The Birds of Valley Forge Park

 

Birders, here's your warning - I'm not a birder. I'm a wanna-be birder. I'm married to the birder. This list is not an exhaustive account of all you can see. It's what I've seen and what he's seen. Beyond that, you'll have to muddle along without me. I'll add them as I see them.

 

American Crows

I love how they'll sit in the tree tops and chatter away! They're common in Valley Forge Park and the surrounding area.

 

American Merganser (Duck)

Not unusual upstream from Betzwood in Winter.

 

Bald Eagles

Yes, we've seen them in the park. Mostly, we've seen them on the Rte. 422 side of the park, but visitors to our house reported seeing one sitting on our mailbox. Go figure. Best time to see them - fall and late winter, I'm told.

 

Baltimore Orioles

These are fun! If you're in the park in early May (say around Mother's Day), it's your best chance to see them out in the open. We saw several flying all around us on Mother's Day - they were mating/fighting/whatever, and the leaves weren't out on the trees, so it was a clear view (MANY clear views) of these gorgeous birds!

 

Belted Kingfishers

Often found flying up or down Valley Creek, they'll bitch at you for interrupting their fishing.

 

Black Vultures

For every 200 turkey vultures with pink heads you see, you may see one vulture with a grey head. But they're here. I've seen one on two separate occasions.  They also have their wing tips dipped in white while the turkey vultures have the trailing wing edge white.

 

Bufflehead Ducks

These handsome little black and white jobs dive and play along the Schuylkill River in winter upstream from Betzwood.

 

Bluebirds

I've seen these in the Wayne's Woods area of Valley Forge Park as early as mid-March. Gorgeous! In fact, that's the best area to see them, in my opinion.

 

Blue Jays

Very common, very noisy and entertaining residents.

 

Canada Geese

Overabundance of geese! They're best seen down on the Schuylkill River by the Betzwood Area.

 

Cat Birds

I love these little guys! Last summer I had one following me around the garden as I dug. It seems the mockingbirds disappear when they're around. Anyone know why? 

 

 

Chickadees

I have no idea if they're Carolina chickadees or black-capped chickadees, but one species is here.

 

Chipping Sparrows

A bird in common supply here come spring. They light on our rose wall every morning for breakfast. Easy to find in Valley Forge Park.

 

Common Nighthawks

I don't know why they call this bird common. It's an uncommon sight, and it's a lovely bird. But they're here in the park! Saw them around 6:30 p.m. in late August over by Wayne's Woods.

 

Cooper's Hawks

Fairly common bird here year round.

 

Downy Woodpeckers

A common sighting, but not sure I can tell them from Hairy Woodpeckers.

 

Goldfinches

Don't you love these? They appeared at our bird feeder the second week of May in full color. What a sight!

 

Gray Catbirds

This is a common bird for this area.

 

House Wrens

Common, energetic little birds.

 

Linnets

They're around most of the spring, but they really show their colors in May.  We prefer this name over House Finch because the House Sparrow is really a finch not a sparrow, making it really a House Finch... Are you confused yet?  Let's just call them linnets, much nicer name anyway.

 

Mallard Ducks

Good amount of mallards around. They're pretty common. You can see them in Valley Creek and on the Schuylkill River.

 

Northern Cardinals

These birds really love the park year round.

 

Northern Mockingbirds

Precocious birds that are common here.

 

Palm Warblers

An early spring warbler.  Try the embankment along the trail north of the river on a nice day just before the leaves come out.

 

Red-tailed Hawks

They're abundant here year round.

 

Song Sparrows

These little guys really make spring special in the park. Very melodic!

 

Turkey Vulture

The easiest bird to spot in Valley Forge Park. They're always soaring above or sitting in the trees.

 

Tufted Titmouse(mice)

These birds are common in early-late spring.

 

White-breasted Nuthatches

We see these a lot most of the year, but particularly in late winter.

 

White-crowned Sparrows

He waited 45 years to see this one, and there it was, second week of May, sitting at our bird feeder along with the white-throats.  Actually, I saw it first!

 

White-throated Sparrows

Another abundant species here, over winter and into early spring.

 

Wood Ducks

These dandy ducks nest along the Schuylkill River upstream from the Betzwood Area.   If you see a duck up in a tree, this is the one.

 

Wood Thrushes

It's up in the woods on top of Mount Misery where I see these the most. They show up in May and hang around for the summer. I love it, as they like to investigate your presence, which gives you some nice views.

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

Not a common find. 

 

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Our most common warbler, once called Myrtle Warbler. 

 

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