Longleaf Pine Heritage Preserve
Robin Carter
Directions
From Lynchburg Savanna Heritage Preserve, go east on Road 327, CC Road for about one mile to a T-junction with Road 53, Tram Road. Here turn right (southeast) on Tram Road and go about one mile to the intersection of Tram Road with US 76 in the village of Atkins, which is between Lynchburg and Mayesville. Continue straight ahead (southeast) on Road 53, which changes its name to Atkins Avenue. Go 1.4 miles southeast on Atkins Avenue to the intersection with Road 101, McKnight Road. Here turn right (southwest) and go about two miles to the preserve parking lot on the left.
Birds to look for
Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (s), Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (w), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee (s), Eastern Phoebe (w), Great Crested Flycatcher (s), Eastern Kingbird (s), White-eyed Vireo, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Wren (w), Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-breasted Chat (s), Summer Tanager (s), Eastern Towhee, Bachman's Sparrow (s), Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow (w), Blue Grosbeak (s), Indigo Bunting (s), Orchard Oriole (s)
Description
Longleaf Pine Heritage Preserve is a natural companion to nearby Lynchburg Savanna Heritage Preserve. Its savanna is perhaps not so good for rare plants, but it does have several groups of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. One group is along McKnight Road, about 0.5 miles southwest of the parking lot. To best see the preserve, walk in for a mile or so on the old logging road that begins at the parking lot. There is a group of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the powerline right-of-way in about .75 miles and another group about .3 miles farther. Check out the powerline right-of-way in winter for a possible Henslow's Sparrow
Warning: this area is open to deer hunting from August to early January. If you visit during this period wear blaze orange or visit on a Sunday.
Rarities seen at Longleaf Pine Heritage Preserve include Willow Flycatcher (early May).