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Cecil Birding Hotspots
Elk Forest MHA
& Welch Point MHA |
| Description |
Elk Forest MHA and Welch Point MHA
are two hunting areas on the north bank of the C&D Canal;
both lie west of Chesapeake City. Both areas are owned by the Army
Corps of Engineers and managed for hunting by the Maryland Department
of
Natural Resources. Elk Forest, at 242 acres, offers
foot access to
woodland and a couple of small freshwater ponds and is a great place to
see flycatchers and other songbirds. Welch Point, with 77 acres,
is located at the tip of
land where the C&D Canal emerges to join the Elk River, and offers
access to woodland and to the shore of the Elk River, with waterfowl
and other water birds in
appropriate seasons.
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| How to get there |
From Elkton, take Rt. 213 south
and turn right onto Elk Forest Road, just north of the Canal at
Chesapeake City. From Chesapeake City, take Rt. 213 north and
turn left onto Elk Forest Road.
Elk Forest MHA is approximately 1.8 miles west on Elk Forest Road, and
will be on the left (sourth side of the road), a little way past the
intersection of McKeown Road on the right. The parking area is marked
with a brown sign.
To reach Welch Point MHA, continue west for anoher 2.2 miles on Elk
Forest Road; the road
ends in the parking area of the MHA.
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| Map references |
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| What to do
after arrival |
At Elk Forest, park your car and
proceed on foot past the gated entrance on the obvious gravel
road. Follow the road through the woodland. A culvert takes
the road across a small stream; this is a good place to check for
birds. Another good spot is at the pond visible to the right in
about ½ mile. You can continue on the gravel road all the
way to the levees on the north bank of the C&D Canal. At the
Canal, if you turn left (east) you can explore a series of trails that
take you through a small evergreen woodlot. This can be a good
place to check for owls and wintering landbirds. On the other hand, if
you turn right (west) when you reach the Canal, you will enter an area
of sandy dredge spoils and scrub vegetation, a good spot to check for
sparrows. See map at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/maps/elkforestmap.html
Welch Point offers habitat similar to that at Elk Forest. From
the parking lot, a gravel road on the right leads down to the edge of
the Elk River, where you can scope
the water for waterfowl, loons and gulls in winter and terns and eagles
in summer. Another road on the opposite side of the parking lot
will take you on a longer walk through deciduous woods, eventually
emerging at the Elk. See map at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/maps/welchpointmap.html
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| Birds to look
for |
- Year-round:
waterfowl, gulls, finches, sparrows.
- Fall: migrating hawks and other
raptors and migrating songbirds, including
warblers, flycatchers, vireos, tanagers, thrushes, orioles, cuckoos,
finches,
swallows, and grosbeaks. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers,
sparrows, kinglets, geese, ducks, loons, and grebes start to arrive and
may remain until spring.
- Winter:
Gulls, sapsuckers, sparrows, kinglets, geese, ducks, loons, and
grebes.
- Spring:
Migration northward brings another wave of songbirds, essentially
the same as fall. Some will stay to breed through the summer.
- Summer: Breeding birds include
Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Eastern Kingbirds.
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| Hours/Fees/Amenities |
Access to Elk Forest and Welch
Point MHAs is
restricted to hunting permit holders for the hunting season from
September 1 through
February 15. Check State
hunting seasons.
Outside the hunting
season, both MHAs are open for hiking, fishing,
bird watching, nature photography, etc. with non-hunting permit. No fee
to enter; however, the
free annual non-hunting use permit is strictly required and must be
displayed on your parked
car. To request a permit, contact the Gwynnbrook Wildlife and Heritage Service Office
at 410-356-9272;
allow 3
weeks for delivery
of your permit by mail.
There are no picnic tables,
restrooms, or
other amenities at the sites. open in daylight hours year-round,
but be aware of State
hunting seasons and enter only on Sundays when
hunting is in progress. The closest public restroom is at
the C& D Canal Museum (Monday
- Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.; closed Sunday) or at the
library
in South Chesapeake City (limited hours). There is a picnic area
just outside the Canal Museum along Rt. 286.
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| What to bring |
Elk Forest MHA requires only
binoculars. Waterproof
shoes/boots may be needed after wet weather. A scope would be
helpful at Welch Point to scan the Elk River.
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| Difficulty of
walking |
At Elk Forest, most of the walking
is on a wide, gravel road with some gentle hills. The levee area
at the Canal has some steep areas. At Welch Point, the roads are wide
and gravelled and provide a good walking surface, but there are some
hills.
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| Personal safety |
Take precautions. These are isolated areas with
little public use. Most birders
would feel more comfortable with a friend. Leave any valuables
locked in your car and out of sight. The
levees and hunting areas are isolated and
attract some illegal activities. Check
the State
hunting seasons and do not visit during
hunting season.
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| Nearby sites |
Bethel WMA,
C&D Canal Lands, Courthouse
Point WMA, Earleville WMA
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| For more
information |
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Copyright 1998,
1999, 2007 Cecil Bird
Club; All rights reserved. May be printed for personal use
but may not be reproduced in any form for mass or commercial
distribution
without permission of the Executive
Committee
of the Cecil Bird Club.
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