Hamilton Lakes/Starmount Forest
© 2003 Dennis Burnette 

Hamilton Lakes Park, also known as Starmount Forest, is located in a residential neighborhood between Friendly Avenue and West Market Street just west of Holden Road. It is one of the best places in the county to go birding, but birders must be particularly cautious about being good guests because parking is limited and it is heavily used by neighborhood residents for walking and jogging.
          The park follows the route of a sewer line and creek through several long blocks in the neighborhood. Most of its length consists of tall mature trees with a thick understory of smaller trees and shrubs. An unpaved path runs down the center, and forms a loop by connecting at each end with a paved sidewalk that parallels Madison on the north side of the park. At the west end is a private lake that can be viewed from the slight rise of the dam on Keeling Road. The lake itself is posted for the use of neighborhood residents only.
          The easiest route to reach the park is from Holden Road. Go south from Friendly Avenue about 0.5 mile and turn right or north from Market Street about 0.4 mile and turn left onto Madison Avenue. Follow Madison about 0.3 mile to the four-way stop at Kemp Road. Diagonally across the intersection is a small gravel pull off where a few cars can park. From here one can enter a loop trail of about 1.7 miles.
          There are several other access points but not much parking for the next 0.7 mile along Madison. One possibility is to continue from the Kemp intersection about 0.4 mile to Battle Road on which a few cars may be parked at the curbside on Battle. Another possibility is a small pull off on Madison about 0.2 mile beyond Battle, but this spot will accommodate only about two or three cars. Continuing 0.1 mile to the next four-way stop at the intersection with Keeling Road, one may turn left, cross the dam, and park at a gravel pull off at the intersection with Henderson Road. From here, a birder has a good view of the small lake adjacent to the road.
          The park is rich with warblers and other neotropical migrants in spring and fall. Nearly every warbler species recorded for the county can be seen here, and warbler "fall-outs" can be spectacular. Even on bad birding days, there is usually something to see in spring. The park and surrounding neighborhood have hosted a good selection of nesting raptors  in summer including Great Horned and Barred Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls, and Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawks. Swainson’s Thrush can be found in spring, Wood Thrush in summer, and Hermit Thrush in winter. The forest provides good habitat for the common Piedmont woodland birds such as Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Carolina Chickadee.
          The small lake at the west end of the park is home to white barnyard ducks, Mallards, and feral Canada Geese. There are Wood Duck nesting boxes scattered around the wooded shore and shallow west end, and it is possible to spot one of these ducks occasionally along with Great Blue and Green Herons. In winter there usually are a few Ring-necked Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes in the lake. Rarely, other waterfowl show up including a Red-necked Phalarope one winter!
          The Bog Garden, described elsewhere in this guide, is near the Hamilton Lakes site and would be a nice additional stop if you wish to continue birding.

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  2002  2003  Mourning Warbler