Frederick County
Surf Scoter, © Rob Bielawski
As the northernmost county in the state, Frederick County forms the northern mouth of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, which stretches 200 miles south to the James River. Frederick County is bordered on the west by the Allegheny Mountains (and beyond those, West Virginia), and most of the eastern boundary is Opequon Creek along the western edge of Clarke County. Characterized primarily by the valley floor, much of the county is dominated by agricultural lands, which give way in the west to the forested slope of the mountains. Formed in 1738 from part of Orange County, Frederick County is one of the oldest counties in the Shenandoah Valley. At the time it included parts of present-day Warren and all of present-day Clarke and Shenandoah Counties, as well as five additional counties that are now part of West Virginia. It completely surrounds the independent city of Winchester, which also serves as the county seat and is the largest population center.
The most popular hotspot in the county is Lake Frederick, a 117-acre Department of Game and Inland Fisheries lake just north of the Warren County line. This location boasts 178 species recorded in eBird (as of July 2018) and has hosted interesting birds over the years, including multiple records of Surf Scoter and American White Pelican. There are other notable historical records in the aftermath of hurricanes; Hurricane Isabel in particular deposited several rare species on the lake. The Third Winchester Battlefield is an excellent spot to look for migrant passerines, and most regular species of warblers and flycatchers have been recorded there. Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve, part of which is in the City of Winchester, is a fine spot for waterfowl in the winter and other wetland species during migration. Western Frederick County is rather underbirded, as birders tend to be drawn to higher elevations further south in Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties. Still, interesting breeders such as Kentucky Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, and Eastern Whip-poor-will among others can be found in this area. Henslow’s Sparrow historically bred in the county, though they have not been reported for several years. More exploration in the western and northern parts of the county could result in a re-discovery.
Notable records include Wood Stork, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, a hurricane-driven Sandwich Tern, Eurasian Wigeon, American Avocet, and Red-throated Loon. Also of note are a post-hurricane storm-petrel, believed to be Band-rumped, as well as an unconfirmed report of Hoary Redpoll.
—James Fox
Hotspots
Christmas Bird Counts
Almost half of the Northern Shenandoah CBC circle falls within Frederick County, parts of Clarke, Warren, and a bit of the City of Winchester are also included. This count has been run annually since 1975 and is sponsored by Lord Fairfax Community College and the Northern Shenandoah Audubon Society. The count typically falls on the first Saturday of the count period and often posts one of the highest species totals for the Mountains and Valleys region of the state. If you are interested in participating please contact the compiler, Charles Hagan, naturetrekr@gmail.com.