Bake Oven Knob - Hawkwatch
Lehigh Carbon
DESCRIPTION: Located about 15 miles up-ridge from Hawk Mountain, this site gets similar hawk flights (and fewer tourists). Bake Oven Road on the way up to the parking area has several breeding species not easily found in Lehigh County: Cerulean, Hooded, and Worm-eating warblers and Yellow-throated Vireo. Black-and-white Warbler and American Redstart are also present. Description adapted from Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinty, available at http://www.lehigh.edu/~bcm0/lvas/BOLV.htm.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of PA 3089 and PA 100 in Pleasant Corners, go north on PA 309 for 4.5 miles and turn right on Mountain Road. Go 2 miles and turn left on Ulrich Road. Go 1 mile and continue straight on Bake Oven Road. Go 1.1 mile to the parking area on the right. Follow the Appalachian Trail east about 0.5 mile to the lookouts. There is one on the north side of the ridge and one on the south. The specialty warblers can most easily be found by walking the road downhill from the third switchback (40.741804,-75.739474) on the way up the mountain. This switchback is approximately 1.5 miles from the intersection of Church and Bake Oven Roads. There are several pairs of Cerulean and Worm-eatings along this stretch of road, and one or two Hooded (they are more common along the Appalachian Trail heading west from the parking lot). The Yellow-throated Vireos are not present every year. Kentucky Warbler has also been reported here but is quite rare. Other species common along the road are Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Buntings and of course, Ovenbird, as well as the more common forest birds, like Wood Thrush and woodpeckers. Also as you drive up, watch out for the occasional Ruffed Grouse or Wild Turkey crossing the road and listen for Pileated Woodpeckers calling.

 

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Posted: 2009-10-24 00:00:00
Updated: 2009-11-05 00:00:00