City of Buena Vista
Common Yellowthroat, © Rob Bielawski
Certainly one of the more unusually named jurisdictions in Virginia, the city of Buena Vista takes its name not from the Spanish phrase for “good view,” although you will find good views there, but rather from a local furnace which supplied cannonballs used at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. Adding to the unusualness of the name, locals do not follow the Spanish pronunciation and instead say “BYOO-na Vista.” The city is nestled within Rockbridge County, conveniently located just a few miles east of I-81 and naturally pairing with the nearby City of Lexington to the west. Buena Vista traces its origins to 1892, and with an area of only 7 sq. mi., it is Virginia’s sixth smallest independent city.
Despite its small size, however, Buena Vista has a lot to offer to birders. The unquestioned highlight of the city, from a birding perspective, is Glen Maury Park, located on the west side of town. The park features a rolling hill overlooking the city and offering birders the namesake “good view” for spotting soaring birds like raptors and ravens. The many wooded trails in the park offer plenty of opportunities for woodland species like warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, and Glen Maury is especially productive during migration. At the base of the hill, near the campground, the trees lining the river often have singing Yellow-throated Warblers and Warbling Vireos. In winter, one of the most productive spots is the Maury River Walk, which runs along the river and gives birders the chance to spot waterfowl. Some of the brushy edge habitat around the Vista Links Golf Course can be productive for passerines, and occasional more interesting species like White-crowned Sparrows can be found. True field habitat is in short supply in the city, however, and birders will likely struggle with species such as Eastern Meadowlark or American Kestrel.
Notable records in the city include Red-necked Grebe. Buena Vista also boasts records of 24 species of warblers, an impressive list for similarly-sized cities.
—Matt Anthony