March through May, come experience the bird banding station. This is a chance to see birds, both familiar and migratory, up close and personal. Learn how bird banders tell the age and condition of the birds and how cataloging information about them helps in conservation efforts. Children are welcome!
For details, visit our bird banding station page.
Visitors will find blue bird nest boxes scattered around Occoquan Bay NWR. These boxes act as substitute nesting sites as natural cavities, such as old woodpecker holes in decaying trees, become scarce. Introduced species such as the European Starling and House Sparrow are direct competitors for nesting sites, and these boxes, monitored by volunteers throughout the year, are one way humans are striving to have a positive impact on bird populations. Other beneficial species of birds, such as the Tree Swallow, also sometimes use the blue bird boxes for nesting. Come visit the refuge to see these exciting birds!
Note on Printing: The two bird lists are designed for legal and letter size paper in portrait mode. The legal size is designed to be printed two-sided to create a single 4-panel (tri-fold) brochure. The letter size can be printed either as 3 individual sheets, or with pages two and three printed two-sided, to form an abbreviated checklist. Printer settings to produce proper paper folds, margins and landscape orientation vary from printer to printer. These lists were designed for an Epson printer, but should print on most inkjet or laser printers with a narrow margin capability. A higher print quality (graphics/photo) will produce a clearer copy due to the small text font used. Paper quality is also important when double-siding to avoid bleed-through on inkjets. Please check with your own printer's manufacturer for assistance.
As an unstaffed refuge, there are plenty of opportunities for quiet bird watching at Mason Neck. A visit to the end of the Great Marsh trail will allow you a rest on the observation deck over the Great Marsh. From here, its possible to observe the 20 species of waterfowl, marsh wrens, herons/egrets, as well as bald eagles, the species for which the refuge was founded. The mature hardwood forests of the refuge play host to large numbers of neo tropical birds nesting or passing through the each year. Wood thrush, ovenbirds, scarlet tanagers, northern parula warblers and prothonotary warblers are a few of the many species readily heard and seen through the spring and summer seasons.