Salt Marsh · Springs
Accabonac Harbor
The East End's most productive salt marsh. Osprey platforms line the harbor, saltmarsh sparrows nest in the high marsh, and the tidal cuts funnel egrets and willets into reliable viewing distance.
Access & parking
Multiple access points: Louse Point Road (north), Gerard Drive (east), and the Merrill Lake Sanctuary (The Nature Conservancy preserve) on the west side. Boardwalks through the salt marsh at Merrill Lake.
Parking: Small free lots at each access point; Gerard Drive and Louse Point can fill on summer weekends.
Restrooms: No restrooms at any access point.
Difficulty: Stroller-friendly
When to go
Seasons: Spring Migration, Breeding, Fall Migration
Time of day: dawn
Target species
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
- Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
- Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans)
- Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima)
- Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta)
Rarities reported here
- Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
Photography tips
Incoming tide at Gerard Drive pushes shorebirds into a tight cluster against the causeway — shoot handheld from the road shoulder, never step into the cordgrass.
eBird hotspot
Open this hotspot on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird database →
Nearby birds
Other salt marsh sites worth pairing on a day trip:
- Mecox Bay · Water Mill
- Dune Road — Shinnecock to Quogue · Quogue
Looking for the broader fauna calendar (whales, seals, sea turtles)? /wildlife covers every species on the East End.