Throughout the year, the only constant at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is that early morning birding tends to be the most productive. Due to the park's proximity to the resort area of Virginia Beach, large crowds often show up as the day moves on, and the birds tend to get more difficult to find. During January, February and March, only the trails nearest to the Visitor Contact Station (VCS) and the beach are open to the public, which further densifies where visitors will tend to congregate. In January & February, seawatching from the beach typically yields large volumes of Red-breasted Mergansers, Black and Surf Scoters, Northern Gannets, Brown Pelicans, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and both Common & Red-throated Loons. Wintering passerines can be found on the trail sides, and in the fields that abut the parking areas near the VCS. While the most plentiful of these species are typically Yellow-rumped Warblers and Swamp, Song & Savannah Sparrows, occasionally Lincoln's & Clay-colored Sparrows can be found, and the park is one of the more reliable places where Orange-crowned Warblers can be viewed. Ruby-crowned & Golden-crowned Kinglets are also fairly common at the park during this time, and the occasional Common Yellowthroat can also be found. On the bay itself, large groupings of wintering waterfowl can often be observed in the early morning taking shelter on the calm waters just off from the kayak launch area. Tundra Swans, Snow Geese and Canada Geese are the most likely species to be seen both on & above the bay, but mixed duck flocks dominated by Gadwall, Mallards, Northern Shovelers and American Wigeons are typically present as well. Rarer species like Eurasian Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, and Common Goldeneye can also occasionally be seen mixing in the larger waterfowl flocks.
Accessibility: A single entry gate is located at the north end of the park, specifically at 4005 Sandpiper Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. From 1 Nov through 31 Mar, admission to the park is free, and there will be no one manning the entry booth. During this timeframe, the East & West Dikes are closed to all members of the public with the intent of protecting wintering waterfowl that have taken up seasonal residency on the A, B & C Pools. The trails nearest the visitor contact station (including Bay, Bayside, Kuralt, Seaside, Dune Trails & Loop Road) and the beach from the Seaside Trail south to the border of False Cape State Park are open. During the 1 Apr through 31 Oct timeframe, there is an entry fee ($5 for vehicles, call 757-301-7329 to verify). During this time, either the East or West Dike will be open, and all the others are as well. In a typical season, the West Dike is the first to open on 1 Apr, staying open typically into July, then switching to the East Dike being opened through the remainder of the season and the West Dike closing until 1 Apr. As populations of waterfowl present tend to have an effect on which dike opens in April, please remember to check with the park in advance to verify which dike is open.
Owner/Manager: US Fish & Wildlife Service
eBird Primary Hotspot: Back Bay NWR
Related Hotspots: A Pool, B Pool, Beach, Boardwalk, C Pool, Dune Trail, East Dike, Seaside Trail, West Dike.
—Rob Bielawski