Hiking the C & O Canal

Just over a week ago (on 8/6/2006), I hiked the C & O Canal towpath with grandsons Tristan and Javi between Mileposts 99 and 98, a segment that is located in Washington County just west of Williamsport. The towpath parallels the Potomac River on the Maryland side of the river. We were there in the mid-afternoon on a hot and humid day, so there wasn’t much bird activity. Highlights included a brood of seven Wood Ducks in the watered portion of the canal, about 200 Canada Geese on the river, and an Osprey (initially spotted by Tristan, who thought it was a Bald Eagle) circling over the shallow flats of the river just north of the I-81 bridge. The boys seemed most impressed by the many huge spider webs adorning the trees and shrubs along the canal, and a hoppity American Toad that we were able to capture for a close-up examination.

Credit: The photo of the Osprey is by Finiky, as posted at Flickr.