Finding Birds in Guilford County: Country Park

Greensboro’s Country Park is part of the Country Park/Guilford Battleground complex that comprises over 450 acres of typical northern Piedmont mixed deciduous oak-hickory woodland. What makes it special and of particular interest to birds (and birders) is that it is an oasis surrounded by urban and suburban development.
         In 1934, the City of Greensboro created Country Park on 217 acres adjacent to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, the site of a revolutionary war battle. There is access between the two parks on trails, but there is no automotive access. Driving directions to the battleground park are elsewhere in this guide. Although dedicated primarily to recreation, Country Park today is still mostly wooded, has 6.1 miles of trails, and also features a nature science center. It is located at 3902 Nathaniel Greene Drive. For information about Country Park, call 336-545-5343.
          The entrance to Country Park formerly was on Lawndale Avenue. However, currently the gate is closed to vehicle traffic except for special events. Visitors with cars may park at either of two locations to walk in or use the tram that operates on weekends. Particularly if you would like to visit the Natural Science Center’s museum, zoo, and planetarium adjacent to the park, proceed north on Lawndale 0.4 mile from the gate to the natural science center entrance, turn left, and drive to the parking lot. After visiting the center, you can walk 100 feet past a picnic shelter and into Country Park.
          The other alternative, preferable if you aren’t visiting the Natural Science Center, is to go south from the Lawndale entrance gate and turn right (west) on Pisgah Church Road. At the sign, turn right again and go .4 mile to Forest Lawn Drive. Watch on the right for a sign announcing Greensboro Jaycee Park and Lewis Recreation Center. Turn right a third time and keep right, driving past the recreation center and continuing past a series of tennis courts to the end of the linked parking lots, a total distance of 0.5 mile. Find a place to park and continue walking in the same direction you were driving for about another 100 yards into Country Park.
          Once you’re into the park, relax and enjoy the scenery and birds. There is a tram stop just inside this entrance. If you were lucky and hit a day when the entrance gate was open, you can drive your own vehicle around the one-way loop road 1.6 miles to survey the facilities. Otherwise, wait for the tram to do the same thing or just walk the loop.
          As might be expected, the number and species of birds is affected by the number and activities of the park visitors. Mid-week visits will be most productive. On a good day, a birder can expect to find most of the birds that are in the adjacent Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. In fact, it is possible to walk a short and well-maintained trail between the two sites. Measuring from the entrance on Lawndale, the trail is about .8 mile around the loop road.
          Two side by side stocked 6-acre fishing lakes host resident flocks of Mallards and Canada Geese. Interestingly, some winter waterfowl seem to show up fairly often here too, including Canvasback Ducks for several years. Warblers migrate through in spring and fall. In summer, this is one of the few reliable places where one might see and hear Fish Crows in the county. Look for Brown Creepers and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in winter.
          Just before the park closes some evenings, a visitor might hear a Screech Owl or a Barred Owl, which apparently have been resident. It seems that they are attracted to the caged owls that are sometimes being rehabilitated at the Natural Science Center zoo. The center usually closes at 5:00 p.m., but parking in the center parking lot on nights when activities are scheduled may allow the birder to hear an owl and also to participate in the many interesting nature programs at the center.
          While the main entrance to the park is on Lawndale Drive, the mailing address is 3902 Nathaniel Greene Drive, Greensboro, NC 27408.

Click here for more information about our Adopt-A-Park project at Country Park.