A Birder's Guide to Virginia (ABA Birdfinding Guide)

In an effort involving many Virginia Society of Ornithology members, David W. Johnston has compiled A Birder's Guide to Virginia. Virginia offer birders a wide range of habitats and a large selection of birds, with about 390 regularly-occurring species. Each region has its special sites, distinct habitats, and particular birds. A Birder's Guide to Virginia is divided into six major regions: Eastern Shore; Coastal Plain; Northern; Central; Southern Piedmont; and Southern Mountains and Valleys. Over 70 major sites are described, ranging from the suburban parks of Alexandria and Arlington to the remote back roads and reservoirs of southwestern Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Special attention is given to the major birding and tourist destinations: the Virginia end of the Delmarva Peninsula and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Shenandoah National Park. Over 70 major sites, with more than 45 maps, are included in this book. Each site description includes access and birding directions, habitat, and information about seasonal bird distribution. There is an annotated checklist for about 425 species, and sections on pelagic birding, hawk-watching, and special species to be found in Virginia. Finally, the book has lists of butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals with notes on the status of each.

A Birder's Guide to Virginia was compiled by David W. Johnston with help from the Virginia Society of Ornithology members, who chose the sites and prepared the birding instructions. David has served as editor and president of several state ornithological societies over the years. His first field experiences in Virginia were at the Mountain Lake Biological Station in 1967, and since that time he has remained an active member in the Virginia Society for Ornithology. His research interests have dealt with distribution and ecology of birds in the state, raptor biology, and the history of ornithology. He has published a book on the history of ornithology at Mountain Lake, and contributed sections to books on endangered species in Virginia.