nostalgicoutdoorstm- cuyahoga valley np- birdwatching
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The cool, moist hemlock and yellowbirch forests along the toweringsandstone ledges provide us anopportunity to watch birds in an areamore typical of the mixed evergreenforests of Canada. The Ritchie Ledges are a micro-environment, a small areathat creates its own environment.As water slowly flows through thesandstone, it keeps this place coolerduring the summer than the surroundingareas, providing a specialized birdhabitat. Solitary vireos, winter wrens,hermit thrushes, and black-throatedgreen warblers are frequently observedhere during the late spring, when bird
watching is best. A few of these morenorthern birds stay through the summerand nest here. The Ritchie Ledges arelocated in the Virginia Kendall area of the national park. Parking is availableat Happy Days, Ledges Shelter, andOctagon Shelter.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) has been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by theNational Audubon Society and has long been recognized by bird watchers as an ideal area for observingbirds. The great variety of habitats in the national park makes it possible to observe more than 200 birdspecies throughout the year. Bird watching continues to be one of CVNP’s most popular activities.
Observing the interesting behavior of something as small as a ruby-throated hummingbird or as large as a great blue heron holds a special appeal to some. To others the reward is in experiencing somethingtotally new, or in seeing so many different kinds of birds in one location.
So grab a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and seewhat experiences await your discovery. Thisguide is organized to help you findthe best bird watching locationsin CVNP. Each of the locationshas sub-captions stating thehabitat, followed by detaileddescriptions of the types of birdsfound there and when they arebest seen.
This is a good place to visit during thewaterfowl migrations in March andNovember. Wetlands provide essentialfeeding and resting places to migratingbirds. Less than 10 percent of Ohio’soriginal wetlands still exist, making thishabitat in CVNP especially valuable to wildlife.
A walk along the boardwalk oftenprovides great bird watching opportuni-ties, especially during summer, when it ispossible to see birds at close range and intheir peak breeding plumage. Watch forfamilies of wood ducks in the water, lookfor tree swallows as they capture insects inmid-air, and listen for the single-pitchedstaccato trill of the swamp sparrow.
The Beaver Marsh is accessible from theTowpath Trail between the Ira and HuntFarm Trailheads.
Beaver Marsh / Mixed Wetland
Ledges / Hemlock and Mixed Ravine Forest
©SARA GUREN
©JIM ROETZEL
Bird Watching at its Best
National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley
A walk along the Tree Farm Trail takes usthrough a former Christmas tree farm,now rich with mixed conifer trees thatprovide great habitat for wintering birds.This is an especially good area in whichto look for red-breasted nuthatches and golden-crowned kinglets from late
October through early March. The largeopen areas surrounding the evergreenforests are excellent places to look forsmall flocks of eastern bluebirds most anytime of the year. Park at Horseshoe Pondon Major Road in Peninsula.
From February until July, great blue heronsnest in treetop colonies called heronries.The four-foot tall herons with theirseven-foot wingspans are most impressiveduring the breeding season when, in peakplumage, they perform their courtshipdisplays. The Bath Road heronry can beobserved throughout the entire breedingseason from a pullout along Bath Road.In contrast, it is best to visit the PineryNarrows heronry in the early spring beforethe views become obscured by leaves. Youcan view this heronry from the TowpathTrail by following the trail 1⁄2-mile north
of the Station Road Bridge. On the west(river) side, watch for a small clearing just before the bridle trail junction. Fromhere look across the river for the heronryand listen for the birds’ loud, primitive-sounding call.
In 2007 a pair of adult bald eagles nestedin the Pinery Narrows heronry andsuccessfully raised one eaglet, the first tobe born in Cuyahoga County in over 70years. Both adult and juvenile bald eaglescan be seen flying overhead, fishing in theriver, or perched in the nest area.
CVNP offers programs and otheropportunities to bird watchers of allskill levels. You can attend one of manyregular bird walks or volunteer to helpwith seasonal bird censuses. Theseopportunities are listed in the park’sSchedule of Events, available at all visitorcenters and online at www.nps.gov/cuva.You are also invited to become involvedin efforts to understand and preservesensitive bird populations.
The demolition of the Richfield Coliseumin 1999 brought an unexpected benefit.Restoration of the building site and parkinglot created a new grassland habitat that is benefiting many bird species, several of which have been in decline due to lossof habitat. During the summer breedingseason, five species in particular can befound here: eastern meadowlark, bobolink,savannah sparrow, grasshopper sparrow,and Henslow’s sparrow. Because these birdsnest on the ground, we ask visitors to stayon the edge of the grassland during nestingseason (April to August). Disturbance of thenests could result in nest failure.
Migration brings other interesting speciesto the grasslands, including various hawksand shore birds. On winter evenings atdusk, short-eared owls can be seen flyinglow over the dried grasses hunting for volesand other rodents.
To reach the former Coliseum site, parkin an unmarked grassy lot along the northside of State Route 303, just west of theintersection of I-271. If conditions arewet, park carefully along the road justbefore it narrows.
Horseshoe Pond / Mixed Evergreen and Fields
Bath Road and Pinery Narrows / Floodplain and Mixed Swamp
Former Coliseum Site / Grassland
Get Involved
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™
www.nps.gov/cuvawww.dayinthevalley.com
©SARA GUREN
©JIM SCHMIDT