and Red Spruce.
Nearly 200 species have been reported on eBird from Finzel Swamp. It is a good place to see Sora and Virginia Rails. Occasionally Bitterns have been seen and Common Gallinule has occurred in spring. Breeding birds of interest include Ruffed Grouse, Alder Flycatcher, Veery, Northern Waterthrush, and Swamp Sparrow. Finzel is an outstanding place to look for spring migrating warblers. The site includes both open and forested habitats.
Green Ridge State Forest & Town Hill Overlook: (Allegany County) The 47,560-acre Green Ridge State Forest remains a “working forest” today, managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service. Still, bird life abounds in the undisturbed sections of woods. Sideling Hill Creek lies on the forest’s eastern flank while the northern boundary extends to the Mason-Dixon Line and the southern boundary parallels the Potomac River, making the State Forest entirely span the panhandle of Maryland at one of its narrower points. Elevations in the State Forest range from 500 feet above sea level on the Potomac River to 2,000 feet on Town Hill. The uncut sections of forest at Green Ridge consist primarily of a 110-year-old, even-aged mixed oak forest.
This trip will involve multiple stops and short walks through woodland. It also includes a stop at nearby Town Creek Overlook, a popular hawk watch boasting spectacular views.
The woods at Green Ridge offer excellent Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) viewing at low-to-mid elevations. Over 140 species have been reported on eBird, which has 14 different hotspots within Green Ridge. Surveys of nightjars from 2006 to 2013 found some of the highest counts for breeding Eastern Whip-poor-wills in Maryland and the northeastern U.S. Some of the other specialty breeding birds include Black-billed Cuckoo, Broad-winged Hawk, Least Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Veery, Wood Thrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Meadowlark, Baltimore Oriole, and Scarlet Tanager. There are also a host of breeding warblers: Worm-eating, Louisiana Waterthrush, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Black-and-white, Hooded, American Redstart, Cerulean, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, Black-throated Green, and Yellow-throated.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, some slope Facilities: No
Helmstetter’s Curve on Allegany Highlands Trail: (Allegany County) One of the best-known railroad landmarks east of the Mississippi and one of the most frequently-photographed locations along the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Helmstetter’s Curve has ample parking amidst farmland and woods.
While sadly, much of the Western Maryland system has since been abandoned, the curve today remains in regular use as part of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, not only giving visitors a chance to experience this magnificent location, but also allowing photographers to continue to capture trains battling the climb.
This out and back trail might include Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers, vireos, sparrows, and Orchard and Baltimore Orioles. The eBird checklist for the site holds 125 species.
Difficulty: Easy Facilities: Yes
*Cunningham Swamp and Carey Run Breeding Bird Atlas in-the-field training trips led by Gabriel Foley (separate from regular trips to these locations, see daily schedule). Join Maryland Breeding Bird Atlas state coordinator Gabriel Foley on these educational trips to learn how to advance bird science via the Breeding Bird Atlas portal in ebird. Not unlike most of the field trips, these fun trips will combine lots of birding but with information on atlas blocks, breeding codes, safe dates and other need-to-know information about the important Maryland effort.