Highland County

Black-capped Chickadee, © Eric Hynes

Known colloquially as Virginia’s “Little Switzerland,” Highland County is defined by its rugged natural beauty and remote mountainous terrain. With just over 2300 residents, Highland is not only Virginia’s least populous county, but one of the most sparsely-populated anywhere east of the Mississippi River. Agricultural, particularly cattle and sheep farming, is a major part of the economy in Highland; estimates from 2010 placed the number of sheep at 4500 head, and the cattle at 8000 head, meaning that there are substantially more of both in the county than there are people! Highland was formed in 1847 from parts of Bath and Pendleton Counties (the latter now in West Virginia), partially to mitigate the amount of travel necessary to reach the respective courthouses in those counties. Geographically, the county is defined by its montane environment, with its eastern boundary formed by the ridge of Shenandoah Mountain and its western boundary running along the Eastern Continental Divide in the Alleghenies. The county claims one of the highest average elevations anywhere in the East, a fact commemorated in its very name. Despite its remoteness, Highland was the site of the Battle of McDowell, a major Civil War battle during Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign in 1862. These days, life in Highland is considerably quieter, and dominated mostly by agriculture and tourism, the latter spurred by the county’s legendary scenic beauty. Visitors come from a wide radius to enjoy Highland’s hiking, wildlife viewing, and spectacular fall foliage. The annual Highland Maple Festival, which showcases the county’s traditional maple syrup-making industry, is also a popular attraction. The county seat at Monterey, founded in 1847 and named for the Battle of Monterey during the Mexican-American War, is the closest thing to a major town in Highland, offering some of the very limited options for lodging and dining, yet even this “population center” is only home to about 150 residents!

While Highland may be far-flung and remote, it has a longstanding reputation as a major birding attraction in Virginia. Its high elevation makes it a great place to seek out species that are otherwise rare or range-restricted in Virginia, and many birders travel to Highland each year seeking specialty species such as Golden-winged or Mourning Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Golden Eagle, or Rough-legged Hawk. Most birding excursions to Highland will begin by following US 250 west from Augusta County, gradually ascending until cresting the ridge (and crossing the county line) at the Confederate Breastworks Interpretive Site. This is the traditional starting point of a Highland birding circuit, though some (if not many) of the birds seen here will be in Augusta County. A bit further down the road as it begins descending the mountain, there is a sharp hairpin turn with a wide gravel pull-off, which is an equally good spot to bird while dodging the county line issue. In either event, this place is a good spot to begin searching for elevational specialties. Chickadees here will be Black-capped, and breeders including such species as Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blackburnian Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and others. On the steep slopes of the mountainside, check for Ruffed Grouse camouflages against the rocks. Red Crossbills are nomadic breeders in the county, often difficult to pin down, but sometimes they can be had as flyovers in this area.

Descending the slope into the valley below, one will first pass through the village of McDowell, while proceeding west will bring you to Monterey. In both cases, it is worth a quick cruise through town to see if anyone has feeders out. Pine Siskins and Purple Finches can be found here even in non-irruption winters. In a year where finches are moving, any feeders in Highland are a good bet for Evening Grosbeak and Common Redpoll. Historically, feeders in Monterey sometimes hosted dozens or hundreds of these species, and the state’s only Hoary Redpoll record is from here. The two towns are also the place to seek familiar suburban species like House Finch and House Sparrow, which can be difficult to come by elsewhere. From Monterey, most birders prefer to head east on US 220 until Blue Grass Valley Road. The Blue Grass Valley, a roughly-defined region in northeastern Highland, is one of the premier draws for birding in the county. Most of the birding here is done along public roads, but they are rural and rarely-traveled, making it easy to stop and bird. Before turning on Blue Grass Valley Road, the Monterey Trout Hatchery has some of the largest standing water in the county, and is a good place to check for Belted Kingfisher, Green Heron, Wood Duck, Common Merganser, or perhaps other waterfowl (with a bit of luck!). Wimer Mountain Road (640) ascends through a mix of agricultural fields, early successional areas, and more mature woodlands, before reaching the West Virginia border. Birding the full length of the road will net a good variety of species, particularly in spring and summer, when arriving breeders include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Least Flycatcher, and a good variety of warblers including Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Magnolia, and more. Some of the barns along this road also have Cliff Swallow colonies. Straddling the West Virginia border is Margaret O’Brien’s property, which is often accessible to birders with pre-arranged access, but also birdable from the road without entering the property. The area around this property is one of the most reliable spots for Golden-winged Warblers, and is sometimes also good for Black-billed Cuckoo. Coming back down into the valley, Hardscrabble Road (644) winds through more valleys before ascending back into West Virginia; it offers sweeping vistas of sky that are good to scan for Golden Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks in winter. Route 643 is a short connector between Hardscrabble and Laurel Fork roads, taking birders through agricultural fields that often harbor breeding Vesper Sparrows and Bobolinks, among other things.

From here, a good option is to take Laurel Fork Road (642), a windy, often poorly-maintained mountain road that snakes west across the county. Much of this road is in mountain forests that offer further opportunities for elevation breeders including many of the aforementioned species, as well as Golden-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Canada Warbler, and others. Where Laurel Fork Road crosses Straight Fork, there is swampy beaver marsh that is traditionally the best spot in the county to find breeding Alder Flycatcher. Take Straight Fork all the way to the West Virginia border, and just past the state line is Alleghany Road (106), a forest service road that winds along the VA/WV border to the northern tip of Highland County. The state line is an issue here, and cell service is poor, so it is not always easy to track which state you are in at a given moment. For those concerned with state boundaries, bringing a paper atlas or putting in some prior research is a must. Alleghany Road is good for a number of mountain breeders such as Ruffed Grouse, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, and Red-breasted Nuthatch. This is also one of the better areas in Highland to find Mourning Warbler. The precise location changes with vegetation growth, but some of the fire roads or forest service access points are in stages of early succession that are good for Mourning.

The southwestern part of Highland is not frequent by birders as much, but offers additional opportunities for seeking elevation breeders, as well as species like Yellow Warbler, Willow Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Bobolink, and others that are more likely in the valleys than on the peaks. Three main roads run southwest to Bath County: Mill Gap Road (VA 84), Jackson River Road (US 220), and Bullpasture River Road (VA 678). Any of these can be good for car birding, so take your pick! Highland Wildlife Management Area, a large tract of forested land south of Monterey, is another good spot for birding, and likely the largest publicly accessible birding destination in the county. While driving along any of the rivers, keep an eye out for Common Merganser, now a regular breeding species in this area. In winter, driving rural roads in the valleys is a good way to look for edge or open country species like Loggerhead Shrike, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Tree Sparrow. Snow can make Highland difficult, if not impossible, to access, but if you can get there with snow on the ground it should be possible to find Lapland Longspurs or Snow Buntings. If a Sprague’s Pipit or Chestnut-collared Longspur were to turn up in Virginia, surely there are worse places than Highland!

Though most known to birders for its large suite of locally expected specialty species, Highland is not without a history of exciting rarities! Some of the more notable species include Hoary Redpoll, Black-headed Grosbeak, Varied Thrush, Say’s Phoebe, White-winged Dove, Brewer’s Blackbird, and Lark Sparrow. There are also records of Bewick’s Wren, though these date back to the days when this species was a regular breeder in mountainous parts of Virginia.

—Matt Anthony

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