Biology Faculty Member, Ellen Lawler, Contributes to Birdwatching Guide to Delmarva

SALISBURY, MD--The release of the Birdwatching Guide to Delmarva proves once and for all that there is much more to birding on the peninsula than waterfowl and wading birds.

A coalition of 34 members (including SSU) representing Maryland, Delaware and Virginia and the federal government has produced a 56-page, full-color guide to the best birdwatching on the Delmarva Peninsula. Dr. Ellen Lawler of SSU's Department of Biology was a major contributor to the publication.

This is not a guide to bird identification, said Cindy Small, executive director of the Sussex County, DE, Convention and Tourism Commission. But rather a guide to where you will find the best birdwatching on the Delmarva Peninsula. The Guide also lists the optimum times to see various species in the public places listed.

"There has been a need for a publication of this nature for a long time," said Jim Rapp (SSU Class of 91), director of the Salisbury Zoological Park and a major contributor to the Guide. The partnership that made this possible has done a great service both to birders and the region.

The bird life of Delmarva ranges from waterfowl to colorful woodland warblers. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge alone lists more than 300 species that may be spotted there. Migrating songbirds also visit Assateague Island, Kiptopeke State Park, Bombay Hook, Pocomoke River State Park, Pickering Creek and many other sanctuaries on Delmarva.

The Guide also provides a list of birding-related events on Delmarva. It is available at many locations on the East Coast for $6.95. Copies are in Blackwell Library and the Biology Department.