Augusta County

Broad-winged Hawk, © Baxter Beamer

Augusta County is located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west. It is the second largest county in Virginia by total area and encompasses the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Augusta County is a treasure of natural wonders with many historical, cultural, and recreational resources. It contains a variety of natural parks including Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, and geologic wonders such as Natural Chimneys and Grand Caverns.

The valley is dominated by rolling hills and rural landscapes with a bounty of agricultural and pasture land, fallow fields, and some mixed forest. A good spattering of industrial, commercial, and residential areas (including Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport at Weyers Cave) are primarily located along the two interstate highways (I-81 and I-64).

The uplands to the east and west are generally dry and vastly forested with mixtures of oaks and other hardwoods as well as some pines. These uplands also contain plenty of back roads and hiking trails, including the famous Appalachian Trail along the Blue Ridge. Elevations range from a low of 1625 ft. to 4463 ft. at Elliott Knob to the west and 3587 ft. at Bald Mountain to the east.

With a variety of habitats, rural landscape, and a wide range in elevation, Augusta County is a haven for birds and birders. A total of 316 species have been recorded thus far. Augusta sits on the eastern flyway for bird migration, and the high mountain elevations provide the nesting climate for species that would typically nest farther north such as Winter Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Dark-eyed Junco, Red Crossbill, Hermit Thrush, and warblers such as Mourning, Cerulean, Blackburnian, and Magnolia. Some of the best places to find these higher-elevation birds include Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Humpback Rocks, Hite Hollow Road, Troxel Gap Road, and Confederate Breastworks. Another notable breeder within the county is Virginia Rail, and other breeding species within the county include Wood Duck, Northern Bobwhite, Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, Green Heron, Bald Eagle, Killdeer, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, Wood Thrush, Grasshopper Sparrow, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, and a variety of warblers (Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded, Pine, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat). Good hotspots for these include Swoope, Augusta Springs Wetland, Big Levels, Cold Springs Road, Guthrie Road, and Cowbane Prairie.

Of its 971 sq. mi., Augusta County contains only 3.9 square miles of water including small rivers, creeks, reservoirs, and a scattering of ponds. These bodies of water provide a haven for migrating and wintering waterfowl including Snow Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Tundra Swan, Northern Pintail, Common Goldeneye, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, and an occasional White-winged Scoter. In the spring and early fall, the ponds are magnets for migrating shorebirds and waders including Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, sandpipers (Least, Spotted, Solitary, Semipalmated, and Pectoral), Semipalmated Plover, both species of yellowlegs, and rarely an American Avocet. Some of the best water birding locations include the Hope Lake in Swoope, Mount Solon Pond, Augusta Springs Wetland, China Clay Road wetland, the Target Distribution Center pond, Fishersville quarry.

Also during migration, a large number of passerine species can be found passing through Augusta County such as Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, and Wilson’s Warbler. There are many birding spots, but the most productive sites are those that have good changes in elevation such as State Road 610, Troxel Gap Road, Hite Hollow Road, and Old Parkersburg Turnpike. Throughout the fields and pastures one can find a variety of breeders including Dickcissel, Bobolink, Blue Grosbeak, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark, and Eastern Kingbird. In these same fields and fencerows, you will also find many overwintering species including American Pipit, Lapland Longspur, American Tree Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrows, Swamp Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin and Northern Harrier. Some of the best locations for these birds include Swoope, Strickley Road, Guthrie Road, the areas around Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (e.g. Little Run Road, Craig Shop Road), Hall School Road, and Badger Road.

Augusta County is also rich in raptors. At night, a drive through back roads in areas such as Big Levels or the Blue Ridge Parkway can yield Barred, Eastern Screech, and Great Horned Owls as well as Northern Saw-whet Owl at higher elevations. In the valley, Barn Owls breed throughout, and Short-eared Owls are dependable winter visitors at spots such as Swoope and the airport. The Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, located where I-64 crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains, has been keeping fall counts of migrating raptors since 1976. During peak migration in the second half of September, over 10,000 Broad-winged Hawks pass through as well as many other raptors including Bald and Golden Eagles, Mississippi Kites, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, American Kestrels, Osprey, and rarely, Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Goshawks.

Notable rarities and records for Augusta County include: Trumpeter Swan, Eared Grebe, Sandhill Crane, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron (Lyndhurst, May 2013), Red Phalarope (Stuarts Draft, May 2013), Red-necked Phalarope (Stuarts Draft, 2013; 2014), Wood Stork (Fishersville, May 2017), Glossy Ibis (Swoope, Aug 2014), Anhinga (Stuarts Draft, May 2018), Least Bittern (Stuarts Draft, summer 2018), Roseate Spoonbill (Lyndhurst, June 2009), Swainson’s Hawk (Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, Oct 2014; Oct 2016), Sanderling (Stuarts Draft, Sep 2016), Loggerhead Shrike, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, Painted Bunting (Verona, Mar 2008), and Smith’s Longspur (Weyers Cave, Mar 2015).

A Google map developed by Vic Laubach depicting birding spots in Augusta County and neighboring Rockingham County, with photos and descriptions, is available here.

—Andrew Clem, Allen Larner, Vic Laubach, Gabriel Mapel

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.

Accessibility and Surroundings

Augusta County is serviced by two major highways. I-64 runs east/west (from Rockfish Gap to Staunton) while I-81 runs north/south through Staunton (intersecting with I-64). In addition, US 250 cuts across the county from Rockfish Gap, through Waynesboro and Staunton, then west to Confederate Breastworks and into West Virginia. Other thoroughfares include R 340 from Stuarts Draft to Grottoes as well as Routes 254, 11, and 42.

Amenities

For the most part, Augusta County is well served by hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores. However, these amenities can be quite scarce in the more remote parts of the county, especially in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. If visiting overnight, one can easily find lodging in Waynesboro or Staunton and in scattered locations along the interstates. Restaurants are largely focused in Staunton and Waynesboro as well as some other towns such as Weyers Cave, Stuarts Draft or Fishersville.

Christmas Bird Counts

Two Christmas Bird Count territories fall within Augusta County. The Augusta CBC is centered at Verona, and the Waynesboro CBC is centered at Sherando and covers part of neighboring Nelson County. Each CBC is sponsored by the Augusta Bird Club.

Bird Clubs

Established in 1966 and based in Staunton, the Augusta Bird Club today boasts a membership of over 100 people. Members enthusiastically participate in a wide variety of ornithological and nature-related activities, both local and statewide. Many of the members have served on the board of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. The Augusta Bird Club is a strong supporter of many wildlife conservation causes related to birds. Members regularly go on field trips to local or distant birding venues, hold monthly meetings which feature a speaker on bird or nature-related matters, gather to relax and chat at club social hours, and collaborate with a variety of bird counts. Further information about the Augusta Bird Club can be found at http://www.augustabirdclub.org/index.php.

Sources