ⓘ Some details here were drafted automatically and haven't been verified yet — double-check fees and hours with the managing agency before you go.
Parkers Marsh Natural Area Preserve, known locally as Sound Beach or Ware Point, is a 759-acre (307 ha) Natural Area Preserve located in Accomack County, Virginia to the Northwest of the Town of Onancock (4.5 miles by boat) at the mouth of Onancock Creek and the Chesapeake Bay. The preserve incorporates beach habitat along the Chesapeake Bay and Onancock Creek, as well as low marsh, high marsh, maritime shrubland communities, and maritime forest. Various plant, animal, insect, and other species are present throughout the year. About 75% of the site is salt marsh. One rare species within the preserve is the Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus). A Peregrine falcon pair has been successfully nested there since 1998. Along with the Tiger Beetles using the beach area of Parkers Marsh, Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) nest along the shore. Terrapins are sometimes confused for being sea turtles when seen in the waters of the bay and have population problems like that of the sea turtle. A significant threat is that they can become entrapped in crab pots and drowned. Like all other turtles, they can not hold their breath indefinitely. The preserve has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society as a part of the "Delmarva Bayside Marshes IBA", which also includes the nearby Mark's and Jack's Island Natural Area Preserve and Saxis Wildlife Management Area.