Wasena Park and the Roanoke River Greenway

Elevation: 917 ft.

This large multi-use park offers a one-mile paved walking trail along the Roanoke River. The riverine bottom is lined with large willows, maple, oaks, with rockbed shorelines in some areas, and weedy grassy embankments in others. Because it offers a large, widened riparian corridor, this site is probably best birded during migration, producing an interesting variety of warblers, tanagers, thrushes, and flycatchers. In summer, however, look for yellow-throated and yellow warbler, indigo bunting, yellow-billed cuckoo, and American redstart. Yellow-crowned night heron, green and great blue herons hunt along the riverbanks while belted kingfishers hunt from higher posts. Northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, Carolina wren, and white-breasted nuthatch are year-round denizens of these woodlands. For the entomologist, dragonfly and damselfly-watching at this site can be quite rewarding. Look for dragonflies such as prince baskettail, wandering glider, common green darner, calico pennant, eastern amberwings, and several large gomphids. Damselflies that line weedy shorelines include dusky, powdered, variable, blue-ringed, and blue-fronted dancers, Rambur’s forktail, and American rubyspot. Shaded woodland edges are often patrolled by ebony jewelwing.