THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505220181
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 113 lines
Mark Duda has compiled a delightful book detailing 80 of Virginia's top spots for watching wildlife, from whales to whitetails, bears to bluebirds.
It'll lead you to the best place to take a gander at snow geese (Back Bay in Virginia Beach), to the most likely spot for spotting a bear (Skyline Drive, near Front Royal), or to where you just might have the hair-raising experience of seeing an all-white snowshoe hare (northwest Highland County).
The ``Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide'' is the 20th in a national series and the first to feature a bald eagle on the cover.
It offers detailed information on wildlife habitat, migration patterns and peak viewing periods, with splendid maps and instructions as to how to get there and what to expect to see.
Duda, of Harrisonburg, has made identification simple by including helpful hints on how to find animals and birds, as well as outstanding full-color photographs by some of the nation's top photographers.
He is particularly proud of the cover picture, by Lynn M. Stone, whose works have appeared in some of the most beautiful wildlife books ever published.
Duda, 35, said he set out to write a book that involved people in the outdoors. And he has. Even the most inexperienced wildlife watcher should find it easier to spot creatures that heretofore have been elusive.
``Wildlife viewing is by chance,'' Duda said. ``You ride down a country road and someone spots a deer in the back of a field, so you stop and everyone gets a good look.
``But there are right places and right times, times of the season and times of the day, when your chances of seeing wild creatures are greatly improved. That's what I tried to capture.''
He has been successful.
Taking trips to watch wildlife is one of the fastest-growing recreational activities in the nation, according the a recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Duda said almost 800,000 Virginians annually make such jaunts, spending $380 million on travel and equipment.
He worked on the book for more than a year, with the help of hundreds of wildlife enthusiasts and experts across the nation and scores of professionals in various state agencies.
More than 150 sites were considered. The list was narrowed to 80, all of which Duda, a natural resource and environmental consultant, visited.
``Getting the list down to 80 was the hard part,'' he said. ``Making the personal visits was the easiest. And the best. This was the best job I've ever had. It left such great memories.''
Duda said Virginia's diversity, from the lofty peaks of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains to the marshes of the Eastern Shore, made the state unique.
``For its size, Virginia is one of the most diverse areas in the world,'' he said. ``We have an incredible range of wildlife and a tremendous variety of habitat. This is really a beautiful state.''
He warned, however, that the guide was not a guarantee, that it was aimed at casual wildlife-watchers.
``It's not going to do much for the birder who has a life list of 2,000 identified species,'' he said. ``It's the kind of thing you keep on the coffee table so you can plan trips, or keep in the glove compartment when you decide to take a fall drive on the Skyline Drive or a midwinter ride up to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.''
Duda said his biggest fear is that someone is going to grab the guide and then go out and expect to see wildlife as if it were in a cage.
``These things are wild,'' he said. ``Wildlife viewing is chancy business. It takes patience. You aren't going to be successful each time out.
``I just wanted to show people where the best spots were, how to get to them, what they might happen to see, and some of the skills and gear you need to improve your chances of actually spotting something.
``I'm a little concerned that the guide will increase the number of people going into some of these beautiful, remote areas, where they might disturb some of the wildlife.
``But I think that will be offset by what it teaches about the best way to see wild creatures.''
The book's 95 pages divide the state into six geographical areas: Tidewater, Eastern Shore, Northern, Central, Shenandoah and Southwest Highlands.
Duda said the guide is in most bookstores and nature shops and sells for $8.95. It also is available from the publisher, Falcon Press, by calling (800) 582-2665. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Mark Duda is the author of ``Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide.''
Graphic
SPOTS TO WATCH
Best spot to view deer: Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park,
near Luray.
Best spot to view whales: By boat out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia
Beach.
Best spot to view geese: Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge,
Virginia Beach.
Best spot to view bear: Shenandoah National Park, on Skyline
Drive between Waynesboro and Front Royal.
Best spot to view eagles: Mason Neck, on the Potomac River near
Lorton.
Best spot to view wildflowers: Old Rag Mountain near Madison, for
a combination of azaleas, redbuds, dogwoods and trillium.
Best spot to view warblers: Warbler Road, a 14-mile drive through
Thomas Jefferson National Forest, near Buchanan in Botetourt
County.
Best spots to view hawks: Kiptopeke State Park and Eastern Shore
of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, both near Cape Charles on the
Eastern Shore.
Best area to view wildlife in Virginia: Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge.
Author Mark Duda's favorite: ``Tough question.''
by CNB