Gloucester County

Boat-tailed Grackle, © Rob Bielawski

Well before Europeans arrived on American soil, present-day Gloucester County was an important site for indigenous peoples, who have inhabited this area since at least the late Woodland Period (around 1000 AD). By c. 1200, native peoples had settled a village site known as Werowocomoco; buoyed by cultivation of corn, squash, and beans, as well as bountiful game and fish stocks, this settlement grew from a small village to a densely-populated regional center. Sometime prior to the 1500s, the Powhatan Confederacy, an alliance bringing together about 30 tribes and 12,000 to 15,000 people under the governance of Chief Powhatan, formed and occupied a seat of government at Werowocomoco. After a failed attempt at settlement by Spanish Jesuits in 1570, English colonists landed at Jamestown in 1607 and began exploring the area. That year, the English leader Captain John Smith was captured and taken before Powhatan at Werowocomoco, and it was here that Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas supposedly intervened to save Smith from execution (though this story may be apocryphal). Werowocomoco was abandoned by Powhatan around 1609, and its location gradually became lost to history, though not for want of attempts at relocating it. Finally, in 2002 and 2003, a coalition of archaeologists representing a joint venture by the College of William & Mary, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and local Native American tribes, located the site of Werowocomoco on Purtan Bay in Gloucester.

If the land where Gloucester sits was important to indigenous people, it was no less so to English colonists. Settlement was delayed for sometime after the initial encounters in 1607, but by the 1640s English people began arriving in Gloucester. With increased settlement came the separation of Gloucester County from York in 1651; at that time, Gloucester included what is now Mathews County, which was broken off in 1791. Under English settlement, agriculture (especially tobacco) grew to become the main driver of industry in Gloucester, fueling a plantation economy that resulted in property for a handful of wealthy planter (some to become the so-called “First Families of Virginia”), but also driving the exploitation of labor by enslaved Africans. A unique culture also grew up in the marshes of southeastern Gloucester, mostly inhabited by watermen and dominated by the seafood industry. This region came to be known as Guinea, and is known for the unique English dialect spoken by its residents.

The 20th Century brought further change to Gloucester’s economy, as it has gradually grown from a largely rural, agricultural community into a nascent hub of commercial activity spilling over from the heavily-developed Hampton Roads area. Gloucester’s agricultural economy took an unexpected turn at the beginning of the century with the rise of a major daffodil industry – by the 1930s and 1940s, Gloucester had gained a reputation as the “Daffodil Capital of America,” and it is still known for its unique varieties and celebrates this heritage with an annual daffodil festival. William & Mary established the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) at Gloucester Point in 1940, and it has grown to becoming a leading educational institution in its field. Since 1970, the population in Gloucester has grown by 60%, and the corridor of US 17 between Gloucester Point and Gloucester Courthouse has become increasingly developed. Its proximity to the Peninsula makes it an attractive location for people commuting to Hampton Roads, and with this influx of people has come new business opportunities – just by way of example, clothing and accessories brand Peace Frogs (you’ve surely seen their logo on bumper stickers!) is headquartered in Gloucester, and the county can now claim two breweries!

As a birding destination, Gloucester rates high among Virginia counties, with 269 species reported to eBird as of March 2021. Combining extensive woodland and agricultural habitats with ample access to both the Chesapeake Bay and the lower York River, Gloucester holds high species diversity within a relatively small area. Coupled with its proximity to Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Newport News, it is both an easily-accessible and highly rewarding birding destination. Perhaps the most widely-known hotspot in Gloucester is Beaverdam Park, a sprawling park that contains nearly 10-miles of trails traversing mixed woods around a huge reservoir. The lake here is deep and often holds diving ducks in winter, including hundreds of Ring-necked Ducks as well as both scaup, Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers, and Ruddy Duck. Dabblers are somewhat less numerous, but still often present, with reports of Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, American Black Duck, American Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal. Pied-billed Grebe is common, Horned Grebe slightly less-so, and Red-necked Grebe has been recorded on occasions. This would certainly be a worthwhile lake to check when other bodies of water are frozen, as it may harbor scoters, Long-tailed Duck, or a rare grebe. At all times of year, the woods around the lake are good for most regularly-occurring woodpeckers, including Red-headed. Beaverdam is also an excellent migration spot, with potential for just about any Neotropical passerines. In the breeding season, the woods here are home to Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Wood Thrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers, and Summer and Scarlet Tanagers.

In the southeastern part of the county, Guinea Marsh is an excellent spot to see marsh birds. “Guinea Marsh” is a bit of a loose identifier for a large region, and the is mostly done from a series of roads that go out into the marshes, including Maryus Road, Browns Bay Road, and Jenkins Neck Road. Clapper Rails is a common year-round resident, while Virginia Rails are present by late fall; other rails, perhaps including Black or Yellow, may occur here but are difficult to detect. Waders can include not just Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, but less-common species such as Little Blue and Tricolored Heron, American Bittern, and both night-herons. Seaside Sparrows are breeders, while both sharp-tailed sparrows are possible in fall and winter. Some of the roads here provide views of water, where ducks, loons, grebes, gulls, or terns can be encountered depending on the season. Migrant shorebirds are also sometimes present when tidal flats are exposed.

Viewing the York River or Chesapeake Bay is always productive, and there are numerous boat landings and other access points. Gloucester Point merits special mention, as it sits just a short way upstream from where the York empties into the Bay. Scoping from here is always worth the effort, but especially in the winter months, when this can be a good place for Horned Grebe, both loons, Long-tailed Duck, and others. Red-necked and Eared Grebe have both been spotted here, as has Great Cormorant. Northern Gannets often make it this far upriver, and in March and April they will sometimes congregate here by the hundreds. Other spots worth mentioning include Woodville Park, a recreational facility near Gloucester Courthouse that has a nice mix of edge and woodland habitat and can be a good migrant trap on the right day. Haynes Mill Pond is difficult to view, but is worth checking in the winter for dabbling ducks – it once hosted a Eurasian Wigeon. Adjacent to Gloucester Point Beach, Tyndall’s Point Park is difficult to bird owing to road noise from 17, but it has plenty of tangled riparian vegetation that seems prime for overwintering passerines or perhaps a true rarity; Western Tanager has been recorded here. Burgh Westra Lane has a bit of a reputation as a shorebird hotspot, and in years past it has had impressive diversity and numbers, not to mention a record of Ruff! Unfortunately, in recent years most of the best shorebird fields here have become overgrown, and this spot is now better for Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, or Blue Grosbeak than sandpipers.

The roster of rarities in Gloucester is impressive, and may put it front of the pack among Middle Peninsula counties. Some of the most noteworthy include Black-headed Grosbeak, Black Rail, Ruff, Wood Stork, White-winged Dove, Cave Swallow, Common Redpoll, Lark Sparrow, Eared Grebe and Sandhill Crane. Records of purely regional interest also include Anhinga, Eurasian Wigeon, Baird’s Sandpiper, Common Gallinule, and Mourning Warbler.

—Matt Anthony

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