The Swoope area, (including Hewitt Road, Cattleman Road, Trimbles Mill Road, N Mountain Road, Livick Road, Glebe School Road, and Hope Lake) is a scenic mixture of pastures, agricultural fields, hedgerows, trees, creeks, and wetlands at the base of the Allegheny Mountains to the west. This area holds a wide variety of songbirds, sparrows, raptors, neotropical migrants and shorebirds at all seasons. Short-eared Owls and Loggerhead Shrikes have been seen here in winter. The north end of Cattleman Road has a creek and some nice wet areas to find Yellow Warbler and Willow Flycatcher. Much of Swoope will hold plenty of Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Dickcissel, Bobolink, sparrows, orioles, and raptors such as Northern Harrier and American Kestrel. Watch for the resident pair of Bald Eagles that have been nesting here for at least the past 6 years. Driving is fairly easy with light traffic, but always pull safely off the road with your hazard lights blinking if you need to stop.
eBird Hotspot: Swoope Area
—Vic Laubach