Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Location Information

261 as of 11-27-25 - this is the highest number for Queen Anne’s County. CLICK HERE to view the ebird hotspot information.
Yes. It is very likely you will see/hear Brown-headed Nuthatches here year round . You may also see Red-headed Woodpeckers in the summer.
Yes. There is a dedicated parking lot.
Yes, during Visitor Center open hours there are bathrooms in main building. There is also a portable toilet at the parking lot and a bathroom in education building (accessible from outside the building).
Yes, click here to view.
There is no admission fee.
Donations welcome.
Membership *$35 - Individual
Family *$55 - Family
*July 2022
Visitor Center - 9:00 - 5:00 daily.
Yes. The entrance road will flood at times, making the location inaccessible. It is recommended you check the tides before a visit. Other factors can also cause the road to be flooded, tides with a southern wind and/or full moon.
Horse flies CAN be a nuisance in the spring and summer, but not necessarily a problem on every visit.
Like any birding location - be cautious of ticks. It is best to stay on the trails and avoid walking through tall grasses.
Personally I do not normally bring my scope on a bird walk except during the fall/winter when I want to get a closer look at the waterfowl on Marshy Creek. I may also bring it if there has been a lot of shore bird activity on Lake Knapp in the summer/fall.
Mixed - Dirt, oyster chaff, grass (well mowed in most places) and boardwalks. Depending on the time of year there may be overgrown sedge grass at the beach trail.
Mixed:
- Woodlands (both deciduous & coniferous trees)
- Aquatic (marsh, lake, ponds, shoreline)
- Scrub (short woody plants and bushes)
- Open - A small meadow
CLICK HERE to access the Maryland Ornithological Society’s Birder’s Guide to MD & DC.

View Birding Checklist PDF

Address:

600 Discovery Lane
Gransonville, MD 21638
https://bayrestoration.org

The following is a list of bird species you may see by season. Note that some of these species may also be seen into the following season.

Spring - Mar-May
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Wood Duck
- Pine Warbler
- Tree Swallow
- Osprey
- Common Yellowthroat
Summer - Jun-Jul
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Brown Thrasher
- Indigo Bunting
- Great Egret
- Snowy Egret
- Tricolor Heron (possibly)
Fall - Aug-Nov
- Northern Pintail
- Gadwall
- Surf Scoter
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Yellow-rumpted Warbler
- Green Heron
Winter - Dec-Feb
- Rudy Duck
- Canvasback
- Bufflehead
- Hermit Thrush
- Hooded Merganser
- Greater Scaup
Year-round
- Brown-headed Nuthatch
- Eastern Bluebird
- Bald Eagle
- Northern Flicker
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Eastern Towhee

Bird Walk

I’ll take you on a virtual bird walk so that you can become a little familiar with the location.

Using the CBEC trail map (select map to enlarge) I have marked the beginning of the walk in Green, then in White, it is approximately 1.90 miles.

Note: You can also move through (using the arrows) the following bird walk from your cell phone (depending on service) to help guide you during the walk.

Smart Phone Access Option

Starting on the entrance road you will see tree swallow nest boxes lining the road, these are occupied in the spring. During fall/winter you may see a northern harrier hunting over the marsh.
The parking lot can be a great place to bird. Spend a moment to look and listen. There may be a yellow-throated warbler in the spring. We'll start our walk on the Marshy Creek Trail near the dumpster. You will see a small sign “Canoe Landing”.
There is a good chance you will begin to hear the call of the brown-headed nuthatch here. In the fall/winter you may also see a brown creeper.
Next we’ll take a right onto the Hummock Loop Trail.
At the boardwalk area you may see red-headed woodpeckers in the spring/summer. Other woodpeckers you are likely to see in this area is the downy, northern flicker and red-bellied.
Once past the boardwalk look to your right, there is a natural osprey nest.
Back on the Marshy Creek Trail, down a bit, you will see on the left planks leading to the Lake Trail.
This is Lake Knapp. In the spring/summer you are likely to see green herons, great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, mallards and Canada geese. You are likely to see osprey hunting here in spring/summer. Tricolor herons are occasionally seen here during the late summer. In the fall/winter you may see northern pintails, buffleheads, and hooded mergansers.
We'll back track to get back on the Marshy Creek Trail. You may see a great-crested flycatcher, eastern phoebe, or an eastern wood-pewee from spring to fall. You will also see many red-winged blackbirds and see/hear eastern towhees year round.
A little farther down the trail you'll notice on the right is an observation deck. From there you will see on osprey nest platform towards your left.
Continuing to the end of Marshy Creek Trail is a dock. From there you will see a variety of waterfowl during the winter - rudy ducks, canvasbacks, buffleheads, greater scaup and maybe a common loon.
Heading back you will see the Owl Alley Trail to your right, let's take that.
Here you may see/hear brown-headed nuthatches, eastern blue-birds and maybe a great-crested flycatcher. Bear to your right to follow the Lake Trail.
We'll cross over a short boardwalk and continue on the Lake Trail. In the spring/summer you are likely to see eastern kingbirds and brown thrashers here. There is also a couple resident northern mockingbirds here.
You'll see a pavilion on your left. There are two small islands on the lake, often you will see (depending on the time of year) waterfowl, wading birds and shore birds here.
Across from the pavilion, on your right you will see a boardwalk with an observation deck. From here you may see osprey and bald eagles flying overhead. Continuing to the end of the boardwalk you can take the path to a small beach on Hog Bay. In the winter you may see surf scoters and other waterfowl.
We'll head back and go to the right to continue on the Beach Trail. Here, in the summer you may see an indigo bunting and brown thrashers bathing in a puddle or dusting on the road. Occasionally you may see an orchard oriole or hear a yellow-billed cuckoo.
Brown thrasher dusting. This trail will take you back to the parking lot.
You may want to stop by the Visitor Center and check out activity at the bird feeder (in the back).
One more birding tip - Past the Visitor Center there is a duck blind that looks out on a pond. If you arrive in the morning in spring/early summer you may see wood ducks on the pond.

Chesapeake Bay Environmental CenterLocation Information

The following is a list of bird species you may see by season. Note that some of these species may also be seen into the following season.

Spring - Mar-May

Summer - Jun-Jul

Fall - Aug-Nov

Winter - Dec-Feb

Year-round

Bird Walk

Starting on the entrance road you will see tree swallow nest boxes lining the road, these are occupied in the spring. During fall/winter you may see a northern harrier hunting over the marsh.

The parking lot can be a great place to bird. Spend a moment to look and listen. There may be a yellow-throated warbler in the spring. We'll start our walk on the Marshy Creek Trail near the dumpster. You will see a small sign “Canoe Landing”.

There is a good chance you will begin to hear the call of the brown-headed nuthatch here. In the fall/winter you may also see a brown creeper.

Next we’ll take a right onto the Hummock Loop Trail.

At the boardwalk area you may see red-headed woodpeckers in the spring/summer. Other woodpeckers you are likely to see in this area is the downy, northern flicker and red-bellied.

Once past the boardwalk look to your right, there is a natural osprey nest.

Back on the Marshy Creek Trail, down a bit, you will see on the left planks leading to the Lake Trail.

We'll back track to get back on the Marshy Creek Trail. You may see a great-crested flycatcher, eastern phoebe, or an eastern wood-pewee from spring to fall. You will also see many red-winged blackbirds and see/hear eastern towhees year round.

A little farther down the trail you'll notice on the right is an observation deck. From there you will see on osprey nest platform towards your left.

Continuing to the end of Marshy Creek Trail is a dock. From there you will see a variety of waterfowl during the winter - rudy ducks, canvasbacks, buffleheads, greater scaup and maybe a common loon.

Heading back you will see the Owl Alley Trail to your right, let's take that.

Here you may see/hear brown-headed nuthatches, eastern blue-birds and maybe a great-crested flycatcher. Bear to your right to follow the Lake Trail.

We'll cross over a short boardwalk and continue on the Lake Trail. In the spring/summer you are likely to see eastern kingbirds and brown thrashers here. There is also a couple resident northern mockingbirds here.

You'll see a pavilion on your left. There are two small islands on the lake, often you will see (depending on the time of year) waterfowl, wading birds and shore birds here.

We'll head back and go to the right to continue on the Beach Trail. Here, in the summer you may see an indigo bunting and brown thrashers bathing in a puddle or dusting on the road. Occasionally you may see an orchard oriole or hear a yellow-billed cuckoo.

Brown thrasher dusting. This trail will take you back to the parking lot.

You may want to stop by the Visitor Center and check out activity at the bird feeder (in the back).

One more birding tip - Past the Visitor Center there is a duck blind that looks out on a pond. If you arrive in the morning in spring/early summer you may see wood ducks on the pond.

Terrapin Nature Park

Birding|Pictures

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Location Information