Located just west of the town of Crozet at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, King Family Vineyard offers a diverse birding hotspot that has produced some fantastic local rarities. The main attractions at this site are the two small wetland restoration ponds on the south side of Roseland Farm Drive. Since their construction in 2007, these ponds have delighted local birders with a wide variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other marshland species. In recent years, the polo field has also produced some astonishing shorebird records for the region.
Birding at King Family Vineyard is straightforward, but adhering to the access requirements for birders is critical. Park in the main parking lot of the vineyards; do not pull off on the shoulder to view the ponds. Walk from the parking lot and view the ponds from the side of Roseland Farm Drive, and do not walk down to the ponds. To view the polo field, walk west down the entrance road past the vineyard buildings. View from the T intersection on the edge of the polo field, and be mindful that the road to the south of this intersection leads to a private residence. Always be courteous to the owners; they are friendly and have done great work creating wildlife habitat at the vineyard.
The water level and emergent vegetation at the ponds is quite variable depending on the season and rainfall. If there’s ample water in the winter, puddle ducks like American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler and Northern Pintail can sometimes be spotted. Goose flocks are sporadically present, and thoroughly scouring these has produced records of Snow, Ross’s, and Cackling Geese. The waterfowl game here is hit or miss, and the birding at this site certainly improves as spring migration ramps up. Blue-winged Teal, Wood Duck, and Hooded Merganser are frequent spring sightings, and the latter two species have bred in the provided boxes in recent years. Killdeer are joined by Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpipers, and both yellowlegs as the spring progresses. Provided there are adequate mudflats, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers can also drop into the ponds. Green Herons and Great Egrets are common, and lucky birders who carefully scan the wetland margins are sometimes rewarded with American Bitterns. Sora and Virginia Rail are probably regular, but are difficult to detect as the ponds are not approachable. The ponds have accumulated an impressive list of rarities over the years, such as White and Glossy Ibis, Common Gallinule (multiple times), Red-necked Phalarope, Black-bellied Plover and Marbled Godwit.
As the ponds become overgrown with vegetation most summers, the polo field is the best bet for a rare shorebird on fall migration. As a note to visiting birders, polo games occur every Sunday and are sure to frighten off any birds on the field. Visits should also be coordinated with overnight weather systems, as these are the only conditions that are likely to force a wayward migrant down to the field. The unassuming polo field was first put on birders’ radars when a Buff-breasted Sandpiper joined the local Killdeer flock for several days in September of 2017, and the following August a lone Willet dropped in for a day. The most incredible shorebird fallout here occurred in September of 2018, when a truly mind-boggling peep flock containing seventy-nine White-rumped Sandpipers, four Sanderlings and numerous Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpipers was knocked down by a strong storm front. With diligent birder visits, it seems only a matter of time before another crazy fallout occurs at this spot!
Accessibility: To reiterate, it is critical the birders follow access protocols as detailed here and above. Park in the main parking lot of the vineyards; do not pull off on the shoulder to view the ponds. Walk from the parking lot and view the ponds from the side of Roseland Farm Drive, and do not walk down to the ponds. To view the polo field, walk west down the entrance road past the vineyard buildings. View from the T intersection on the edge of the polo field, and be mindful that the road to the south of this intersection leads to a private residence. Always be courteous to the owners; they are friendly and have done great work creating wildlife habitat at the vineyard. Visiting birders may also consider patronizing the winery as a show of thanks for their hospitality.
Owner/Manager: King Family Vineyards
eBird Hotspot: King Family Vineyard (view from Roseland Farm Lane only)
—Baxter Beamer, March 2021