While decent birding can be had year round from the trails, birding here is at its best during migration, especially in the fall. This park is one of very few wet meadow ecosystems in the area and attracts one of the most exciting species assemblages of any park in the county, rivaling Huntley Meadows in some regards.
From the parking lot there are a few options for how to proceed birding. Often, the few large trees in the field that are adjacent to the lot contain flocks of Eastern Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows, American Goldfinches and many other species depending on the time of year, especially in the mornings before nearby traffic intensity has picked up. From there two basic options exist, to follow the edge of the pond on unofficial trails or to flank the meadow entirely and walk along the treeline on the east side of the park. If taking the pondside route, be careful to scan for waterfowl as soon as you are able since they will often flush at the sight of an approaching person. If you are careful and walk through the middle of the meadow out of view of the pond, the waterfowl is unlikely to flush. At the southern terminus of the pond is where the truly wet section of the meadow typically begins (this depends on beaver activity and recent rainfall).
Due to being such a unique habitat, it attracts many interesting birds, with notable records including: Cackling Goose (flyover), American Bittern, Little Blue Heron, American Woodcock (displaying at dusk in the spring), Olive-sided Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Common Raven (up to 9 at once, a county high count), Sedge Wren (multiple years, probably annual here), Marsh Wren, American Pipit (flyover), Mourning and Wilson's Warblers, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow (one of the most reliable places in the county), Bobolink (flyover), and White-winged Crossbill (during the winter invasion of 2011-12). The rest of the park offers more typical woodland birding available at other parks in the area, but can be really phenomenal on a good migration day. Highlights in the wooded areas include, Golden-winged, Wilson's and Blackburnian Warblers, Warbling Vireo, and nesting Red-headed Woodpeckers.
Accessibility: This park is open dawn to dusk year round and is accessible via a small parking lot at the intersection of Fox Mill Rd. and Waples Mill Rd. Check the county deer control website for the most up-to-date information on hunting in the park. During deer hunting season the county encourages patrons to stay on official paths at county parks, unfortunately there none at this location. There is never any hunting on Sunday. Beware of ticks at this location. While there are no official paths at this park there is a network of unofficial paths, however prepare for high grass and standing water, as this is a wet meadow habitat.
Owner/Manager: Fairfax County Park Authority
eBird Hotspot: Waples Mill Meadow Park
—Nick Newberry