Spittal Pond

Spittal Pond is the premier birding location for Bermuda. It is located in Smith's parish, on the south shore of Bermuda. The nature reserve is approximately 2.5 kilometers long by 1 kilometer wide, and the pond itself is 1.5 kilometers long. There are two entrances and car parks on either side of the nature reserve. The easternmost carpark is usually the best place to start, as you get down to the pond much quicker. On the eastern side of the pond, there is a mudflat which often attracts shorebirds and herons. Further down the path next to the pond, you will come to a smaller pond within the woodland which often has multiple herons roosting, a few teals and moorhens in the water, and the occasional Sora in the long grass surrounding it. Before you reach this woodland pond, there is a path going to the right, it follow this path you will come to a fence, just before this fence there is a pathway on the left which goes around the fence. This path allows you to walk along edge of the pond to get great views of the waterfowl and shorebirds on the rest of the pond. If you walk along the edge of the pond long enough, you will come to a separate pond on the left, this pond often has several ducks and herons on it. Towards the western side, there is another mudflat which attracts many shorebirds. The entire northern side of the pond is also great for shorebirds and waterfowl. All of the woodland trails are good for vagrant songbirds except during the summer. The trail going down from the eastern carpark to the pond usually has the highest amount of warblers, and the trail going from the western carpark is often good as well.  250 species of birds have been recorded at the nature reserve in the past 70 years. The pond itself attracts large amounts of herons, waterfowl and shorebirds, which accidentally arrive in Bermuda throughout the year. During the summer months, the pond tends to evaporate and mudflats grow, which is crucial for the shorebirds which peak in numbers during these months. The woodland surrounding the pond is a very good place to discover wintering North American warblers and other migrant North American songbirds during the spring and fall migrations, like Vireos, Thrushes, Tanagers, and Grosbeaks, all of which are vagrants (apart from the endemic Bermudian subspecies of White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus bermudianus, which is abundant throughout the island, many of the birds at Spittal Pond have also been banded). The coastline at Spittal Pond is a great place to observe native White-tailed Tropicbirds which are present in Bermuda from early spring to late fall, they fly out to sea during the winter. They nest within rock crevices along the coast, and can be seen flying in and out of the rocks feeding their chicks during the summer. During the spring, spittal pond can also be a good place to seawatch. Using a scope you can often see Manx (earlier on), Great, Sooty and Cory's Shearwaters as well as the occasional Jaeger which pass by Bermuda on their northern migrations. These birds can be observed mostly anywhere along the south coastline in the spring assuming there are strong southerly winds, however the very tip of Cooper's Island (now connected to the mainland) is the best place to observe seabirds on the island.    Spittal Pond eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L952649?m=&yr=all&changeDate= Bermuda eBird: https://ebird.org/region/BM?yr=all&m=

Spittal Pond is the premier birding location for Bermuda. It is located in Smith's parish, on the south shore of Bermuda. The nature reserve is approximately 2.5 kilometers long by 1 kilometer wide, and the pond itself is 1.5 kilometers long. There are two entrances and car parks on either side of the nature reserve. The easternmost carpark is usually the best place to start, as you get down to the pond much quicker. On the eastern side of the pond, there is a mudflat which often attracts shorebirds and herons. Further down the path next to the pond, you will come to a smaller pond within the woodland which often has multiple herons roosting, a few teals and moorhens in the water, and the occasional Sora in the long grass surrounding it. Before you reach this woodland pond, there is a path going to the right, it follow this path you will come to a fence, just before this fence there is a pathway on the left which goes around the fence. This path allows you to walk along edge of the pond to get great views of the waterfowl and shorebirds on the rest of the pond. If you walk along the edge of the pond long enough, you will come to a separate pond on the left, this pond often has several ducks and herons on it. Towards the western side, there is another mudflat which attracts many shorebirds. The entire northern side of the pond is also great for shorebirds and waterfowl. All of the woodland trails are good for vagrant songbirds except during the summer. The trail going down from the eastern carpark to the pond usually has the highest amount of warblers, and the trail going from the western carpark is often good as well.  250 species of birds have been recorded at the nature reserve in the past 70 years. The pond itself attracts large amounts of herons, waterfowl and shorebirds, which accidentally arrive in Bermuda throughout the year. During the summer months, the pond tends to evaporate and mudflats grow, which is crucial for the shorebirds which peak in numbers during these months. The woodland surrounding the pond is a very good place to discover wintering North American warblers and other migrant North American songbirds during the spring and fall migrations, like Vireos, Thrushes, Tanagers, and Grosbeaks, all of which are vagrants (apart from the endemic Bermudian subspecies of White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus bermudianus, which is abundant throughout the island, many of the birds at Spittal Pond have also been banded). The coastline at Spittal Pond is a great place to observe native White-tailed Tropicbirds which are present in Bermuda from early spring to late fall, they fly out to sea during the winter. They nest within rock crevices along the coast, and can be seen flying in and out of the rocks feeding their chicks during the summer. During the spring, spittal pond can also be a good place to seawatch. Using a scope you can often see Manx (earlier on), Great, Sooty and Cory's Shearwaters as well as the occasional Jaeger which pass by Bermuda on their northern migrations. These birds can be observed mostly anywhere along the south coastline in the spring assuming there are strong southerly winds, however the very tip of Cooper's Island (now connected to the mainland) is the best place to observe seabirds on the island.  Spittal Pond eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L952649?m=&yr=all&changeDate= Bermuda eBird: https://ebird.org/region/BM?yr=all&m=