Pleasure House Point Natural Area

Pleasure House Point Natural area is really a piece of land with two distinct seasons and two distinct habitats. As you walk from the street to the water, you will pass through maritime forest with many woodland denizens like Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Towhee, and Carolina Wren. In the summer, this is a great place to look for Blue grosbeak and Great Crested Flycatcher. And in the winter, this area is littered with Yellow-rumped Warblers. You can also find Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets here in winter. Many people come to Pleasure House Point for the waders and waterfowl, but don’t overlook the maritime forest — it is full of gems, too!

As you make your way through the wooded areas, there will be two water retaining ponds. In the winter these are great places to look for Hooded Mergansers. As you walk along Pleasure House Creek, be on the look out for year-round residents like Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, and Snowy Egret. In summer, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Osprey are plentiful along the creek. Also, be on the lookout (or listen) for Clapper Rail. If you head west, there is an area of water at the end that is a great place to see American Wigeon, Gadwall, and Green-winged Teal during the winter. If you walk east, you will come to Crab Creek and be able to view the Lynnhaven Inlet. You can see Black Skimmers and American Oystercatchers here during the summer. In the winter months, be on the lookout for Bufflehead and Red-breasted Merganser. You may also be able to find Brant here, in the winter. Seaside and Nelson’s Sparrows can also be located in the spartina along the creek.

Across from the Brock Center, there is a sandbar that is exposed at low tide. This is a good place to see terns and gulls year-round, especially if you time your birding right with the tide. Gulls that can be seen all year are Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed, and Lesser black-backed. In winter, Bonaparte’s Gull can be seen, and in summer, Laughing Gull. Also in summer, Least, Caspian, Common, Royal, and Sandwich Terns can be seen here. Forster’s are present year-round.

Accessibility: Plenty of free street parking along Marlin Bay Drive with two access trails from the street. There is also a parking lot at the corner of East Stratford Road and Chesterfield Avenue in front of the Brock Environmental Center, which is also free, but has limited space. Open from sunrise to sunset.

Owner/Manager: City of Virginia Beach

eBird Hotspot: Pleasure House Point Natural Area

—Brandon Holland, August 2021

Carolanne Farms Neighborhood Park

If you would like a day of solitary birding, but don’t want to walk miles to get away from the people who are gathered near the entrance/parking areas of other parks, then I would recommend trying Carolanne Farms Neighborhood Park. Nestled in a quiet neighborhood along the Elizabeth River, this park has a surprising amount of habitat variety packed into a little area. This park has many year-round residents, but is also a migrant trap during spring and fall passerine migration.

As you enter the park, to your left and right you will notice great edges to bird. If you visit here between September and April, the grasses are mowed and relatively short. However, the grasses are allowed to grow all summer and can be as high as three feet. But don’t worry, the city mows under the powerlines that travel along these edges and gives accessibility to those who want to walk this area. Eastern Bluebird can be seen along these powerlines and Osprey build their nests on the top of the towers. As you walk these edges keep your eyes open for year-round forest denizens like Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow and Brown Thrasher. During spring and fall migration, you can see American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Black-throated Blue Warbler, among others. During winter this is a good area to see White-throated and Fox Sparrows. In summer, be on the lookout for Great-crested Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

As you make your way up the main path, which is paved and enters the wooded area, keep your eyes open for Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Tufted Titmouse, and Blue Jay. In summer you can find Ovenbird foraging along the forest floor. When you come to the end, there is a loop at the boat launch. As you look over the water, you can see Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and Great Egret. In the winter, you can see Pied-billed Grebe, Ruddy Duck, and Bufflehead. In summer, the reeds across the water are brimming with nesting Red-winged Blackbirds.

There is a dirt path coming off the paved loop that travels between the Elizabeth River and Turtle Lake. This stretch of trail is my favorite spot to bird. This path is narrow and on the cusp of being overgrown, but you can get up close and personal with the birds here. During spring and fall migration, the warblers tend to bunch in the bayberry and cedar trees as they forage. American Redstart, Black-throated Blue, and Blackpoll Warblers are often seen here. In winter, you can find Hooded Merganser in Turtle Lake with the other resident waterfowl. This is also where a Wood Stork was seen in 2020!

Accessibility: There is plenty of free street parking along Gainsborough Road. There is a paved walking path from the street to the kayak launch along the Elizabeth River, which is accessible for wheelchairs. Other trails are dirt, but all are relatively flat and easy to walk. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

Owner/Manager: City of Virginia Beach

eBird Hotspot: Carolanne Farms Neighborhood Park

—Brandon Holland, March 2021

Marshview Park

After decades of planning, Marshview Park was opened to the public in 2015 and continues to undergo improvements. Unfortunately, some of these improvements included clearing the scrub favored by birds. Nonetheless, the park remains a promising birding habitat with 100 acres of wooded property adjacent to Lake Rudee. 

 The park has a diverse population of year-round residents such as Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinches, and Northern Cardinals. The park is developing a reputation for spring and fall migrants, especially warblers and has the state’s only report of a Virginia’s Warbler! Other noteworthy species include waterfowl, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, owls, vireos, thrushes, and tanagers. 

Accessibility: Marsh View Park has ample onsite parking, and more is being added. Google Maps will direct you to the small lot on the west side of Marshview Road. Don’t be fooled by the signs. Salt Marsh Point Park is the playground on the west side of the road. If you park there, simply walk across Marsh View Road toward the sign for “Salt Marsh Point, A Contemporary Resort Community.” Two ADA-compliant, paved paths line the creek that runs southeast to the parking lot on the east side, which is accessible from Virginia Avenue. The area near that parking lot is a good place to view warblers and birds at feeders near the condominiums. There are also some pedestrian bridges and many soft trails. To view the birds in marshes, head southeast from the parking lot along the soft trail. 

Owner/Manager: City of Virginia Beach

eBird Hotspot: Marsh View Park

—Cindy Hamilton, February 2021

West Neck Creek Natural Area

The West Neck Creek Natural Area is a wooded 217-acre site located in the southern part of Virginia Beach across from the Municipal Center along North Landing Road. The natural area is almost completely forested with older deciduous trees except for the open space maintained around the Buffington House and the gravel road leading to it. The south side of the natural area opens to a swamp fed by West Neck Creek and several drainage channels that run south from Princess Anne Road.

One-hundred and thirty-eight species have been recorded to date. West Neck Creek is a reliable location for most of the common forest-dwellers seen in other places in Virginia Beach.  All common woodpeckers except for the Red-headed can be found year-round.  In the spring Ovenbirds are prevalent, along with Northern Parulas. April and May also bring other species such as American Redstarts, Hooded and Worm-eating Warblers. Other common spring and summer residents include Eastern Wood-Pewees, Acadian Flycatchers and Great Crested Flycatchers.  On the owl side, Barred Owls are not uncommon and have successfully nested near the swamp in recent years.

The canopy is high, so viewing the upper story of the woods from the trails can be a challenge; however, the viewing from the perimeter of the tree-line that circles around the Buffington House offers great views for birding.

Accessibility: This natural area has been kept in its natural state except for a series of shared-use​​ trails that total approximately 2.5 miles of soft path and .3 miles of paved ADA-compliant trails. The trail system borders West Neck Road to the west and Princess Anne Road to the north. The City of Virginia Beach highlights this site’s mixed-use value: “as a valuable aesthetic resource, the West Neck Creek Natural Area offers the opportunity for passive recreational uses, such as hiking, fishing, bird watching, horseback riding, nature observation and photography.” ​​​With the advent of COVID-19, the paved loop has become very popular with families.

If you are considering leaving the paved trail, the rest of the trails are normally muddy — sometimes very muddy — and bugs are prevalent when the foliage comes in. Also, occasional low-flying jet traffic directly overhead is not uncommon depending upon the winds.

The area is open sunrise to sunset and lacks restroom or water facilities.

Owner/ Manager: City of Virginia Beach

eBird Hotspot: West Neck Creek Natural Area

—Steve Myers, February 2021

Back Bay NWR--Frank Carter Impoundments

The Frank Carter Impoundments at Back Bay NWR offer a promising birding habitat, comprising 25 acres with five impoundments surrounded by dirt dikes. Unlike the more popular impoundments at the main Back Bay Refuge, this hotspot is rarely visited by birders or, for that matter, by anyone. Only 106 species were listed on eBird’s “Bird Observations” as of February 9, 2021 (https://ebird.org/barchart?r=L8257838&yr=all&m=), probably because this location is such a well-kept secret. Difficult-to-find, crepuscular and nocturnal species can be heard near the parking lot, such as Chuck-will’s-widow and American Woodcock. These impoundments are also home to Wood Ducks, herons, and egrets. Woodpeckers, sparrows, warblers, and a variety of other small birds can be found in the trees and shrubs. Hopefully as the word gets out and more birders report more species, there will be more to add to this description! 

 Accessibility: The Frank Carter Impoundments are located on the west side of Colchester Road, about half a mile south of Sandbridge Road. There is a sign, but it is easy to miss. A gravel parking lot can hold 5 or 6 cars. There are no restroom facilities. Mowing is sporadic at best, so dress appropriately. From the parking lot, step across the low barrier and walk west until you reach a T-intersection. The impoundments will be straight ahead and clustered together. A 1-mile walking trail circles the cluster of impoundments. The view of the impoundments is often blocked by tall reeds and/or other vegetation. If you turn right at the T-intersection, you’ll soon reach a platform overlooking one of the impoundments. 

 Owner/Manager: US Fish & Wildlife Service

 eBird Hotspot: Back Bay NWR--Frank Carter Impoundments

 —Cindy Hamilton, February 2021