Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette
III-E. Birding Plainfield Road
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Richardson-Taylor Preserve
300 Plainfield Road, Greensboro, NC 27455 336-641-3544 http://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/county-parks/passive-parks/richardson-taylor-preserve Administrator: Guilford County Parks, 301 West market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 336-641-7275 http://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/county-parks Hours of operation: The Richardson-Taylor Preserve is open to the public 7 days a week from 8 a.m. until dusk.
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DirectionsGPS coordinates (Richardson-Taylor Preserve): N 36° 10.770’ W 079° 48.343'
Directions: The Richardson-Taylor Preserve is on the northern edge of Greensboro on Plainfield Road that runs between a T-intersection at Lake Brandt Road and a T-intersection with Church Street. The preserve is about halfway between the two intersections, so access to the parking area can be reached from either end of Plainfield Road. The Grasshopper Sparrow Meadow is near the Lake Brandt Road end; Plainfield Marsh is near the Church Street end. |
Description
There are few natural marshes in Guilford County, but one of the oldest remaining ones, Plainfield Marsh, is northeast of Lake Brandt Marina and near 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. In addition, a relatively new nature preserve is about halfway along Plainfield Road. Also along this road is the relatively new Richardson-Taylor Preserve.
One convenient route to reach this good birding road from Greensboro is to go 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.
One convenient route to reach this good birding road from Greensboro is to go 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.
Grasshopper Sparrow Meadow
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 overhead 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. Watch for the parking lot for the Richardson-Taylor Preserve on the left (north) side of the road.
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 overhead 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. Watch for the parking lot for the Richardson-Taylor Preserve on the left (north) side of the road.
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Richardson-Taylor Nature Preserve
GPS coordinates: N 36°10.770’, W079°48.343’
The Richardson-Taylor Preserve is located at what would be 300 Plainfield Road, Greensboro, NC 27455, although there are no street numbers along this part of the road. This site is administered by Guilford County Parks, 301 West Market St., Greensboro, NC 27401, 336-641-3544. It is a relatively new preserve established on property acquired by the now-defunct Guilford County Open Space Committee using bond money that was earmarked for the purpose.
This is a large preserve of about 440 acres. There are about 4 miles of trails that run through mature forest and overlook a beaver marsh. A birder could spend all day here enjoying the woodland and wetland birds, observing other wildlife, and especially in spring, looking at wildflowers along the trails. There are several spots, including a platform with benches, where one can pause and watch Belted Kingfishers and other birds in the marsh. This is one of the most reliable places in the county to see Red-headed Woodpeckers.
GPS coordinates: N 36°10.770’, W079°48.343’
The Richardson-Taylor Preserve is located at what would be 300 Plainfield Road, Greensboro, NC 27455, although there are no street numbers along this part of the road. This site is administered by Guilford County Parks, 301 West Market St., Greensboro, NC 27401, 336-641-3544. It is a relatively new preserve established on property acquired by the now-defunct Guilford County Open Space Committee using bond money that was earmarked for the purpose.
This is a large preserve of about 440 acres. There are about 4 miles of trails that run through mature forest and overlook a beaver marsh. A birder could spend all day here enjoying the woodland and wetland birds, observing other wildlife, and especially in spring, looking at wildflowers along the trails. There are several spots, including a platform with benches, where one can pause and watch Belted Kingfishers and other birds in the marsh. This is one of the most reliable places in the county to see Red-headed Woodpeckers.
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Plainfield Marsh
From the Richardson-Taylor Preserve, continue east to the point where water can be seen through the trees, about 2.6 miles from the Lake Brandt Rd. intersection with 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. Watch for Red-headed Woodpeckers in the dead trees out in the marsh. This is one of the most reliable places in the county to see or hear migrating Prothonotary Warblers in spring, although they’re uncommon in Guilford County even here. A beaver lodge may be seen in the marsh from the road on the north side.
A few hundred feet farther east, the woods open out onto a good view of the marsh, sometimes one of the best birding sites in the county. This sometimes is referred to as the “Plainfield marsh causeway.” On the left is the beaver marsh that’s fed by Long Branch creek 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 mudflats 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 dry years when the lake level is down, 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 view Lake Townsend from the Church Street overlooks (or 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.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette
From the Richardson-Taylor Preserve, continue east to the point where water can be seen through the trees, about 2.6 miles from the Lake Brandt Rd. intersection with 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. Watch for Red-headed Woodpeckers in the dead trees out in the marsh. This is one of the most reliable places in the county to see or hear migrating Prothonotary Warblers in spring, although they’re uncommon in Guilford County even here. A beaver lodge may be seen in the marsh from the road on the north side.
A few hundred feet farther east, the woods open out onto a good view of the marsh, sometimes one of the best birding sites in the county. This sometimes is referred to as the “Plainfield marsh causeway.” On the left is the beaver marsh that’s fed by Long Branch creek 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 mudflats 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 dry years when the lake level is down, 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 view Lake Townsend from the Church Street overlooks (or 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.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette