The Dog & Oyster Vineyard

Affiliated with the Hope & Glory Inn in downtown Irvington, this vineyard has over six acres of grapes as well as a charming tasting room serving up wine and lite fare (including local oysters) on a screen-in porch and outdoor patio. The vineyard also offers lodging, with a complex of cabins located in a wooded area set back from the tasting room. On the grounds, birders will find that the areas not planted with grapes comprise several large, grassy fields that are teeming with Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and other open country species. During the spring and summer months, there are often swifts, swallows, and martins coursing above the fields. In the right year, this is a spot worth checking for Dickcissels. Directly south of the tasting room, the largest of these fields is bisected by the aptly named “Road To Nowhere,” a paved road that abruptly deadends, offering easy access to bird these fields. The cabins are set back in a wooded area where you can expect to find woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and, in the appropriate season, warblers and vireos. There are typically also a few House Sparrows hanging around by the tasting room.

Accessibility: The vineyard is located right on Irvington Road (VA 200), just north of the town of Irvington. Two giant corkscrew sculptures flanking the entrance make it nearly impossible to miss the turn. All of the fields can be birded from the entrance drive to the winery or the Road To Nowhere, which is on the right just past the tasting room. The cabins are available for overnight stays, and the tasting room is open all week, serving charcuterie and lite pairings Monday-Friday and a fuller menu on weekends. The tasting room also has bathrooms. Though the fields can be birded without visiting the vineyard, birders may want to consider stopping in for a tasting or glass of wine as a courtesy. If you do so, you are unlikely to be disappointed!

Owner/Manager: The Hope & Glory Inn

eBird Hotspot: The Dog & Oyster Vineyard

—Matt Anthony

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Windmill Point

Windmill Point is by far the best location in Lancaster to look for a number of species mostly restricted to the Chesapeake Bay or the coast in Virginia. There are many old pilings here along with poles for fishing nets that provide ample perches for species such as Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant and a variety of terns. During the late summer good numbers of Sandwich Terns are reliable here. Black Skimmer has also been recorded in the spring. In the winter, good numbers of waterfowl often congregate offshore. All three species of Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and Gannets have all been recorded. With the large number of Cormorants often seen here, Great Cormorant seems like a distinct possibility, but one has yet to have been noted. The rock jetties around the harbour just to the north may host a Purple Sandpiper some day.

Accessibility: Windmill Point Road terminates in an abrupt dead end with no official parking, however, there is ample room on the grassy shoulders to park while exploring the immediate area.

eBird Hotspot: Windmill Point

—James Fox

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North Point

Since an overwash a few years ago completely cut the point off from the mainland, it’s possible to kayak a complete circle around the point (now an island).  This is a good way to check both the marshes on the south side and the beach to the north. It is also worthwhile to get out of your boat and do some exploring on foot. Although the habitat at the tip of the point and near the channel separating the point from the mainland looks good for shorebirds, only modest numbers of the expected species have been turned up so far.  However, there have been no visits by birders at the peak migration times, so it’s possible, even likely, that a much wider variety of shorebirds (Piping Plover, Red Knot, Marbled Godwit, Willet, American Oystercatcher, etc.) may be found with a well-timed visit. If visiting during the warmer months, try to get out to the beach as early as possible, as it may well become crowded later in the day. The small bit of woods on the island could also host some interesting passerines during migration. The marshes to the south of the sandy hook are full of Clapper Rails and Marsh Wrens, and both Seaside and Nelson’s Sparrows have also been found here. With better coverage other rails, bitterns or Saltmarsh Sparrows could be found.  The artificial oyster beds to the north of the point are also worth exploring. There is usually a massive roost of gulls, terns, pelicans and cormorants here. Depending on the season interesting species such as Sandwich Tern and Lesser Black-backed Gull have been found. Although it would be difficult to get out here during the colder months, white-winged gulls and Great Cormorant seem like distinct possibilities for the intrepid birder.

Accessibility: North Point is a large sandy hook at the mouth of the Rappahannock River that is only accessible by boat. Be forewarned that it is a very popular stop for boaters in the summer.  The closest public kayak launch is the Windmill Point Canoe and Kayak Launch. From the launch, it is approximately a two and a half mile kayak trip one way, making for at least a 5-mile round trip. Note that attempting to cross under the Windmill Point Road bridge, if coming from the kayak launch, during high tide may be tricky or impossible.

eBird Hotspot: North Point

—James Fox

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Windmill Point Kayak & Canoe Launch

The Windmill Point Kayak & Canoe Launch is a great starting point for kayak trips out to North Point or other elsewhere in the Westend area.  While the odd duck or Marsh Wrens may venture close enough to the launch to be detected from time to time, both are far more likely to be found by kayak, a short paddle up Little Oyster Creek.  The woods around the boat launch can be productive for passerines including Brown-headed Nuthatch and Pine Warbler.

Accessibility: This is a public boat launch for canoes and kayaks. Open dawn to dusk, no fees required.

eBird Hotspot: Windmill Point Kayak & Canoe Launch

—James Fox

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