Washington Monument State Park - Boonsboro, MD
N 39° 29.928 W 077° 37.403
18S E 274425 N 4375417
The monument makes it an ideal site for spotting migratory birds such as hawks, eagles and falcons. The peak time is mid-September.
Waymark Code: WMC9FC
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2011
Views: 12
There are interpretives everywhere, including the top of the monument/ tower (40 feet high!) to educated about the types of birds, their migratory habits, what the look like, etc for park visitors. At the trailhead which leads to the monument less than a quarter mile away is an interpretive which teaches about raptors. I do not know much about birds but I saw some small, yellow ones which were pretty neat. I also saw a bevy of red-tailed hawks and some other unidentified song birds.
There is a terrific link HERE which is all about a hawk watch at the monument. The following comes from their website (cited above)
The Washington Monument State Park Hawk Watch is located on South Mountain overlooking Boonsboro, MD. It is a regular but fairly informal watch atop the monument. One or more counters are present many days during season. Washington Monument is named for and was the first monument in the country erected to the "father of our country," George Washington.The rugged stone tower was dedicated to the first president by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827. The view alone is worth the visit, but since the Cumberland Valley is a migratory bird flyway, the park offers excellent all around birdwatching opportunities. The Appalachian Trail winds through the park and passes the base of the monument.
During the peak of Broad-winged Hawk migration (roughly the 3rd and 4th weeks of September) The tower can be very crowded, especially on weekends. So no gaurantees can be made if you'll have a good view point! Spring Migration is much less crowded but still has good flights.