Pulaski County

White-winged Dove, © Mark Mullins

Pulaski County, the 87th county in Virginia, was established on March 30, 1839 from portions of Montgomery and Wythe Counties. It takes its name from American Revolution hero Count Casimir Pulaski, an exiled Polish nobleman who fought under George Washington in the Continental Army and eventually rose to become a general and chief of cavalry. Pulaski sits in a region of the Blue Ridge defined by rolling hills and agricultural land. Though this area was initially inhabited by Native Americans, the indigenous peoples were driven out or killed as Scots-Irish and German settlers moved down the Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania beginning in the mid-1700s. Agriculture was and has been one of the county’s largest land uses since its colonization by European settlers. In 1941, this changed with the creation of the Army’s Radford Arsenal, which was well-known among state listers as one of the last breeding locations for Henslow’s Sparrows in the state of Virginia. It is unknown if they continue to breed there. 

One of the defining features of Pulaski County is Claytor Lake, a 21-mile long, 4,500-acre man-made lake created when the New River was dammed for a hydroelectric project by Appalachian Power Company. Claytor Lake State Park, located on the north side of the lake, is a 497-acre park with facilities for camping, picnicking, and swimming, as well as a marina for boating on the lake. The marina at the state park is an excellent winter roost for gulls. Here, thousands of Ring-billed Gulls gather at night and are often joined by handfuls of Herring and Bonaparte’s Gulls. On one such occasion, a Glaucous Gull was observed in the flock, and surely other species may join the flock from time to time. Claytor Lake also happens to be the New River Valley’s most trusted hotspot for storm birding. Terns, gulls, and pelagic species could be seen here in the late summer and early fall during wayward hurricanes and tropical storms. In addition to Claytor Lake, there is another man-made lake called Gatewood Reservoir, a 162-acre water supply impoundment owned by the Town of Pulaski, nestled in the hills of southwestern Pulaski County in the Jefferson National Forest. 

Birding is good throughout the county, with many secondary roads running through farms and grasslands – Kent Farm Road and Black Hollow Road are excellent examples. These roads are defined by ever-expanding wheat and corn fields that may feel familiar to Shenandoah Valley birders. Spring is the most productive time of the year on these roads. Warblers frequent the woodlots along the road, rails and shorebirds may be found in the numerous flooded sinkholes that dot the landscape, and migrating raptors often move through this area. Winter is perhaps the most-birded time of the year for these roads. Winter species to be expected here include Golden Eagle, Short-eared Owl, Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, and large flocks of Horned Larks. 

Just down the road, there are the New River Valley Fairgrounds. The actual site of the fairgrounds hosts a consistent pair of kestrels and numerous Eurasian Collared-Doves. From the southern gates of the fairgrounds, birders may view a large farm pond that has become one of the most productive water bodies in the NRV. Shorebirds such as American Golden-Plover, Black-bellied Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, and Short and Long-billed Dowitchers have been seen here. Numerous waterfowl and game species have also been documented here in the winter, from five different species of geese to Tundra Swan, and even Sandhill Crane. 

Parrott River Road, which runs directly parallel to a wide stretch of the New River, is another commonly birded location in Pulaski. This road requires some luck but with time, this stretch of river can be very birdy. Many have attempted storm birding along this road but few succeed. Most of the New River along this stretch is wide and shallow, and good numbers of diving ducks and gulls are found here in the late winter. Flocks of 50+ Common Goldeneye are not uncommon here. The thousands of gulls that roost on Claytor Lake spend most of their daylight hours here on the rocks and logs that litter the shallow waters. Gull watchers may have fun trying to pick out the odd Herring or Bonaparte’s Gull from the flocks that sprinkle this river. In the early morning or evening, you can see the gulls flying to or from Claytor Lake from the Whitethorne Boat Ramp in Montgomery Co., from the Radford riverfront, or from Little River Road in Montgeromy Co.

Notable species for Pulaski County include Pomarine Jaeger, Red-throated Loon, Harlequin Ducks, Greater White-fronted Geese, Mississippi Kites, Swallow-tailed Kite, Short-eared Owls, and Golden Eagle – just to name a few! There have been many exciting extra-limital birds seen in Pulaski County, which are too many to list. Come, visit, and do some birding in Pulaski County!

—Mark Mullins & Logan Anderson

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.

Sources