EDWARD S. BRINKLEY NATURE PRESERVE

IN BRIEF: A small county facility with a lake that attracts all manner of birds, if only briefly in the case of many species. Freshwater ducks and waders, open-country birds such as sparrows, and occasional warblers make this a regular whistle-stop by birders during migration and in winter.

A new site, named for the late Edward S. Brinkley, Phd., was established at the northern boundary of the current county landfill, north of the village of Oyster. The gate is open from dawn through dusk daily. From the parking lot on Seaside Road, walk eastward along the mowed pathway, which is bounded by Loblolly Pine forest to the north and field habitats and a pond to the south. In woodlands, listen for woodpeckers, warblers, and the scarce Brown-headed Nuthatch. After 3/4 mile, the trail enters woodland and becomes a wooded walkway, passing 1/4 mile through mixed woodland and reaching an elevated platform that overlooks salt marshes and lagoons. Here, at about 2 hours before or after highest tide, the mudflats can be very productive (almost year-round) for a great variety of shorebirds, including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Whimbrel, Dunlin, American Oystercatcher, and various smaller species such as Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plover. Herons, egrets, terns, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, and even woodland migrants make this a very bird-rich location, and new signage here will orient the first-time visitor to the lay of the land. A spotting scope will help with identification of smaller species in the distance.

ACCESS: The Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve can be accessed via a small parking area located approximately .3 miles north of the Landfill entrance.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BIRDING THE EDWARD S. BRINKLEY NATURE PRESERVE

One of the most unpredictably productive areas for birding in Northampton County is not a managed refuge or park but a former landfill that now serves as a transfer facility for refuse and a recycling facility for utilities and brush. The key to the diversity of species here is the artificial lake on the western side of the facility, which has hosted birds as unexpected as Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Bridled Tern, Black-headed Gull, Ross’s Goose, Grey Heron and Eared Grebe. Swainson’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk, and Golden Eagle have all been seen here in passage as well. The willows, redcedar, and myrtles surrounding the lake have produced rarities such as Lucy’s Warbler (one of two records in the East), Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Long-eared Owl in December and January and regularly host numbers of roosting herons and White Ibis, importantly a large night-heron roost from spring through late autumn. Along the approaches on Seaside Road, Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, Mountain Bluebird, Ross’s Geese, and an apparent Black Brant have been seen. Most birders visit the Village of Oyster before or after the landfill, to add a few saltmarsh species. Most birders begin with a check of the lake. In warmer months, there are few waterfowl (other than Canada Geese), but from October through March, a nice array of ducks and geese may be present. Regular diving ducks include Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck, and Lesser Scaup; Redhead is scarce, and Common Goldeneye is rare. American Wigeon, Gadwall, American Black Duck (mostly hybrids with Mallard to some degree), and Mallard are regular, while Green-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler are uncommon. Greater White-fronted, Cackling, and Ross’s Goose have all been photographed here and should be sought among flocks of Snow and Canada Geese. Small numbers of Pied-billed Grebe and Double-crested Cormorant are usually present; a single Common Gallinule is often seen in November and early December on the northern fringes of the lake where there is aquatic vegetation or reeds. During warmer months, migrating swallows often visit the lake to bathe and drink, and Black Terns appear irregularly in early September (tropical storm activity in the area increases the likelihood of seeing this species tremendously). For fans of Fish Crow and Black Vulture, the old landfill is unrivaled, and many gulls are present year-round, though Lesser Black-backed is incredibly scarce here, with just a few adults passing through in September typically. A Great Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull hybrid was once found here, one of few documented in the mid-Atlantic states.

On the eastern side, Loblolly Pine forest harbors Great Horned Owls and other typical inhabitants of the habitat, with uncommon early winter visitors such as Blue-headed Vireo and Black-and-white Warbler often seen. The brushy fringes hold flocks of sparrows in the cooler months; watch for Lincoln’s and White-crowned among the more numerous White-throated, Swamp, and Song, as both recorded on multiple occasions. More open fields have held Vesper Sparrows in fall and winter. Listen for American Pipits overhead; they are sometimes attracted to the open fields or even the old landfill itself. The Lucy’s Warbler detected 31 December 2016 through 4 January 2017 kept company with a Nashville Warbler and an Orange-crowned Warbler, the latter regularly seen here in late fall and winter. Regrettably, brushy, overgrown habitats attractive to birds like this, and to local species like Northern Bobwhite, continue to vanish as the Eastern Shore “modernizes” its appearance.