Cannon Branch Fort is a Civil War earthwork fortification thought to have been built by Union troops to defend the railroad, which is still active today. This 17.1 acre public park with plentiful parking has a short quarter mile trail that leads from the parking area to the earthworks, which are now in a heavily wooded area. This wooded section of the park can be quite birdy in all seasons. During the winter months, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Hairy Woodpecker can be found here, which can be challenging birds to track down in the City of Manassas. Spring and fall visits here should produce some nice migrants, although that has been largely unproven due to a paucity of visits in prime migration windows. An Orange-crowned Warbler in mid-October is an excellent record for the area.
A small pond that serves as the outflow from the larger Nokesville Interchange Ponds is located just east-northeast of the parking area. This small body of water occasionally hosts waterfowl and herons and is always worth a check. Not to be overlooked, the forested area north of the parking area often hosts a winter sparrow flock along its edge and should be productive for migrant songbirds at the appropriate times of year. The entire edge of the woodland area south of the pond is also worth investigating.
Owner/Manager: City of Manassas
eBird Hotspot: Cannon Branch Fort
—Nick Newberry