Thanks to federal and state conservation efforts, Virginia and Maryland’s natural coastal bays are home to thousands of animal and plant species. These preserves are open year-round, and visitors can explore these sanctuaries by foot, bike, or boat. But please “leave no trace” to preserve the delicate landscape while birding.
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
This nature refuge is in Kent County, Maryland, at the mouth of the Chester River. The visitor center, housed in a former 1930s hunting lodge, is the place to begin strolling the hiking trails and boardwalks that skirt through the salt marshes. Among the 266 bird species, look for tundra swans, bald eagles, loons, herons, and European starlings, depending on the time of year. Bring a picnic and enjoy extraordinary views of Chesapeake Bay at sunset.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Located in Dorchester County, Maryland, Blackwater is one of the largest preserves in the region, with 32,000 acres. For optimum observation, wander the trails, where you can see an array of waterfowl and shorebirds, including bald eagles and wild turkeys. One way to spy these elusive creatures is on a free birding tour, which begins at the visitor center, or by driving, biking, or walking on Wildlife Drive (accessed from Key Wallace Drive).
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve in Maryland’s Worcester and Wicomico counties consists of 9,953 acres of swamp and upland forest. The Nature Conservancy protects the land, including the bald cypress tree swamps more commonly found farther south. Nassawango has miles of paddling and hiking trails, and the 60 species of migratory birds, bobcats, and mink have room to roam. Within the preserve is Furnace Town, a village where residents operated an iron furnace during the 19th century. (The village is open April to October.)
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
This refuge on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, was founded in 1943 to preserve the homelands of the Pocomoke and Occohannock people and to shelter the more than 14,000 acres of marshlands for the birds and monarch butterflies navigating the Atlantic Flyway. The refuge has two visitor centers, 15 miles of trails, Assateague Lighthouse, and Toms Cove beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Home to wild Chincoteague ponies, the annual pony swim happens on July 24.
Kiptopeke State Park
Kiptopeke State Park in Cape Charles, Virginia, is 562 acres of birder paradise. Once a family resort and the terminus of the Little Creek–Cape Charles Ferry in the mid-20th century, the commonwealth set aside this habitat of loblolly pines, ponds, and beaches to support migratory songbirds, especially young birds on their inaugural southbound flights. Kiptopeke has elevated hawkwatch platforms for viewing birds of prey and submerged ships that provide nesting areas for gulls and fish. The family-friendly park includes 5 miles of nature trails, a butterfly garden, swimming beaches, campgrounds, and kayak rentals.
Brownsville Preserve
The preserve in Nassawadox, Virginia, has boardwalk trails that crisscross this historic farmland on the state’s Eastern Shore peninsula. Protected by The Nature Conservancy, seabirds, foxes, deer, wild turkeys, and bald eagles have all made their home in these wooded uplands and windswept beaches. The landscape is remarkable for its deep-water coastal creeks and barrier islands. After downloading the free audio guide, visitors can trek the 3-mile loop of coastal scenery and learn the history of the 1,250-acre Brownsville Farm, founded in 1652.
Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
Located in Cape Charles, Virginia, this refuge is on the eastern tip of the Delmarva peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel. The peninsula’s tip is an important migration funnel for birds as they head south. They converge here and wait for winds to help them cross the bay. In its past life, the refuge was a military base, so there are remnants of a World War II gun barrel to see, along with a modern, interactive visitor center and indoor observation deck.
Feature image of Blackwater River courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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This story originally ran in our May issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.