Best Spots to Look for Sparrows in the Triangle

In late fall and winter certain brushy areas attract thousands of sparrows, especially White-throated, Song, and Swamp.

One of the best spots for these, as well as the locally rare White-crowned is Brickhouse Road near Falls Lake, sometimes called the "sparrowfields". The nearby Knap of Reeds Creek (west) area, across from the federal penitentiary on Old Oxford Highway, is also excellent.

Another excellent area, near Chapel Hill, is Mason Farm. Lincoln's Sparrows are encountered here in migration more than any other local spot. In the Raleigh area, the Lake Wheeler marshes are loaded with sparrows, though the access is not easy. Other than Brickhouse, the only other reliable local spot for White-crowned is at Cane Creek reservoir in western Orange County.

Revised 1/24/2008 cwcook@duke.edu