HARBORTON

In Brief: A classic Eastern Shore bayside cove community on Pungoteague and Taylor Creeks, good for a stretch and a look around if time permits.

Access: A boat-ramp is open during daylight hours.

Additional Info: Virginia DGIF Birding Trail Site

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BIRDING HARBORTON

Harborton, a bayside community located partway between Coocheyville and Little Hell, Virginia, is almost unknown to birders but makes a nice break in one’s travels. There is a boat ramp and park on the Pungoteague Creek side of town, where waterfowl occasionally gather during periods of inclement weather, and a small dock near Taylor Creek that serves as a loafing area for gulls. The area also makes a nice point of departure for kayakers bound for the bay and its saltmarsh habitats to the west. The entire area has quite a bit of intact forest and marsh areas, and declining species such as Brown-headed Nuthatch are still quite common. In the evenings, marshes and nearby woods could produce Chuck-will’s-widow and Barred, Barn, and Short-eared Owls, with some effort.