The International Paper mill looms over this small boat launch, on the eastern edge of Franklin, that provides access to the Blackwater River. Birding here is fairly simple; the boat launch has a large parking lot bordered by a large mowed lawn to the west, and hemmed in by woods on the east and south. Most of the woods here are mixed deciduous, but there is a large tract of pine woods that backs right up to the southern end of the parking area. At all times of year, expect a good mix of edge species here including Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Brown Thrasher, and the like. The pines support both Pine Warbler and Brown-headed Nuthatch year-round, as well as breeding Yellow-throated Warblers that return by late March. In winter, check for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. The wood edges that border the parking area have a nice mix of tangled vegetation that can be good for sparrows in the fall and winter. White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco are the most common, but Fox Sparrow has been reported and this would be a fine spot to kick up an uncommon migrant or wintering species such as a Lincoln’s or White-crowned. The riparian tangles here seem as though they could also support an overwintering warbler, flycatcher, or vireo; at the very least, Orange-crowned Warbler is a bird to watch for. Apart from the wood edges, this boat landing is just a short ways from the downtown area of Franklin, making it a good place to see typical suburban species including Mourning Dove, European Starling, House Finch, and House Sparrow. In the summer, the air will be filled with the chatter of Chimney Swifts. A short distance west of the parking area, there is a wastewater treatment facility where staging swallows sometimes congregate in the late summer. Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged are the typical species, but a Bank or Cliff could easily be found as well.
Though the boat landing provides access to the Blackwater River, the water is not really the main birding feature here. At this point, the river is so narrow that it is hardly more than a large creek, and it does not offer much in the way of opportunities to see true waterbirds. Occasionally a Double-crested Cormorant may be around, and in winter the river may host a Pied-billed Grebe, but it is not a particularly likely spot for ducks. During the winter, the water does draw Ring-billed Gulls and Fish Crows that loaf around the parking area hoping for a handout. Perhaps the most exciting river-associated bird at this spot, Prothonotary Warblers breed along this stretch of the Blackwater and can easily be heard and seen during the breeding season.
Note: For those concerned with county listing, the Blackwater River forms the boundary between the City of Franklin and Isle of Wight County. The line falls roughly midway across the river, but fortunately it is narrow enough at this spot that gauging the halfway point is relatively easy.
eBird Hotspot: Blackwater River Boat Ramp
—Matt Anthony, August 2020
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