Buckingham County

Formed in 1761 from Albemarle County, Buckingham County is located in the center of Virginia’s Piedmont region. It is bordered by Albemarle and Fluvanna Counties to the north, Nelson County to the west, Appomattox County to the southwest, Prince Edward County to the south, and Cumberland County to the east. At over 579 square miles, the county measures up as Virginia’s eighth largest. The James River forms the northern and western boundaries, and much of the southern border is the Appomattox River and its tributary, Holliday Creek. The geographic center of Virginia is located in the county, just west of State Route 24 about two miles southeast of the community of St. Joy. The county is quite rural; the town of Dillwyn (population 447) is the largest located within its borders, though Scottsville and Farmville are located just outside the county lines in Albemarle and Prince Edward, respectively. Yogaville, an ashram founded by the guru Swami Satchidananda in 1980, is located in the northwestern part of the county, along the James River. Notable people from the county include Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco and “The Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson. 

Buckingham is characterized by its rolling topography, extensive tracts of forest, and few (human) inhabitants. The highest point in the county is located atop Spears Mountain at 1,611’, however the most dramatic is surely Willis Mountain (997’). Located 4.5 miles south of Dillwyn, its isolated peak, though scarred by mining activity, still rises high above the surrounding Piedmont hills. Much of the land here is dedicated to timber production, often pine, and a good portion of the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest is located in the southern part of the county. Most of the agricultural land is located in the eastern part of the county where rocks rich in magnesium, iron and other minerals predominate, a typical pattern for land use in the Piedmont. 

Public lands in the county consist of James River State Park in the western part, Holliday Lake State Park (though much of the park is in neighboring Appomattox County), much of the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Horsepen Lake WMA, part of Featherfin WMA, Ellis Acres Memorial Park in Dillwyn, and of course numerous rural roads, which are a great way to traverse the county’s various habitats. Upland hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests offer breeding species such as Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, woodpeckers, and Hooded, Pine, and Black-and-white Warblers. Steeper wooded slopes in the western part of the county can have Worm-eating Warblers as well. Alluvial floodplain forests feature the typical suite of birds like Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher. Along the James River species like Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Prothonotary Warbler, and Cliff Swallow can be expected as well. Since much of the county’s land is devoted to timber production, clearcuts and early-successional habitat in various stages of regeneration abound, perfect for Prairie Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Field and Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Northern Bobwhite. Agricultural lands offer breeding species like Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Kingbird, and Barn Swallow. 

Holliday Lake (partially in Appomattox Co.), Slate River Lake, James River State Park, and of course various private farm ponds all offer good places to look for winter waterfowl. Shorebirding is one of the weaker aspects of the county, as areas with accessible shallow, marshy impoundments or mudflats are quite scarce. As the county is predominantly forested, records of open-country species such as Horned Lark, American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, etc. are few, but not many birders frequent the county in winter, so this could be a matter of coverage. 

Notable regional and state-level records include Tundra Swan, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Common Gallinule, Yellow Rail, Sandhill Crane, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Black Tern, American Bittern, Little Blue Heron, both Night-Herons, Evening Grosbeak, American Tree Sparrow, and Golden-winged Warbler.

—Drew Chaney

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 Swallow-tailed Kite, Chestnut Grove Church Road (2021)

Amenities

The only options for lodging within the county are a few B&B’s (but hotels are available in nearby Farmville, Appomattox and Charlottesville). Fast food and gas can easily be found in Dillwyn and along SR 20 and US 15, but visitors in search of finer fare will need to head into Scottsville, Farmville, Charlottesville, or Lynchburg.

Christmas Bird Counts

Although it is mostly in Albemarle County, the Warren CBC is also the only active count to include Buckingham. It has been compiled since 1947, and also includes a small portion of Fluvanna County.