Trip Date: June 2020 | Location: Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia
The pandemic was taking a toll, so we decided to head north. Mike mapped out a safe, bird-focused route from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, and we hit the road.
South Carolina Stops
Our first stop was River Park in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was a seriously buggy place following recent rains, but the effort paid off. We were happy to add the Carolina Chickadee and twelve others to our state list, bringing our total to 55 species. Highlights included a Downy Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Cliff Swallow, and Common Yellowthroat.
We then checked out the Riverwalk Trestle, where we found nearly one hundred Northern Rough-winged Swallows perched on the wires with the river raging below. The trail was active with Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Tufted Titmice. We wrapped up our South Carolina leg with a fantastic dinner at The Pump House.
West Virginia
After a good night’s sleep, we took the winding back roads to Bluestone State Park in Hinton, West Virginia. The park offers stellar camping and cabin rentals. We tallied 33 species there, including a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwings, Orchard Oriole, and both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers. The cicadas were deafening—and, for the first time, we actually spotted one!
Continuing north, we stopped at Grandview, a national park overlooking the New River Gorge. While the birding was quiet, the views were absolutely stunning. After spending the night in Fayetteville, we made our way to Prickett’s Fort State Park in Fairmont. This beautiful reconstruction of an 18th-century fort sits right on the Monongahela River. The grounds were perfect for birding, and we were thrilled to spot an Acadian Flycatcher. West Virginia was a new birding state for us, and we finished our three stops there with 48 species.
Presque Isle, Pennsylvania
Finally, we reached our destination in Erie, Pennsylvania. Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie did not disappoint. The north side of the island faces the lake, while the south side forms a bay between the island and downtown Erie. The drive out and back covers about 15 miles and passes the historic Presque Isle Lighthouse. We also enjoyed seeing Horseshoe Pond, where 24 year-round houseboats—a local tradition dating back to 1890—line the shore, along with a nice family of Mallards.
The island is an important stop for migrating birds on their way to Canada and offers a variety of birding habitats. During our two-and-a-half-hour visit, we saw 43 species. Some of our favorites include Philadelphia, Warbling, and Red-eyed Vireos. We searched hard and played the Black-billed Cuckoo call, but it eluded us this time. For anyone visiting, definitely check out the wooded area at Fry’s Landing—it was teeming with Yellow Warblers.
We know we’ll be back to Presque Isle; you could easily spend days exploring here, especially during spring migration!
Trip Summary:
South Carolina: 20 species • 13 SC life birds • 0 World life birds
West Virginia: 42 species • 42 WV life birds • 0 World life birds
Pennsylvania: 43 species • 43 PA life birds • 0 World life birds
Trip Totals: 65 species • 12 year birds • 0 life birds
Next Up: Adirondacks All Summer – Birding the Central ADK during the pandemic
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