A woman with a braid in her hair looking through binoculars at a scrubby landscape

Birding

At Blackwater NWR, the best time for viewing waterfowl is between mid-October and mid-March. Wintering species include tundra swans, Canada and snow geese, and over 20 species of ducks. The most common ducks found here are mallards, black ducks, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, wigeon, and pintails. Although most waterfowl migrate north in the spring, some remain through the summer, using the protected areas of the Refuge to raise their young. These nesting waterfowl include Canada geese, mallards, black ducks, wood ducks, and blue-winged teal.

Want to know what birds have been recently seen at the refuge? We suggest visiting Cornell's eBird page for Blackwater. There you can see all the bird sightings that have recently been logged by refuge visitors. Better yet, join the eBird community and contribute to the sightings list!

Note: see this document for dates that Wildlife Drive and other trails will be closed during the 2024-25 hunting season.

Waterfowl Surveys

Blackwater NWR biologists and trained volunteers conduct waterfowl surveys primarily in the fall and winter.  Unless otherwise noted, these are ground surveys.  The biologists approximate the number of birds by driving a predetermined route around the refuge property.  These surveys provide a "snapshot" of the waterfowl present at the refuge during a given week. A spreadsheet of the weekly surveys can be found below.

Update March 30, 2024: The survey spreadsheet has been updated with the final survey for the migratory season. We are ending on a high note, with sightings of a Eurasion widgeon and a Bonaparte’s gull! A big thanks to volunteers Steve Funderburk and Ron Ketter for consistently conducting these surveys throughout the fall and winter.

Related Documents
Blackwater NWR Bird Checklist

A checklist of birds that may be found on Blackwater NWR, with a seasonal occurrence rating for each species.

BNWR Winter 2023-24 Waterfowl Survey

Table of weekly waterfowl surveys at Blackwater NWR for the winter of 2023-24. A big thanks to our survey volunteers Ron Ketter and Steve Funderburk for conducting and compiling these surveys.

Midwinter Aerial Waterfowl Survey 2024

Waterfowl survey of refuge lands, conducted via airplane by staff biologists on January 7, 2024.

Midwinter Eagle Survey 2024

Blackwater's annual eagle survey, conducted over a 30 minute time period at various locations around the refuge. This provides a snapshot of the relative abundance of eagles on the refuge.

BNWR Fall 2023 Waterfowl Survey

Table of weekly waterfowl surveys at Blackwater NWR for the fall of 2023. A big thanks to our survey volunteers Ron Ketter and Steve Funderburk for conducting and compiling these surveys.

BNWR 2022-23 Waterfowl Survey

Table of weekly waterfowl surveys at Blackwater NWR for the fall/winter of 2022/23. A big thanks to our survey volunteers Ron Ketter and Steve Funderburk for conducting and compiling these surveys.

BNWR 2021-22 Waterfowl Survey

Table of weekly waterfowl surveys at Blackwater NWR for the fall/winter of 2021/22. A big thanks to our survey volunteers Ron Ketter and Steve Funderburk for conducting and compiling these surveys.