Reeds Gap Road (Route 664)

Reeds Gap Road is a windy, paved road that connects the Blue Ridge Parkway on the ridge (at 2650 ft elevation) with Mt Torrey Rd in the valley (at 1660 ft elevation). Spring migration is the best time to bird here where the forest habitat and elevation change can yield a variety of birds such as raptors, woodpeckers, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Common Raven, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Hooded and Pine Warblers. Up near the Parkway one can find Dark-eyed Junco and Cerulean Warbler. There are very few safe places to pull over, so drive carefully.

eBird Hotspot: Reeds Gap Road (Route 664)

—Vic Laubach

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Reddish Knob

With an elevation of 4397 ft, Reddish Knob can be a good location to watch the fall hawk migration. A visit around the third week of September could be rewarded with hundreds or thousands of raptors such as Bald Eagle and Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Broad-winged, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. Later in the season, Golden Eagle and Northern Goshawk are also probable. The forests that surround Reddish Knob support interesting birds that only breed at this high altitude such as Juncos, Red Crossbill, Veery, Black-throated Blue and Canada Warblers. The drive to and from Reddish Knob is worth taking slowly to take advantage of a Ruffed Grouse or Wild Turkey sighting along the road. In the winter one might also find Snow Bunting, Fox Sparrow and Pine Siskin.

Accessibility: Routes 924 and 85 up to the knob are paved. However, Rt 85 is very narrow and curvy, and one must drive very slowly with caution in case any vehicles or cyclists are coming from the opposite direction. During winter months Rt 85 can be very icy and/or snow-covered and thus may be impassable. At the summit, there is a fairly large paved parking lot but no amenities.

eBird Hotspot: Reddish Knob

—Vic Laubach

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Narrow Back Road

A large pond in the middle of a field not far from the road. There are no cattails, shrubs or trees around the pond, but this body of water can attract waterfowl such as Geese, Swans, Ducks, and Grebes in addition to Killdeer, raptors, and swallows. The surrounding fields can also attract American Pipits and Horned Larks. Two Ross's Geese stopped over here in early December 2012. View the pond from the road after safely pulling to the side. There is also a small gravel parking space near the gate that can easily hold a vehicle.

eBird Hotspot: Narrow Back Road

—Vic Laubach

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Mount Solon Pond

This large pond lies at the intersection of Free Mason Run Road (Rt 747) and Natural Chimney Road (731). There is a small parking area near the pond next to 747. It's usually worth making a stop here to look for kingfisher, herons and waterfowl such as Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, and Redhead. A small group of Eurasian Collared-Dove lived in the trees alongside Natural Chimney Road but few have been seen in recent years. Other birds to be seen here include woodpeckers, swallows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Cedar Waxwing.

eBird Hotspot: Mount Solon Pond

—Vic Laubach

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Mount Horeb Ponds

The Mount Horeb Ponds are two farm ponds, across from each other, along Rockfish Road. Rockfish Road is a highly-traveled road so be sure to pull all the way off the road onto the grass, with flashers flashing, if you stop to view the ponds. The pond on the east side of the road is easily seen and is a good spot in migration season for sandpipers such as Solitary, Spotted, and both Yellowlegs species, as well as Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. The pond on the west side of the road is about 50 yards north of the other pond and set back farther from the road, hard to see. This pond is surrounded by cattails so is a good spot to look for species such as Red-winged Blackbird and Common Yellowthroat. Cooper’s Hawks nest in the trees near this pond. Occasionally all the farm fields in this area will flood creating an amazing habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.

eBird Hotspot: Mount Horeb Ponds

—Gabriel Mapel

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McCormick's Mills

McCormick's Mills is a historic farm in Raphine where Cyrus McCormick invented and developed farm machinery, now used as an agricultural research station by Virginia Tech. There are two ponds here: one near the parking lot and one across the road on the north side. These ponds can attract a nice variety of birds including waterfowl (Tundra Swan, Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Redhead, etc.) as well as shorebirds and waders (Least Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Green Heron). The surrounding trees and open areas attract woodpeckers, swallows, Eastern Wood-pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Vireos (Warbling and White-eyed), thrushes, warblers (Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow-rumped, Palm), and sparrows. Baltimore orioles regularly nest in the willow trees next to the old mill. A large parking lot is available, and walking paths are easy and marked.

eBird Hotspot: McCormick's Mills

—Vic Laubach

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Maple Flat Ponds

The Maple Flat ponds comprise a special sinkhole pond ecology in the Big Levels area of the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest near Stuarts Draft, VA. Home to a variety of frogs and salamanders as well as rare and endangered plants and animals, these Shenandoah Valley sinkhole ponds are shallow depressions in the ground that contain standing water for all or, usually, part of the year. These ponds are unique to the western base of the Blue Ridge and formed when limestone dissolved locally beneath a mantle of colluvial soils which washed off the mountains. A layer of clay then formed several feet below the surface of this area and created a perched surface water table that reaches up into the sinkholes during the wet season. Most popular among birders during spring or fall migration, these ponds can hold Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, Barred Owl, kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Pine Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Northern Parula, Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush, and Canada Warbler. The ponds are accessed on foot from Forest Road 42 (Coal Road). Park in a semi-circular parking area marked with big boulders. If that’s full, go ¼ mile further to the next parking pullout.

eBird Hotspot: Maple Flat Ponds

—Vic Laubach

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Long Meadow Farm Pond

This spring-fed pond lies in the middle of a field and has some cattails and other shore vegetation. Traffic can be busy, so you'll need to be sure to park safely off the road to view this pond, which usually has some sort of waterfowl such as geese and ducks. The pond is much more active in the winter months where one may find Snow and Greater White-fronted Goose, Gadwall, Hooded Merganser, and Northern Shoveler. A Wood Stork stopped here briefly in May 2017.

eBird Hotspot: Long Meadow Farm Pond

—Vic Laubach

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Little Run Road

Little Run Rd (1.7 miles) runs along the east boundary of the Shenandoah Airport between Snowflake Mill Rd and Craig Shop Rd. The north end passes through open fields and some overgrown fence rows where one can find Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Kingbird, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, American Kestrel, Dark-eyed Junco, and Northern Harrier. There is a small wet area with cattails next to the airport fence, that is an oasis for birds in the summer. The fields near the airport often hold wintering Short-eared Owls that can be seen at dusk. The southern portion passes through mixed forest, some more open fields, and crosses over a small creek (Broad Run). Here one can find plenty of sparrows (Grasshopper, Field, Song, Chipping, Savannah), Orioles, Blue Grosbeak, Common Yellowthroat, and a nice variety of swallows. Birders often continue on to the southeast on Craig Shop Rd that eventually meets up with Battlefield Rd. Here it runs parallel with the Middle River and passes through more open fields. Scan the river and its trees for waterfowl, Bobolink in the spring and Bald Eagle while scanning the fields for Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, and raptors.

eBird Hotspot: Little Run Road

—Vic Laubach

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Little North Mountain WMA--Trimbles Mill access

This gravel road is a forest service road and an extension of Boy Scout Ln that takes you up the mountain through hardwood forest. It does not connect with any other roads so it is an up-and-back trip. If the gate is open, one can drive up about a mile, and perhaps more with a 4-wheel drive vehicle, depending on the conditions of the road. This is also a hunter access road during hunting season. The forest habitat and change in elevation allows for a variety of migrant species to be found such as Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Wood Thrush, Great Crested Flycatcher, and various warblers (e.g. Kentucky, Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Hooded, Chestnut-sided, Pine). Other resident species include Dark-eyed Junco, Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Turkey, and Ruffed Grouse.

Owner/Manager: Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries

eBird Hotspot: Little North Mountain WMA--Trimbles Mill access

—Vic Laubach

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Humpback Rocks--Visitor Center

The Humpback Rocks visitors' center and the nearby Frontier Homestead lies six miles south of the north entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Afton, VA. Visitors can tour a collection of Nineteenth Century farm buildings within the Homestead. The grounds around the visitor’s center and homestead is mixed woods and open areas where abundant spring and fall migrants can be found such as warblers, vireos, sparrows, flycatchers, tanagers, thrushes, and swallows. 

Facilities: The visitor’s center has an information desk, gift shop, restrooms, and a large parking lot. The area offers easy, paved, handicap accessible trails.

Owner/Manager: National Park Service

eBird Hotspot: Humpback Rocks--Visitor Center

—Vic Laubach

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Braley Pond Road

This 6-mile-long gravel road (715) extends northward from Rt 250 to 95 at Elkhorn Lake. On the south end, access is gained to Braley Pond. For much of its length, Braley Pond Road parallels the Calfpasture River, which crisscrosses the road several times. Most of the drive is through hardwood forest. Watch for neotropical migrants in the spring/fall as well as breeders such as Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, and Chestnut-sided Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, and plenty of woodpeckers and Brown Creepers.

eBird Hotspot: Braley Pond Road

—Vic Laubach

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Humpback Rocks Picnic Area

The Humpback Rocks Picnic Area is located on the East side of the Blue Ridge Parkway, three miles south of the Humpback Rocks Trailhead and Visitor Center. There are nice picnic tables surrounded by forest. Spring through fall, this is a good spot to look for a variety of migrating and breeding warblers and other neotropical migrants, including Cerulean Warbler. Pit toilets are available at the Picnic Area.

Owner/Manager: Shenandoah National Park

eBird Hotspot: Humpback Rocks Picnic Area

—Gabriel Mapel

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Hope Lake

The Boy Scout's Camp Shenandoah is comprised of Hope Lake and surrounding marsh, fields and trees. The property is private, but you can park along Boy Scout Lane, a gravel road, and view the lake from there. In the spring, one can drive up the mountain, remaining on Boy Scout Lane off to the right of the camp’s main gate. Along here one will find lots of spring migrants. If the second gate further up is open, you can keep driving up the mountain to find Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, warblers, flycatchers, vireos, etc. Beware of hunters during hunting season.

Accessibility: Directions: From Rt 254, take Swoope Rd (Rt 876) south. Turn right onto Hewitt Rd, then turn left onto Cattleman Rd (Rt 876). Turn right onto Trimbles Mill Rd (Rt 707) and then right onto Boy Scout Ln (Rt 806) to the lake.

eBird Hotspot: Hope Lake

—Vic Laubach

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Hite Hollow Road

This is a 10-mile long gravel road beginning in Augusta Springs (elevation 1600 ft), taking you deep into the forest, over the mountain (elevation 3800 ft), and down into Deerfield valley (elevation 1000 ft). For the first 3 miles from Augusta Springs Hite Hollow Rd parallels closely with a small stream. The elevation changes on both sides of the ridge provide a nice change in habitat for various spring migrants. Summer residents include Wood Thrush, Acadian Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, and various warblers (Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Pine, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue). Lots of migrants can be seen moving through in spring or fall. Resident species include Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy and Downy Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Ruffed Grouse. The lower elevations include mixed trees and fields where one can find Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Grasshopper Sparrow. The road is not maintained in the winter so avoid if snow or ice is present.

eBird Hotspot: Hite Hollow Road

—Vic Laubach

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