One of the most productive birding spots in Greensville County is this roughly two-mile long road in the far southeastern corner of the county, just a half mile west of the Southampton line. Most of the road is dominated by large tracts of early successional, cutover land, in some cases backing up to patches of intact woods. The birding here is at its best during the spring and summer months, when the cutovers are alive with the songs of Northern Bobwhites, Yellow-breasted Chats, Prairie Warblers, Field Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, and the like. From the woods, it is not unusual to hear or see woodpeckers, flycatchers and pewees, vireos, and Summer Tanagers. At the northern end of the road there is also a substantial marsh; a cautious approach may allow you to spot a Wood Duck before it flushes, or perhaps a Great Egret. This is also an excellent spot to look skyward, with the wide open view making it easy to spot soaring aerialists including swifts and swallows, as well as Mississippi Kites. If you find yourself traversing this road on a summer night, you will likely be serenaded by the songs of Eastern Whip-poor-wills. However, for many birders the biggest draw here is at the very southern end of the road, just barely north of the North Carolina border, where the dominant open habitat gives way to a wet bottomland forest and a creek that is crossed by the eponymous “steel bridge.” These woods are home to a variety of woodland and riparian species such as Yellow-throated Vireo, Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, and Louisiana Watherthrush. This is also one of the most reliable spots in Greensville County to find Swainson’s Warbler, with one often (though not always) singing near the bridge. In spring and fall, this spot is as good as any in Greensville to search for migrants. Relatively little winter birding effort has been logged here, so there remains pioneering to be done. The brushy vegetation along much of the road may be good for winter sparrows, while the wetland at the north end seems likely to attract waterfowl on occasion.
Accessibility: This is a public road, located about half a mile west of the Meherrin River. After crossing into Greensville County from the east, turn left from Low Ground Road (VA 730) onto Steel Bridge Road. The road itself is unpaved gravel, but it receives very little traffic and it is possible to cruise slowly and stop to look or listen.
eBird Hotspot: Steel Bridge Road
—Matt Anthony
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