If time allows a one-mile loop along the beach and into the marsh should maximize the number of species seen. You can do marsh and beach in either order. If time is short or mobility is limited, the overlook at Bayview Road or the end of Mill Creek Road are two good places to scope from, although some birds will be closer. The rocks at the entrance to Mill Creek, which is the inlet into the marshes, are a popular roost for terns and gulls, sandpipers, and herons, depending on tide and time of year. 

Glossy Ibis, Marbled Godwit, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Least Tern, Piping Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, American Oystercatcher

In summer the marsh can have several herons and Glossy Ibis. Look for Bank, Tree, and Barn swallows, as well as Saltmarsh Sparrows in the marsh. Blackbirds and starlings can be present in groups. House finches and House Sparrows can hang out close to the parking lot. Black Ducks are common in the marsh, often with Mallards and occasionally other ducks. There have been 2 active Osprey nests in recent years. Willets are abundant and vocal breeders. From the beach, one can find gulls and terns, including nesting Least Terns and in late summer Roseate Terns. Piping Plovers nest on the beach and some of the dunes are roped off in summer. A good place for shorebirds, especially toward the end of the beach and inside the inlet, especially when the tide is mostly out. Oystercatchers, Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers, plovers, Sanderling, Turnstones, Yellowlegs, Whimbrels, and Spotted Sandpipers can be found, especially in late summer and early fall. In early fall this spot is becoming a hotspot for Marbled Godwit and Western Willet. Double-crested Cormorants can gather in huge numbers in the fall, and in the winter one can often spot several Common Loon from the beach, as well as Golden-eye and Buffleheads. Look for small numbers of scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, and grebes in the winter.

Forest Beach Road goes south from MA-28 to Forest Beach and Conservation Lands. 

Parking at the beach is free year-round. From the lot, one can access the beach or walk a trail on the marsh side. There is also an overlook off of Bayview Road, with a short trail. One can also view Mill Creek and the back side of the marsh from the end of Mill Creek Road. This is also where one would launch a kayak to explore the marsh.

From the beach parking, lot take a trail on the marsh side running parallel to the beach, or walk along the beach itself. The marsh side is rife with poison ivy, long pants are recommended. The trails connect at the end of the beach at the inlet. It is about a 1-mile roundtrip. This is a popular dog-walking spot in the off-season, but it is unusual to see more than 2 or 3 dog walkers in a visit. There is a short trail at the Bayview Road overlook. You can walk right down to the edge of the marsh, where there are a couple of spots you can view the marsh from and a short walk through some woods. This trail can become overgrown, so be mindful of ticks.