After two people recommended that I should visit a certain spot along the American Tobacco Trail to go birding, I decided to check it out.
My goal was to photograph a red-headed Woodpecker but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
That’s ok because I still had a great time making my way through the very overgrown pathway to capture these pics!

Common Yellowthroat
Carolina Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Pileated Woodpecker

My destination was a small dam/spill way which was located at the end of the service road. Here there is a small pond, swamp and creek which is a great habitat for spotting birds.

If you plan on visiting this location yourself, be prepared to hike through some very tall, thick grass and thorn bushes if you choose to take the service road route to the damn.
There are lots of spiders (yikes!!) and possibly snakes in this grassy stuff so dress accordingly.

Your other option is to walk through the woods on either side of the service road. This is what I did on the way back.
It’s slightly easier to traverse but there is still a ton of undergrowth to contend with. All things being equal, I recommend going through the woods in the warmer months to avoid the snakes & spiders.

Although I didn’t find what I set out for, I’d like to spend more time birding in this random spot because I think it’s got potential to yield some interesting birds. Bottom line, I am planning to make a return trip in November in hopes that the grass cut back by then.
At least the snakes will be hibernating so that is a big plus too, haha!

I’ll keep you updated with what I find!