Guilford Co. Birder's Guide: birding Plainfield Marsh

There are few natural marshes in Guilford County, but one of the oldest remaining ones, Plainfield Marsh, is northeast of Lake Brandt Marina and neat Lake Townsend. It is in the protected Greensboro watershed and is the mouth of a small creek that feeds into Lake Townsend to the east. One good route to reach the marsh is north on Lake Brandt Road as if you are going to the Lake Brandt Marina. Continue past the marina on Lake Brandt Road 1.5 miles to Plainfield Road. Turn right (east) and immediately pull off the road next to the large pasture on the right.
            In summer, if the field has not been mowed recently and the grass is fairly tall, Grasshopper Sparrows usually can be heard and sometimes seen. During fall migration, a birder might be lucky enough to spot a Northern Harrier over the rolling fields, and a Red-tailed Hawk might be seen perched in one of the old oaks or soaring over head at any time of year. Eastern Meadowlarks also are possible throughout the year. Watch also for Indigo Buntings in the trees along the road. Wild Turkeys have returned to the area, but are rarely seen except by the lucky few.
           Continue east on Plainfield Road. Before long the road enters a wooded area mostly of pines owned by the City of Greensboro. Driving slowly or walking along the edge of the road to listen for Pine Warblers and Brown-headed Nuthatches is a pleasant way to bird this stretch of road. Continue on to the point where water can be seen through the trees, about 2.6 miles from the beginning of the Plainfield Road. Sometimes the birding is quite good here, with mixed flocks of woodland birds, and warblers in the spring, feeding noisily in the trees and understory. On the left (north) side is a flooded woodland created by beavers. This is the most reliable place in the county to see or hear migrating Prothonotary Warblers in spring, although they’re uncommon in Guilford County even here.
           A few hundred feet further east, the woods open out onto Plainfield Marsh, sometimes one of the best birding sites in the county. On the left is the beaver marsh and on the right is an inlet and swollen creek of Lake Townsend. For birds, water level is everything here. High water often eliminates many species and birding is restricted to the woodland edge birds.
          If mud flats are exposed, shorebirds such as Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and even some peeps are possible. Great Blue Herons and Green Herons (which nest here) often are common. In good years, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, White Ibises, and immature Little Blue Herons have been seen here all feeding together with Canada Geese and Mallards. If the water level is moderate, dabbling ducks sometimes feed on the submerged vegetation. American Goldfinches and Red-winged Blackbirds almost always are seen or heard, and this is a good spot for Swamp Sparrows in winter. Overhead, one might see a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Red-tailed hawk, or a Turkey Vulture.
          The mixed hardwood and pine forest continues another 0.4 miles on Plainfield Road to the "T" intersection with Church Street. From here one may turn right (south) and return to the city of Greensboro, or continue the birding tour of the Greensboro Lakes. To continue birding, see the entry in this guide for Lake Townsend.