29 April 2023

Tomorrow is the big Enlow Fork Extravaganza at State Gamelands 302 on the border of Washington and Greene Counties. Known for its wildflowers and birds, the site is called “Enlow Fork” because its defining feature is the creek that runs through it, the Enlow Fork of Wheeling Creek.

Though tomorrow’s weather looks like rain, my friend Barb Griffith and I had a nice day there on Wednesday April 26.

We saw 45 species of birds including First of Year gray catbird, Baltimore oriole and American redstarts (checklist is here). We were disappointed not to find any wood thrushes, scarlet tanagers or rose-breasted grosbeaks though we have seen them there in late April in years past.

Spring leafout at Enlow Fork was late compared to the City of Pittsburgh, even though Enlow is 40 miles south of town. The side-by-side photos below show leafout at Schenley Park and at Enlow Fork on virtually the same day. I didn’t expect our urban heat island to make that much difference.

Lack of leaves and much less deer browse made the wildflowers superb. Here are just a few of those we saw. As always, if I’ve misidentified any, please let me know.

(photos by Barb Griffith and Kate St. John)