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LOCAL WILDLIFE

Where the Wild Things Are Nearby

Bottlenose dolphins swim in the Potomac River near Virginia's Westmoreland State Park.
Bottlenose dolphins swim in the Potomac River near Virginia's Westmoreland State Park. (By Starke Jett For The Chesapeake Bay Gateways)
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Sunday, March 5, 2006

Can't afford a trip far from home? Among the animal-watching expeditions within a day's drive of D.C.:

· Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in Fairfax County is the first established bald eagle refuge in the United States. The best views are along the Great Marsh Trail from November through March

· Bottlenose dolphins are spotted throughout the Chesapeake Bay and in nearby tributaries during the summer.

· Growing populations of black bears make their home in Western Maryland. Bears are common throughout the forests of Alleghany and Garrett counties in Maryland and can be spotted in parks including Savage River State Forest in Grantsville.

· Sea turtles parade from water to sand and back on the protected shores of Bald Head Island, N.C. (access by ferry only). The baby turtles hatch from late July through mid-October.

· Songbirds and raptors are among the migratory birds that make annual pit stops at the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. The area attracts more than 300 bird species, with late September through mid-October the peak period of the raptors' fall migration.

· Humpbacks and minkes are among the whales that can be seen off the coast of New England from spring through fall. Dozens of whale-watching outings are available daily in Cape Cod, Mass.

-- Elissa Leibowitz Poma



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