Loudoun County
Kentucky Warbler, © Max Nootbaar
As is the case with most of Virginia, Loudoun County holds a lot of historical significance. Originally part of Fairfax County, Loudoun was created in 1757. It was host to both the President and the Constitution during the War of 1812 when Washington was burning. The Battle of Ball's Bluff is one of the county's most well-known Civil War moments. Agriculturally, Loudoun was important to the state and country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries because of its rich soil, which was used to produce lots of wheat. In the 20th century, Loudoun grew as part of the Washington Metropolitan area as a suburb; many residents are employed in service of the federal government. Major changes came to Loudoun with the opening of Dulles International Airport in the early 1960s, as it became a transportation hub. In the coming years, this connection will grow as the Metro will be extended to the airport from downtown Washington DC. In the present day, Loudoun County is known for data centers, wineries, the top median US income and being the fastest growing county in the state.
From a geographic perspective, Loudoun is one of the most northern counties in the state. To the North, it is bordered by Maryland and the Potomac River. To the west, Loudoun borders West Virginia and Clarke counties, abutting the Blue Ridge Mountains. Loudoun's eastern edge approaches the heavily populated Fairfax County. This combination of geographic features and rapidly growing population serves to provide a diversity of habitats. In the west, hawks and other raptors soar along the mountain lines during their southbound migration. The west is made up of mostly large properties that are rural in nature, with agricultural fields and wineries occupying large tracts of land. The center of the county is still largely rural, but dotted by towns, and holds the county seat of Leesburg. To the east, subdivisions, commercial properties and data centers consume and rapidly develop every inch of the land. For county listers, please note that the high-water mark of the Potomac River is actually the boundary with Maryland.
Almost 300 species of birds have been seen in Loudoun County. One real limitation to habitat diversity in the county is a general lack of appropriate shorebird habitat.
The county hosts a handful of notable breeding birds: Mississippi Kites, Peregrine Falcons (2019), Cerulean Warblers, and Blue-winged Warblers. In the 1980s, Henslow's Sparrows bred in eastern Loudoun County. Notable winter visitors include Sandhill Cranes in eastern Loudoun and irruptive raptors at Dulles - Snowy Owl and Rough-legged Hawks have been found almost annually for some years.
The most significant historical records are the first state records of Lewis's Woodpecker and Neotropical Cormorant. Significant Piedmont records include Barnacle Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Eared Grebe, Black Rail, American Avocet, Ruff, White-rumped Sandpiper, Sabine's Gull, Least Tern, Arctic Tern, Great Cormorant, Tricolored Heron, Swallow-tailed Kite, Swainson's Hawk, Gyrfalcon, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Northern Shrike, LeConte's Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, and Painted Bunting.
—Bryan Henson
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.