Wildlife Watching at the State of Maryland

Posted in North America | August 1, 2010 | Comment Now

The state of Maryland often gets overshadowed by its more powerful neighbors, but has a lot to offer.

The eastern and western shores of Maryland end up in an embrace with the Chesapeake Bay and the number of rivers there ends up making for one of the longest waterfronts that any of the states in the United States of America can boast of.

Though Maryland may seem popular for its national monuments and historic parks; it does have its fair share of wildlife watching to do.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge The Delmarva Peninsula is home to a lot of wildlife refuge areas and is thus protected land. It is home for the migrating waterfowl and similar wildlife. Blackwater is the largest of these refuges. During the peak of the migration season, you’ll see a number of ducks, mute swan and tundra here. The snow geese also make the occasional appearance. The herons are perennially present and share the space with osprey and Canada geese. If you sight the bald eagle here, then you’re one of those lucky ones to catch a glimpse of this bird. If you explore some more, you might even catch a sneak peek of the Delmarva fox squirrel; which is now endangered.

Butterfly Watching at the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge The trees here play host to these colorful creatures. As these butterflies make their ways to the Southern part of America, they’ll stop over at the Eastern Neck during fall every year. If you’re a fan of the tundra swan, you might catch them here during their resting period. The website of this refuge is active and will give you up-to-date information about various species and their arrivals at the refuge and their migrating patterns.

Whale and Dolphin Watching on the Mid-Atlantic The area near Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware, which lies on the Atlantic coast of Maryland, is a great spot for dolphin and whale watching. The Great Dune at Cape makes for the perfect vantage point to watch these large creatures of the sea. Bring along your binoculars when you come here. For those who want to choose luxury and whale watching, you might want to sign up for one of the whale and dolphin watching cruises that are available. For the slightly more adventurous (and fit, if I may say) people, there is an option open – they could opt for kayaking with the dolphins.