Often a casual glance is all that is needed to bird this pond, as the most frequent birds one will see there are resident Mallards and Canada Geese. Other species, including Wood Ducks and Bufflehead, occasionally drop in, and the pond is worth a quick check in winter. The muddy edges can also be good for migrating shorebirds, particularly Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers. There is a small mudflat in the southeast corner of the pond which occasionally has shorebirds, and on at least one occasion a Greater Yellowlegs (4/24/2017) was at this spot. One spring a Cattle Egret was photographed foraging in the grass on the James City County side of the pond (4/23/2017). Those birders concerned with county boundaries should take note that while much of the pond is in the City of Williamsburg, a small portion of the western edge is in James City County.
Accessibility: At the intersection of John Tyler Lane and VA-5 (John Tyler Highway) is a small drainage pond which is also viewable from VA-199. On John Tyler Lane at the southeast end of the pond is a gravel pull-off where birders can park to view the water.
eBird Hotspot: John Tyler Drainage Pond
—Matt Anthony