| Monroe |
| DESCRIPTION: Cherry Valley is a rich agricultural landscape with scattered fens, marshes, open fields, woodlots and streams bordered by two wooded ridges, Godfrey's Ridge immediately south of Stroudsburg and Kittatinny Ridge farther to the south on the border with Northampton County. Due to the variety of habitats, bird species diversity is very high here. Species/groups to watch out for are marsh birds, grassland birds and warblers. Virgina Rails have responded to CD playbacks, Eastern Meadowlarks can be found here (the only place in Monroe County) and the stream valley is good for ducks, especially in early spring. It is a good winter raptor location, including for Rough-legged Hawks, and large flocks of snipe can be seen during migration in March on the meandering stream mentioned above. The site has recently been designated as Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the first such refuge in the northeast established in the last 20 years. The Nature Conservancy and other land trusts own approximately 6,000 of the 20,000 acres that will ultimately compose the refuge. Description adapted from Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinty, available at http://www.lehigh.edu/~bcm0/lvas/BOLV.htm. |
DIRECTIONS: Exit I-80 at Exit 307 and proceed south on PA 191/PA 611. From where Pa 191 and PA 611 split, follow PA 191 south for 1.14 mile (over Godfrey's Ridge and down into the valley) and turn right onto Cherry Valley Road. Go 2.66 miles and turn left on Blakelee Road. An open flood plain with the meandering Cherry Creek will appear on the right with open fields and hillsides to the left. The best place for birding is directly along Blakeslee Road. There are no pull off areas but traffic is minimal and you can get a car off the road far enough to be safe. Private property issues and conservancy rules protecting rare and endangered species (not birds) prevent hiking, but birding along this road and nearby roads through the fields is excellent as indicated above. |
|
Maps - other than Google (Click on map for larger view)
|
|
Sub-sites |
Photos 
|
| Posted: 2009-11-26 00:00:00 Updated: |
