Amherst County

Located in Virginia’s western Piedmont, Amherst County was formed in 1761 from part of the southwestern portion of Albemarle County, and was named for Lord Jeffery Amherst, an early British Governor of Virginia. In 1807, as population increased, the county was reduced in size to form Nelson County from the northern portion. The county has a total area of 479 square miles, of which 474 square miles are land and 5 are water. The county contains many good examples of 18th, 19th and early 20th century rural and small-town architecture. The downtown area of the town of Amherst – the county seat – is a classic representation of early-20th century commercial architecture. It is home to Sweet Briar College, a private women’s college which encompasses 2,840 acres of farmlands, vineyards, forest, wetlands, meadows, and historic buildings in the Georgian Revival style. The campus, which is accessible to the public, provides some nice birding opportunities.

There are several public parks and trails in the county, including about twenty-five miles of the Appalachian Trail running through the George Washington National Forest, with offshoot trails going to Mount Pleasant, Cole Mountain, and other high elevation areas. Parks and trails along the James River and several watershed lakes provide good opportunities to see numerous waterfowl, waders, and passerines – especially during migration.

The James River flows along the southern and eastern borders of the county, providing opportunities for birding, fishing, and boating. Nesting bird species along the river include Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, and Warbling Vireo. The James River and adjacent river bottom are publicly accessible from several locations including the Amherst County portions of Percival’s Island along the James River Heritage Trail. Another good access point is Riveredge Park, which includes a paved trail that provides some nice birding year-round. Upstream of these areas, Monacan Park is another great location for birding, as is the James River Visitors Center area near the intersection of US Route 501 and The Blue Ridge Parkway, where there is an active Cliff Swallow colony. A little further upstream, the Snowden Dam area can be productive throughout the year with nesting Common Mergansers and wintering or migrating diving ducks including Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Common Goldeneye.

Four public lakes – Mill Creek Lake (190 acres), Thrashers Lake (36 acres), Stonehouse Lake (41 acres), and Otter Lake (7 acres) – also offer great opportunities for birding and other wildlife observation, as well as fishing and boating. At least thirty-five species of waterfowl have been recorded in the county, with the vast majority seen at Mill Creek and Thrashers Lakes. Mill Creek Lake alone boasts 184 species of birds, which is over seventy percent of the county total! A smaller lake which is always worth checking is Woodys Lake located behind the Walmart in Madison Heights. Several rare and unusual birds have been found there including Ross’s Goose, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, American Bittern, Least Bittern, several species of shorebirds, Black-billed Cuckoo, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Nashville Warbler.

The western portion of the county includes the Blue Ridge Mountains, with five peaks over 4000 feet in elevation and an additional twelve above 3000 feet. These areas provide opportunities for observing several high elevation breeding bird species as well as other mountain fauna and flora. The Blue Ridge Parkway, with its numerous overlooks and trails, runs through the county for about twenty miles providing access to some nice birding spots. High elevation breeders include Black-billed Cuckoo, Least Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Veery, Dark-eyed Junco, Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Amherst County is mostly rural with abundant rolling farmlands to explore along numerous backroads. Breeding birds you may encounter are Grasshopper Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Meadowlark, Prairie Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. During migration you may be rewarded with American Pipit, Vesper Sparrow, and Bobolink. The roads leading to Mill Creek, Thrashers, and Stonehouse Lakes can be particularly good at any time of year. There is even an active Bald Eagle nest near Stonehouse Lake.

The county bird list includes over 250 species. Notable rarities include Eared Grebe, Black Skimmer, American White Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Rail, Sandhill Crane, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say’s Phoebe, White-winged Crossbill, and Pine Grosbeak. Less rare but notable birds include Ross’s, Greater White-fronted, and Cackling Geese, Red and Red-necked Phalarope, Least Bittern, Marsh Wren, Alder Flycatcher, and Dickcissel.

—Mike Boatwright

Hotspots

Stakeout Hotspots

The following hotspots should only be used to input historical records pertaining to a specific staked out rarity, as indicated in the hotspots names.

• stakeout Say's Phoebe, Thrashers Creek Bridge (2018-2019)