The entire south end of the Reserve is excellent for land birds, especially in spring and fall. Walk any of the roads, particularly Seal Rock Road, T-wharf Road, and Albro Farm Road for your best chance at migratory species and resident songbirds. Also at the south end you can find the Pine Barren habitat, which is your most likely place for Red-breasted Nuthatches and Prairie Warblers. Woodcock are present and displaying throughout the south end from March-May, beginning around sundown. If you turn right down Albro Farm Road from T- wharf Road, there is a large area with many dead snags – this is excellent in the spring and fall for falcons like Merlin and Kestrel. Osprey and Red-tailed Hawks are also present in this area. The fields near the Reserve headquarters attract Kestrel, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, and Eastern Bluebird just to name a few.

The west side of the island is towards Nag Marsh and Chase Way Beach. This area can produce great looks at any of the salt marsh species expected in our region – egrets, ibis, herons, sparrows, and shorebirds. From late spring through early fall, the shrubs and upper marsh are home to Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, and Willow Flycatcher.

North End:  A wide variety of habitats from meadow to coastal scrub to salt marsh, the north end can produce a variety of birds. Fall and winter are excellent for sparrows and waterfowl but be sure to wear orange from November-January due to hunting season. Spring and summer (which can be very buggy with ticks, mosquitoes, and greenhead flies so take precautions if hiking in this area and avoid high grass) produce lots of wading birds including the uncommonly seen Tri-colored Heron as well as the expected songbirds during migration and breeding season.

Forested Trails:  There are several trails that run through the middle of the island, most connecting to one another making for a lovely hike. Depending on the time of year that you visit, you may see (or hear) species like Eastern Wood Peewee, Wood Thrush, Veery, Ovenbird, and any of the five species of woodpeckers present on the island. Spring and fall will produce a variety of songbirds from warblers to orioles to vireos. Eastern Screech Owl and Great-horned Owl have also been seen and/or heard along these trails.

Potters Pond/ Potters Cove:  Abundant waterfowl in the winter months, especially Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, and Common Goldeneye. These are good areas to look for many of the egret and heron species present in the spring, summer, and fall. Species include Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Little Blue Heron.

Seasonal Birding Highlights On Prudence Island

The spring migration season is a great time to bird on Prudence especially if you are interested in songbirds. The entire month of May is great, with peak migration usually falling around the second week but continuing right through the rest of the month. Birders can enjoy sightings of many warbler species including Black and White, Blue-winged, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Prairie, Pine, Redstart, and Magnolia, among others.

Many other beautiful songbirds can be seen including Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, White-eyed Vireo, Veery, and Indigo Bunting. In addition to land birds, this is a great time to find American Oystercatchers feeding along the rocky shoreline at the south end as well as Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, and Little Blue Herons in the salt marshes. Many of the waterfowl that are present all winter are heading north again, but you may still find lingering species including Horned Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Brant, and Common Loon.

Fall

The fall months are beautiful at the Reserve, and full of great birds! By the end of August, we’re seeing migratory warblers passing through having wrapped up their breeding season much further north, and even the occasional shorebird, like Semi-palmated Plover and Dunlin, appear along the shoreline or the mudflats of the salt marshes. September and October are also a great time to look for Kestrel and Merlin, particularly at the south end.

We begin seeing many more waterfowl species including Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, and Common Goldeneye along the shoreline and in the protected coves and ponds. Northern Flicker numbers are usually quite high in early fall, and it’s also a great time to spot the other species of woodpecker on the island – Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Winter

Land birding can be pretty quiet in the winter aside from our resident species, but many years do produce Red-breasted Nuthatches, particularly in the pine barren habitat at the south end. During years when there are major Snowy Owl flights, called irruptions, the north-end beaches can be a great place to look for these majestic birds perched on a rock or dune. Some of the best winter birding requires that you head to the shoreline, coves, and marshes. Large numbers of Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Brant, Common Eider, Horned Grebe, and Common Loon are typical.

Less numerous but regularly seen species include Red-throated Loon, all three Scoter species (Black, Surf, and White-winged), Scaup (Lesser and Greater), Gadwall, American Widgeon, Black Duck, and Mallard. For the last several years, a Barrow’s Goldeneye has been present mixed among the Common Goldeneye – just look closely at all the white cheek patches on the males and find the comma shape versus the circle. By March, the American Woodcock are putting on their aerial displays and loudly peenting as they begin their breeding season. The south end near the Reserve’s cottages, the fields adjacent to the T-wharf, and along Albro Farm Road are all great places to watch this wonderful display.

Close to 85% of Prudence Island has been protected from development, including the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR).  Popular activities at many locations across the island include:

• Hiking
• Bird Watching
• Picture Post Locations
• Fishing
• Clamming
• Points of Interest
• Events

Helpful Information

• Prudence Island is accessible via ferry (vehicles and passengers), departing from Bristol.
• Bikes are a good way to get around the island, but keep in mind many of the roads are not paved; bikes with thick, wide tires are ideal.
• The only public restrooms on the island are located at the NBNERR headquarters (typically open M-F 8:30-3:30 pm)  and there is a composting toilet at the south end near the T-Wharf.
• There are no overnight accommodations or restaurants, but there is a small general store at the ferry landing.
• Free day parking in Bristol is available in a municipal lot on Thames Street directly opposite the Prudence Island ferry landing and parking lot. Please note that this lot does not provide overnight parking.

The AllTrails.com website has descriptions and maps of hikes on Prudence Island.