Its harbor is the heart of Cape Charles, offering 1200 feet of dock space and providing an economic boon to this small bayside town, with its yacht center and Coast Guard station. When Cape Charles was founded in the late 1800s by railroad magnate William L. Scott, it had no harbor, only a freshwater pond blocked from Bay access by the beach. The harbor was created by dredging a slip about 16 feet deep and 200 feet wide, providing Bay access and transforming Cape Charles almost overnight into a shipping and rail hub. These days, the railroad is no more, but the harbor is still an important part of town life. As a deep but sheltered body of water directly accessible from the Bay, it is also an excellent birding destination.
The harbor offers the best birding in winter, when it provides a haven for waterbirds including Surf Scoters, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Red-throated Loons, and Horned Grebes. This is particularly true on windy days, when the sheltered harbor is an attractive refuge for birds being driven in off the Bay. By mid- to late-February and into March, it is not uncommon to see Long-tailed Ducks (including handsome drakes), Horned Grebes, and other species in quite close among the marina slips. Occasionally, less-common species including White-winged and Black Scoters, Common Eider, and Eared and Red-necked Grebes have been spotted here. The birds often move around a good deal, and it is always worth several scans. The rocky jetties and breakwaters at the mouth of the harbor are typically good for Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, and Purple Sandpiper, while American Oysercatchers remain throughout the year. Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed are the most common gulls here, though Iceland and Glaucous have been spotted at various times, and Laughing becomes quite common beginning in late February or early March and continuing throughout the summer. Lesser Black-backed Gulls are, surprisingly, quite rare here. The breakwaters off the fishing pier are covered with hundreds of cormorants and Brown Pelicans in late fall and early winter, with the later becoming fairly scarce by January and February. Brant often congregate in the shallows around the jetty and breakwaters, sometimes in large numbers. Careful scanning may turn up a Great Cormorant from time to time. Scanning further off towards the Bay, one might spot a jaeger harassing the gulls. Under the right conditions, a Razorbill or Dovekie could be driven into the harbor. Birding here is less-exciting in the summer months, though Osprey are a constant presence and swallows sometimes forage around the harbor. On days with stormy conditions or high wind, be sure to check the harbor for birds seeking shelter. Gulls and terns can be driven into the harbor, where they will seek shelter while trying to battle the winds; sometimes they will form storm roosts on the open, grassy lawn on the north side of the harbor. Depending on the time of year, these roosts could include nearly any species of gull or tern, including Gull-billed or Black, as well as Black Skimmer. Sooty Tern has been recorded in the harbor on one occasion during the passage of a tropical storm in August. There has also been a May fallout of Red-necked and Red Phalaropes.
Accessibility: The harbor faces west, but access on the south side is essentially non-existent, as nearly the entirety is taken up by a large concrete plant that is inaccessible. At the east terminus of the harbor, the Coast Guard station is also off-limits. However, there are numerous vantage points along the north side of the harbor that provide ample opportunities to view birds tucked in close to shore, and further out towards the Bay. The Cape Charles Boat Ramp is located up into the harbor, and is a good spot to view birds tucked in close to shore. A slightly better spot is The Shanty, a restaurant that sits on a bit of a promontory, with outdoor space where it is possible to scope both into harbor and out towards the Bay, as well as access to a floating dock that afford multiple vantage points. The norther edge of the harbor paralleling Mason Avenue has recently been paved and had benches installed, making it another easily accessible vantage point. At the 90-degree bend where Mason Avenue turns into Bay Avenue, there is a small pump station. Here, a sandy beach begins, and it is possible to access both this and a short rock jetty. A wooden walkway extends out over the water and includes a sheltered gazebo, as well as a long fishing pier from which it is possible to look north along the beach, west out towards the long jetty and rocky breakwaters, and east into the harbor. A scope is a must at this location.
Owner/Manager: Cape Charles Yacht Center LLC
eBird Hotspot: Cape Charles Harbor
—Matt Anthony, March 2021