Birding in the Monongahela

The weekend of August 14 I met up with some friends in the Monongahela National Forest of West Virginia. They were all able to take Friday off and spend an extra day backpacking and camping. That meant that I would spend Friday

night camping at the trailhead followed by a hike to the campsite on Saturday morning. Ordinarily, I would recommend not backpacking alone, but I've done this trail many times (this, I believe, was my 7th time) and was well-prepared.

I reached the trailhead late, around 10 PM, and found that the small campsite I was planning to use was occupied. Rather than blundering through another group's campsite and setting up a tent in the dark I folded down my back seats and slept in the car. It was surprisingly comfortable with the sleeping pad and bag, and I woke up shortly before dawn to get an early start on my hike.

Dawn on the Swallow Rock Trail

It wasn't long before I found my first bird, a Hermit Thrush. This was a great start, since it's only a migrant in most parts of Ohio. Here in the mountains of West Virginia, it's a common breeding bird. This late into the breeding season, I was fortunate to hear several more Hermit Thrushes singing as the sun rose. They have one of the best songs of any bird, so be sure to listen to the recordings on the linked page above!

As the sun rose I started to see and hear more birds. Red-eyed Vireos were as common here as they are in Ohio, and I heard several. It took awhile to start seeing birds in good numbers, but I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the forest.

I've never seen a bear here, but they're definitely around!

It wasn't long before I saw some Winter Wrens, which are named for the season when they're seen at lower elevations. It appeared to be a family group, as I saw a pair of birds carrying food into a large brush pile. Mixed in with the wrens was a spectacular male Black-throated Blue Warbler who was clearly finding his breakfast in the same brush; I found a much duller female nearby as well. Dark-eyed Juncos started to appear with some frequency, including some that still had their streaky hatch-year plumage.

A small meadow about halfway up the mountain ridge held a first-of-the-year Canada Warbler! This little bird only gave me a short look before he disappeared into the tall vegetation. A small ruckus drew my attention to a pair of Ovenbirds squabbling over territory. Moving on, I found a patch of forest that was filled with the sound of songbirds including Black-capped Chickadees, Blue-headed Vireos, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It was a good chance to rest, since just ahead was a steep climb to the top of the mountain.

At the top I had a quick lunch at the edge of a meadow. There I found American Goldfinches and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird enjoying the flowers in the field.

The meadow at the top of the Swallow Rock Trail

My hike leveled out for a few miles as I traveled along the top of the mountain on Allegheny Mountain Trail 532. I saw some birds from the first part of my hike that were quickly becoming familiar, namely the Dark-eyed Juncos and Black-throated Blue Warblers. However, they were joined here by Black-throated Green Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, and Chestnut-sided Warblers! Many of these were in their Autumn plumage already, which is no surprise; the Monongahela has seen snow in every month but July, so these tiny birds will need to be on their way south soon.

After about 1.5 miles, I reached the Bear Hunter Trail, a mile-long path down the side of the mountain to Judy Springs. I did get to see a Red-eyed Vireo still feeding a youngster, but on such a short trail there weren't a lot of birds to see. I reached Judy Springs, took a left onto the Seneca Creek Trail, and withing a few minutes was at our campsite in the pines at the edge of a mountainside meadow!

I spent some time catching up with my friends, who had been enjoying the forest along with some beer. Maybe a lot of beer, since it wasn't long before they were all in their tents napping! I was tired from my hike too, so I lay down in a hammock. I didn't sleep, so for an hour or so I got the chance to see the wildlife that moved through our campsite. The first bird that came through was another Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, followed by a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The hummer actually perched in a pine rather close to me for a few minutes, probably looking for insects attracted to the oozing sap. I think I was most excited to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch though! These tiny birds are like a cross between a woodpecker and a chickadee, and they have an inquisitive personality that makes them fun to watch.

Red-breasted Nuthatch on a pine in our campsite

I needed some water, so I went out into the meadow where there's a natural spring a short walk from camp. I couldn't resist going a little bit higher to see a view that I've been missing. It's hard to capture it all in one picture, but maybe you'll get the idea...

The mountains as seen from "our" meadow

I saw good numbers of Cedar Waxwings flying between the scattered trees on the mountainside. They were joined by goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, and Field Sparrows. Throughout the day I also saw a Common Raven and even an American Woodcock after the sun went down! As I turned in for the night, I could hear a pair of Barred Owls calling to each other deep in the forest.

The following afternoon we hiked out on the Seneca Creek trail, a nice level hike along the side of the creek that lends the trail its name. The most common birds were Red-breasted Nuthatches and Dark-eyed Juncos, joined by a smattering of warblers and vireos. It was a great weekend getting to see good friends and some great birds in one of my favorite places, and I hope to get back there soon!

For a full list of the birds I saw in West Virginia, see the link here.