Appomattox County
Eastern Kingbird, © Rob Bielawski
Situated in western central Virginia, Appomattox County was formed in 1845 from pieces of Buckingham, Prince Edward, Campbell, and Charlotte counties. It is named for the Appomattox River, which in turn is named for the Appamatuck, a historic Native American tribe of the Algonquian-speaking Powhatan Confederacy. Appomattox came to national attention on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee met with Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House to accept Lee's surrender. The surrender of Lee signaled the beginning of the end of the American Civil War. The historic town and surrounding land is now preserved as Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.
The county unique in the region due to the high variety and quantity of public land, totaling several thousand acres. Appomattox is home to the aforementioned National Park, most of Holliday Lake State Park, half of the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, a portion of Featherfin Wildlife Management Area, and a few county parks. All of these are located in the central and eastern part of the county. Appomattox County was mostly deforested by the mid-1800s for timber and tobacco farming, and is now a patchwork of agricultural fields and hardwood forests. As of 2019, over 180 species of birds have been recorded in the county with most of the birding conducted on the public lands and backroads.
This variety of public lands makes for exciting birding. Holliday Lake State Park, with nearly 600 acres of public land and a large lake, is one of the premier spots. The park straddles the Appomattox-Buckingham line, but a significant portion of the lake is in Appomattox, making it an excellent spot for a range of species including Bald Eagle, Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, Wood Duck, and Green Heron. The surrounding forests are also a great place to seek out woodland species, including migrant warblers. Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Virginia’s largest, has a mixture of hardwood and pine forests, and is another great place for woodland species, particularly warblers. History buffs and birders alike will enjoy a visit to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Its ample grassland and edge habitats make it a great place to seek out open country species including Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Meadowlark, and a cornucopia of sparrows. Featherfin WMA, spread across three counties, is another great place for mixed habitats including deciduous and pine woods, fields, and wetlands. Among other species, keep an eye out for Red-headed Woodpecker and Wild Turkey here. In the northwestern part of the county, Bent Creek Boat Ramp on the James River is a good spot to find riparian breeders including Baltimore Oriole, Warbling Vireo, and Cliff Swallow.
Appomattox can lay claim to a number of regional notable records including Greater White-fronted Goose, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Anhinga, White Ibis, and Marsh Wren. Perhaps the most interesting record is a 2001 report of Lark Sparrow, a good find anywhere in the state, but particularly inland.
—Evan Spears