preservation of our native bird life.
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Lancaster County Bird Club |
| Lancaster, Pennsylvania | |
| Founded December 8, 1937 | |
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to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the preservation of our native bird life. |
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Bordered on the north by the Conewago Creek, on the east by Chickies Creek, and on the west
and south by the Susquehanna River, this area forms the northwest corner of Lancaster County.
Woodlands of oak, birch, maple, sycamore, and tulip poplar line the banks of the Susquehanna
River and the streams throughout the area. The dominant trees covering the diabase ridge
which parallels the northern edge of this section are oak and locust. Upland habitats consist
mainly of farmlands and a small number of farm ponds and woodlots.
The major birding areas in this section of the county are: the Susquehanna River Access Points, the Conewago Trail, and the open farmland with its ponds and small woodlots. This part of the river and the Elizabethtown-Mount Joy area offer a wide variety of birding habitats representative of Lancaster County.
The Furnace Hills lie along US 322 between PA 501 and PA 72 in the northern part of the county. Secondary deciduous woods, some of which are state gamelands, spread over much of the area. There are a few farms and residential areas interspersed. The two areas for best birding opportunities are: the State Gamelands 156 and Pumping Station Road, and the Seglock Run area.
The Hammer Creek Valley is a collection of waterways, pastures, and woodlands about five miles long and a quarter mile wide, an area with a variety of habitats easily acccessible to the motoring birder. The valley is dominated by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission's Speedwell Lake, a man-made impoundment a little over a mile long and an average of two hundred yards wide.
Although the main habitats of interest to birders are the lake and the Hammer Creek, the adjacent overgrown pastures and woodlands can also be productive. The pastures are in various stages of plant succession and therefore offer a variety of bird species. Some are grazed closely, but the majority have weeds, bushes, tangles and trees of varying sizes.
The Lancaster County Park system maintains a park along Hammer Creek. Access to the trails in this park is found at a small parking lot just to the north of the Speedwell Forge Road where it crosses Hammer Creek at the far end of the lake.
The Middle Creek WMA is located along the Lebanon-Lancaster County line about one mile south of Kleinfeltersville. It is an area set aside by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for the protection, propagation, management, preservation, and controlled harvest of wildlife. This area of slightly more than 5,000 acres is comprised of: a 1,700 acre oak-hickory forested ridge; a 400 acre shallow lake; 70 acres of potholes, ponds, and smaller impoundments; 1,300 acres of cultivated farmland; and several picnic areas. The remaining portions have been kept in an undisturbed condition.
There are several parking lots and a boat launch area which provide opportunities to view the large lake. Many of the potholes, ponds, and impoundments can be viewed from the roads that cross through or border the area. There are eight hiking trails of varying difficulty that provide access to the wooded areas. A Visitor Center is open to the public on Tuesday thru Sunday. It provides free nature displays, a contour model of the area, and a place to purchase Pennsylvania Game Commission publications.
Chickies Hill Nature Preserve, purchased by the Lancaster County Conservancy in the late 1970's, overlooks the boulder-studded Susquehanna River. The area is attractive for birding, leisurely hiking, and for viewing from the scenic lookout high above the river. Located off PA 441 approximately one mile north of US 30, the area is best birded during both migrations. A system of trails begins at a large unpaved parking area on the west side of PA 441.
A chain of wooded islands and interconnecting mudflats (the Conojohela Flats) lies just offshore from the small settlement of Washington Boro. Here the river is wide and calm. Its bayward journey is momentarily slowed by the Safe Harber Dam, located a few miles downriver. Regardless of the season, these river islands provide some of the county's most unusual birding. Many of the recently-added birds to the county's list have been discovered here.
The Water Authority Thicket can be reached by driving east on Blue Rock Road for 0.3 miles from PA 441. This tangled haven for birdlife has been very productive on recent Christmas Counts. Park along the entrance to the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority building. Permission is generally not required to enter the area. Walking through the thick vegetation may be difficult because the trails are not well-defined, but the effort is usually repaid with large numbers of songbirds.
The drive from Rock Hill to Safe Harbor follows the quiet waters of the Conestoga River. Wooded hillsides line this route and comprise the best woodland habitat in the central Susquehanna area. The shaded woods, often with a lush carpet of wildflowers, and peaceful river banks, make a pleasant setting for very good birding. The Conestoga River ends its trip through Lancaster County at Safe Harbor. Land birding in this vicinity can be very rewarding. There are extensive woodlands, both deciduous and coniferous (planted), and several large areas are maintained as public parks.
The Susquehanna River in the Safe Harbor Dam area is attractive to large numbers of gulls, and -- at times -- to concentrations of waterfowl. There is an extensive area above the dam at the Observation Point that provides good birding opportunities the year round.
The Amish farmland of eastern Lancaster County is predominantly agricultural with small population centers located along the major highways that intersect the area. The land is characterized by broad, gently rolling slopes and level-to-undulating lowlands. Two waterways drain the area: Mill Creek, south of PA 23, and the Conestoga River, north of PA 23.
Driving through the farm country can be difficult and frustrating because the roads are generally narrow and poorly maintained. Parking is usually limited to pulling off to the side of the road. All land is private property and permission from the farmer must be obtained before entering any fields.
The most productive time to visit this area is the winter months -- November through March. The arctic tundra birds are the target species. For best results, every field and tree should be checked.
The County of Lancaster began its commitment to parks and open space in 1966 with the acquisition of 397 acres to form Lancaster County Central Park. The park combines spacious lawns and rolling weedy fields with wooded hillsides. Two waterways wind their way through the park. The woodlands are mainly mixed hardwoods, with a few stands of evergreens.
This region is a diverse area containing the river -- either as a freely-flowing river or as lakes behind dams -- and many small streams flowing into the main river. There are a number of islands in the river, most of which are wooded. At the edge of the river are wooded hills, some rising abruptly to 400 feet or more. The glens are moist deciduous woodlands with some hemlock and laurel. The river hills give way to flatter areas containing a mixture of secondary deciduous woodland, farmland, residential areas, and brushy areas. Most of the birding areas in this section can be reached from River Road. To reach River Road, take PA 324 south from US 222 (South Prince Street) in Lancaster. PA 324 becomes Pequea Boulevard.
Muddy Run Reservoir is a pumped-storage (hydroelectric) generating facility. It is located on the east shore of the lower Susquehanna River. It derived its name from the original Muddy Run, a small tributary of the Susquehanna that ran through a valley which was floooded to create a 985 acre storage reservoir. Also included in the project area are a recreation lake, a park, and 1,900 acres of old fields, woodland, cultivated fields, and plantings by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Soil Conservation Service.
To reach Muddy Run Park, turn west off of PA 272 onto PA 372. Follow PA 372 for 3.6 miles and turn left at the Muddy Run Park sign. At the "T" intersection, turn left to enter the park.
The Chester County Water Autority purchased approximately 2,500 acres of land adjacent to the branches of the Octoraro Creek in Chester and Lancaster Counties for its dam and filtration plant. The filling of Octoraro Lake in the 1940's flooded about 670 acres. The Authority immediately began reforesting the open land adjacent to the lake and to the west branches of the Octoraro Creek, where they join the main reservoir.
In southern Lancaster County, near the Pennsylvania/Maryland line, there is a community of plants unique in the county. Contrasting sharply with the surrounding woodlands and flourishing farmland, the Serpentine Barrens is an area of several hundred acres of thin, poor soil derived from the underlying serpentine rock. The dominant successional plants on this land are Virginia Pine and Red Juniper. Fires swept through some of the coniferous stands in 1970 and 1971, killing some of the trees and opening the patches to pioneer deciduous trees. Dense thickets have formed, making protective cover for many birds.
Located in the southeast portion of Lancaster County, this 90 acre park (part of the County Park System), was named after the late Theodore A. Parker III, an internationally-known ornithologist who grew up in Lancaster County. The site is nestled within a glen created by Stewart Run. The tract includes impressive flora in the spring and abundant wildlife.