New Book For Birders or “That’s No Sparrow”

 

Somewhere in a desk drawer around the house, there’s a bird-spotting guide that I’ll drag out once in a while when an unfamiliar bird appears in the yard. Problem is, there are hundreds of birds in the guide which never light anywhere near us.

 

Not being one who can easily distinguish between a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (they all look like sparrows to me), guides like that are useless to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2006

Motorcyclists are often portrayed as loners who prefer the company of their bike to people. Those who think that have never been to a motorcycle rally, have they?

 

Group rides are a lot of fun, especially when you find just the right destination—great food, lodging, activities, and riding—all in one place. I’d like to take you to one of those places this month.

 

Many Happy Journeys!

May is often a great month for riding the Blue Ridge Parkway. Flawless clear, blue skies and almost no traffic, mile after mile after mile.

 

Appalachian Highways is manufactured by hand in the USA.  Spelling and grammatical errors are a given.  Always ride responsibly and wear a helmet. A good one.  Except as noted, text and images on this page are Copyright 2006 by Dale Coyner.   For permission to reprint, contact Dale.

Group Therapy

2006 Calendar

 

The calendar has new entries and updates. Hope we’ll get a chance to meet up this year.

 

June 7—9, Lake George, NY — Americade. I’ll be at the Whitehorse booth.

 

July 18 — 21, Carlisle, PA — Carlisle Summer Bike Fest. Book presentations and a new seminar on adding gadgets to your bike “Wire Without Starting a Fire” at the Open Road Outfitters booth.

 

September 21—23, Wings Over the Smokies, Asheville, NC.  At the Open Road Outfitters booth. Will be showing and selling Escapade cargo and WAGS pet trailers.

 

October 5—7, Rally in the Valley, Salem, VA. Again at Open Road Outfitters booth with trailers.  Will demo selection and installation of auxiliary lights.

 

 

 

Attention Club

Newsletter Editors

 

Want to add some weight to your newsletter? Struggling to find things to say? Heck, we can help!

 

You can reprint/reuse many features from Appalachian Highways at no charge when you give us attribution.

 

For more info, contact Dale at editor@appalachianhighways.com

AH reader Dave Hromanik (left) and John Collins on the Cherohala in early May. That had to be a chilly run, but looks like they were having fun nonetheless.

 

Got a favorite pic along Appalachian Highways? Send it to editor@appalachianhighways.com

Backroads Sidebar Pictures:

 

Pair of bikes overlook the Potomac at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. Looking toward Sharpsburg, Maryland and the Antietam Battlefield.

 

Rider in the curve is along Skyline Drive a few miles south of the Thornton Gap entrance.

 

 

Berkeley Springs Pictures:

 

Bike at the Prospect Peak overlook on WV 9 just west of Berkeley Springs.

 

James Eaves holds one of his baskets. This guy makes incredible products. His shop and home are hand-built and stunningly beautiful.

 

Downtown Berkeley Springs is a great place for a weekend ride. It’s especially nice for groups because of the diversity of activities and amenities.

That’s why I was intrigued by a new title recently received called Birds of Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Ernest Preston Edwards. The guide identifies those avian species most likely to be spotted within twenty miles on either side of Skyline and the Parkway and within GSM Nat’l Park, including a five-mile buffer around the perimeter of the park. The slopes, valleys, and flatlands of the Appalachians are a diverse habitat that attract over three hundred species, including year-round residents and migratory birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even when you narrow down your choices to a couple hundred birds, you still need a keen eye for detail to discern the subtle differences between some species. However, detailed, brightly-colored illustrations by Edward Murrell Butler make it easier for novices to distinguish between species with similar markings.

 

If you ride through the Appalachian corridor frequently and would like to know more about the birds you see along the way, I happily commend this book to you. Its compact format travels well and adds a new dimension to your travels along Appalachian Highways. To order a copy of Birds of SNP, visit the publisher’s website at: http://www.mwpubco.com

 

Even if birds aren’t your thing, check out the McDonald and Woodward catalog. They have other titles that might well be of interest to travelers along Appalachian Highways including a guide to sites that commemorate George Washington and an interpretive guide to Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland.

 

I can only hope that one day they’ll publish a similar guide for trees and flowers of Skyline and the Parkway. I can spot a dogwood or redbud. After that, everything else looks like an oak. At least now I know that’s no sparrow resting in its branches. Why, that’s a Louisiana Waterthrush.

Along Appalachian Highways

Rider-Friendly

Lodging Update

 

Several readers dropped me a line after the last newsletter to tell me about a few more rider-friendly lodging options and lists.  Thanks very much for the updates.

 

From Guy Young: