The Yankauer Nature Preserve encompasses 107 acres along the Potomac River near Whiting’s Neck. The Preserve is characterized by mixed hardwoods and cedar glades. More open areas are covered with grasses, forbes and shrubs. There are 105 species of plants on the Preserve and bird life is abundant.
The Preserve was named after the former owners, Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Yankauer, who donated the property to The Nature Conservancy in 1967. It is owned by TNC and managed by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society, the local steward. Originally agricultural land, the Preserve has been left to the skilled hand of nature to reclaim this wonderful spot. Walks through the Preserve during the spring are inspirational. The display of wildflowers is spectacular. With spring comes the migrating birds. Most species are migratory and their seasonal abundance is coded as follows:
Season:
s - Spring March - May
S - Summer June - August
F - Fall September - November
W - Winter December - February
* - breeding species
Species in italics are threatened or endangered
Question marks indicate a lack of good data.
Here’s an opportunity for you to add to our data base.
Abundance:
a - abundant (large numbers)
c - common (usually seen)
u - uncommon (not always seen)
o - occasional (not always present)
r - rare (how lucky can you get)
s S F W
LOONS - GREBES
____ Common Loon................. u
____ Pied-billed grebe............. o r
____ Horned grebe................... o
CORMORANT
____ Double-creasted cormorant o
BITTENS - HERONS
____ Great blue heron.............. c c c u
____ Great egret...................... u u
____ Green heron.................... c c u
SWANS - GEESE - DUCKS
____ Tundra swan.................... r r
____ Snow goose..................... r
____ *Canada goose................. c c c c
____ *Wood duck.................... u u u u
____ American black duck....... u u u u
____ *Mallard.......................... c c c c
VULTURES - HAWKS - FALCONS
____Black vulture.................... u u u u
____ Turkey vulture................. c c c u
____ Osprey............................. u o u
____ Bald eagle........................ r r r r
____ Sharp-shinned hawk........ o o o
____ Cooper’s hawk................. o o o o
____ *Red-shouldered hawk.... o o o o
____ Broad-winged hawk......... c
____ *Red-tailed hawk............. c c c c
____ American kestrel.............. u u u r
GROUSE - QUAIL - TURKEY
____ *Wild turkey.................... u u u u
____ Northern bobwhite.......... u u u u
PLOVERS - SANDPIPERS
___ Killdeer.............................. c c u o
___ Solitary sandpiper.............. u u u
___ Spotted sandpiper.............. u u
___ American woodcock.......... u
GULLS - TERNS
___ Ring-billed gull.................. o o
s S F
W DOVES - CUCKOOS - OWLS
SWIFTS - HUMMINGBIRDS
___ Rock dove........................ o o o o
___ *Mourning dove.............. c c c c
___ *Yellow-billed cuckoo..... u o
___ Eastern screech owl......... o o o o
___ *Great horned owl........... c ? ? c
___ Barred owl........................ u ? ? u
___ Northern Saw-whet owl... ? ? ? r
___ Common nighthawk......... u
___ Chimney swift.................. c c c
___ *Ruby-throated hum’gbird u u u
___ Belted kingfisher............. c c c o
WOODPECKER-FLYCATCHERS
___ *Red-bellied woodpecker. c c c c
___ Yellow-bellied sapsucker. u
___ *Downy woodpecker....... c c c c
___ *Hairy woodpecker.......... u u u u
___ *Northern flicker............. c c a c
___ *Pileated woodpecker...... c c u u
___ *Eastern Wood-pewee..... c c u
___ *Acadian flycatcher......... c c c
___ *Eastern phoebe.............. c c c
___ *Great creasted flycatcher u u u
___ *Eastern kingbird............ c c c
SWALLOWS - JAYS - CROWS
___ *Tree swallow................. u u c
___ N. rough-winged swallow o o o
___ Barn swallow................... c c c
___ *Blue jay......................... c c a c
___ *American crow.............. c c c c
___ Fish crow......................... u u u u
TITMICE - NUTHATCHES WRENS
___ Black-capped chickadee.. r
___ *Carolina chickadee........ c c c c
___ *Tufted titmouse.............. c c c c
___ *White-breasted nuthatch u u u c
___ Brown creeper................. o u
___ *Carolina wren................ u u u u
___ *House wren.................... u u u
___ Winter wren..................... o
s S F W
KINGLETS - THRUSHES
THRASHERS
___ Golden-crowned kinglet..... o u
___ Ruby-crowned kinglet........ r o
___ *Blue-gray gnatcatcher...... c c c
___ *Eastern bluebird............... c c c u
___ Hermit thrush..................... o
___ *Wood thrush..................... c c c
___ *American robin................ c c c u
___ *Gray catbird..................... a a c r
___ *N. Mockingbird................ c c c c
___ *Brown thrasher................. u u u r
WAXWINGS - SHRIKE - STARLING
___ *?Cedar waxwing............... u u u r
___ *European starling............. c c c c
VIREOS - WOOD WARBLERS
___ *White-eyed vireo............ c c c
___ Solitary vireo.................... o o
___ *?Yellow-throated vireo... o o o
___ *Red-eyed vireo................ c c c
___ *Blue-winged warbler....... u u u
___ *N. parula.......................... u u u
___ *Yellow-warbler............... c c u
___ Yellow-rumped warbler.... u u u
___ *Prairie warbler................. c c u
___ Am. Redstart……………. u r u
TANAGERS - SPARROWS
___ *Scarlet tanager................. c c u
___ *Northern cardinal........... a a a a
___ *Indigo bunting................. c c c
___ *Eastern towhee................ c c c o
___ American tree sparrow...... o
___ *Chipping sparrow............ c c c
___ *Field sparrow.................. u u u o
___ Fox sparrow...................... o o
___ *Song sparrow.................. c c c c
___ White-throated sparrow..... o c
___ White-crowned sparrow.... o u
___ Dark-eyed junco................ c c
BLACKBIRDS - FINCHES
___ Red-winged blackbird....... u u u o
___ Rusty blackbird................. u
___ *Common grackle............. c c c o
___ *Brown-headed cowbird... u u u u
___ *Northern oriole................ u u u
___ Purple finch....................... r r
___ *House finch...................... u u u u
___ *Am. Goldfinch................. c c c u
___ House sparrow.................... o o o o
PVAS
Birding Committee
P.O. Box 578
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
WHershberg@aol.com