It is not often access is created to a new birding location. The Northampton County Preserve, with the new Seaside Walkway has added a wonderful new birding location in Northampton County. This preserve is just north of the Northampton County Landfill, long a desirable site for birding on the Eastern Shore. While the Landfill itself is unsightly, the lake there provides good birding habit. Moving the lake access to the new entrance provides safer access for visitors and is a much more visually appealing approach.

The Preserve path takes you from a small parking lot along an emerging forest on one side and a mature forest on the other side. This provides varied habitat for woodland species and for grassland species. The path passes through a short wooded path to a boardwalk that takes you through the woods to a beautiful seaside overlook, where waterfowl and shorebirds can be seen.

Plans have been made to place an observation platform on the north side of the lake, with a path that will lead directly to the platform. This will allow birders to observe birds from a safe vantage point at the water’s edge, with minimal disturbance to the birds. Birders will view waterfowl from this location, rather than entering through the landfill. This will eliminate the obstacle presented by the limited landfill hours. The gate at the Northampton County Preserve will be open to pedestrians at all hours. Arrangements can be made for access for large groups, via bus or cars, or for persons with mobility limitations, by calling the County Administraton offices to make arrangements ahead of time.

To date, 129 species have been seen at this location. The site has already been host to the Hampton Roads Bird Club for a field trip. Visitors have been coming to enjoy migration activity at the Northampton Preserve from many locations.

The history of this location shows the challenges of creating new infrastructure and shows how various groups working together can, despite the challenges, create such a site. The Seaside Park was designated in 2003 when the Northampton County Landfill planned to convert their landfill to a new park. A boardwalk was built in 2004 with funding from Virginia Coastal Zone Management. Without a maintenance plan, the walkway fell into disrepair and became unsafe to use. Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Programs Inc. reached out to Virginia Coastal Zone Management in 2019 to discuss their new organization and their website, Birding Eastern Shore. This conversation led to a discussion about the walkway and funding that was available to restore it. The grant required quick work, as funds needed to be used before the end of 2019. The County quickly submitted a grant request and volunteers were rounded up through the Virginia Master Naturalist Program, Eastern Shore Chapter. The walkway was rebuilt with Master Naturalist volunteers and Northampton County Public Works staff in the fall of 2019. A grant requirement included the need for interpretive signage at the walkway. Getting this done was a struggle until The Nature Conservancy offered to assist with the signage. They provided design assistance and financial support for the signage and the sign was installed in May of 2020. The signage provides information for visitors about the Virginia Water Trails and the Explore Our Seaside website which serves as an “online visitors center” for the Eastern Shore Seaside.

The Eastern Shore Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists provides stewardship of the walkway through weekly walks, clearing the boardwalk of debris and reporting issues to the County Public Works Department. This volunteer effort will keep the walkway in good shape for visitors and prevent it from again falling into disrepair.

We hope all visitors enjoy this new Northampton County Asset, a wonderful place for birding.

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