Seven months after Hurricane Helene ripped apart the New River shoreline, what’s changed inside the New River Trail State Park? One addition is a new birding trail along a portion of the park in Wythe County, where visitors can explore the sights and sounds of springtime.
This time of year, birds are in full spring mode, nesting and singing to attract mates. If you want to learn what kinds of birds you might be hearing but aren’t sure where to begin, this interpretive hike is aimed to help, created for both beginning and experienced birders.
Next to a picnic table, New River Trail Park ranger, Erin Pitts, points at a birdhouse where a small bird is bringing nesting supplies.
We’re just outside the small town of Ivanhoe, in view of the river and the biking trail. More than a hundred different bird species can be found here.
“[I’m] hearing a lot of cardinals and finches right now,” Pitts whispers, her ear pointed to the trees. “Lot of sparrows and wrens. I see the cardinal over there. Their color just pops.”
We walk slowly, meditatively, listening and watching. “I think a lot of visitors just find the calming effects of not only being out in nature but just being present in nature,” Pitts said. And it’s just a unique way to view and appreciate wildlife.”
A black bird with a white and burnt orange breast lands on a branch nearby. “That was pretty neat… an eastern towhee that we just saw,” Pitts says. “And it was maybe eight feet in front of us.”
The trail meanders along two-and-a-half miles of meadow and forested flood plain. This part of the trail was completely upended last year, when Hurricane Helene dumped sand and mud along the entire shoreline.
“You can see all of the trees that have just been completely knocked over by the force of the river and the water over here,” Pitts says. “The landscape has changed so much.”
Now, sandy beaches line the river’s edge. For the last six months, volunteers and park employees from across Virginia helped Pitts and her crew remove trash and debris from the New River— tires, sheets of metal, and vinyl siding from homes. Beside us, a muddy rug is still buried in the sand.
“Lots of volunteer efforts and lots of hands have helped make this birding trail clean and pristine,” Pitts explains. “And the work still continues. I mean there’s still so much shoreline that we have to clean up, but this looks a lot better than it did before.”
The New River Trail park recently reopened all sections of the trail that were damaged during Helene.
“We’ve been able to open our campsites back up, and our trails have opened back up now,” Pitts says. “I think that’s something to be celebrated for sure.”
We leave the beach and head to the gravel bike trail, and walk along a bridge that crosses the river. A man and a woman are riding a tandem bicycle, and more riders appear, exchanging greetings as they pass.
Sometimes hawks, eagles, and geese can be spotted from this bridge. Today we spy a handful of tires beneath the clear water. At the water’s edge, we also see prints from a raccoon that’s probably been scrounging for food in the night.
There is cell phone reception here, but no wifi. There are interpretive signs and a free library with birding guides.
“In modern ages most people are reliant on their phones, but, you know, sometimes a trail guide just does the trick,” Pitts says, adding that phones do have some uses for birders. Citizen scientists can document their sightings using an app called eBird. Cornell lab of ornithology has an app, called Merlin that helps identify birds by sound.
But to learn without a phone, Pitts suggests it might be useful to connect with a birding club, which exist in many communities. State parks like New River Trail also host guided hikes throughout the year.
If you want to bring a group to the Ivanhoe Birding Trail for a guided walk, Pitts says visitors can call the New River Trail State Park to set up a time (276) 699-6778.
This trail is located a little over a mile walk or bike ride from the Ivanhoe parking area at 356 Riverview Road, Ivanhoe, VA 24350. Visitors with mobility limitations can get permission from the state park to use a golf cart.
