York County

Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler, © Rob Bielawski

The County of York justly holds a place in the American psyche as the crucible of independence, for it was here that General George Washington’s forces defeated the British army led by General Cornwallis, in what would become the last major land battle of the American Revolution. York County’s rich history, however, goes back far further, with native peoples calling the area home thousands of years before Europeans stepped foot on the continent. The first settlements along the York River (then known as the Pamunkey River) were temporary Spanish missions established in the 1570s, and it was not until 1630 that permanent English settlements were established in the area. What is now York County was formally constituted in 1634 as one of the original eight shires of Virginia, though at the time it was known as Charles River Shire; it did not acquire its present name until 1642. In addition to being one of the oldest counties in Virginia, it is also one of the smallest at just over 100 sq. miles in total area, putting it ahead of only Arlington and Mathews Counties. The second-half of the twentieth century was a time of substantial population growth, as the population of this small county ballooned from not quite 12,000 in 1952 to over 67,000 by 2018. Due to its strategic location on the northern edge of the Lower Peninsula, adjacent to the homonymous York River, two military installations—the U.S. Navy’s Cheatham Annex and the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station—are located within its borders.

Past glories are a large part of York County’s present-day, and unsurprisingly the push for historic preservation has had the unintended consequence of creating many fine birding areas. The Colonial Parkway, completed by the National Park Service in 1938 to connect Yorktown with Jamestown, traverses a significant portion of the county and has plenty of pull-offs that offer a wide variety of birding opportunities. There are several places to pull off along the York River, and in winter this makes for ideal conditions to scan the loons, grebe, and ducks. Huge rafts of Canvasbacks, Ruddy Ducks, scaup, and other species should be careful checked for rarer species such as scoters that occasionally venture further up the river. Some of the most productive times for birding the Parkway occur after recent snowfalls, as the margins will be crowded with Hermit Thrushes, Fox Sparrows, and other species searching for open patches to feed. The Yorktown Battlefield is another excellent location which can be productive at all seasons. Among its attractions for birders are further views of the York from the beach at Yorktown, and extensive fields where species like Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark, and American Pipit can be found.

In addition to the various historic sites, there are a number of public parks in York County. The most extensive of these is New Quarter Park, located near Williamsburg, which has a mixture of woodland, edge, and marsh birding. In migration, it is an excellent spot to find transient warblers, thrushes, and vireos, while during the breeding seasons the woods there sometimes hold locally uncommon breeders such as Kentucky Warbler. Harwoods Mill Reservoir, located in the southeastern portion of the county, is another publicly accessible location that offers excellent birding throughout the year. In winter, it is a good spot to search for ducks, while during the breeding season it is one of the more reliable spots locally for nesting Anhinga. Counterintuitively, the portion of Newport News Park known as the Swamp Bridge is also in York County, and in the appropriate seasons this area is a good place to check for swamp denizens such as Prothonotary Warbler or Virginia Rail.

Some of the most unique spots in the county are found in the far southeastern tip, in the area around Seaford. This portion of the county borders the Chesapeake Bay, and has extensive saltmarshes where birders may encounter coastal species that are otherwise rare in the county. Unfortunately, much of the land here is private, making attempts to bird it frustrating. However, intrepid birders with access to a boat will find that the Goodwin Islands offer the chance to see many species seldom recorded elsewhere in the county, including Boat-tailed Grackle, Seaside Sparrow, and a number of shorebird and tern species.

York County can boast of a slew of notable records, including the first Virginia records for Western/Clark’s Grebe and Spotted Towhee. The list of statewide notable species includes Townsend’s Warbler, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Roseate Tern, Northern Shrike, Wood Stork, Franklin’s Gull, Yellow Rail, Black Rail, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Eared Grebe, Rufous Hummingbird, and Western Tanager. Of more local interest are Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, Harlequin Duck, Piping Plover, Swainson’s Warbler, Red-necked Phalarope, Long-eared Owl, Snow Bunting, Lark Sparrow, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Rough-legged Hawk, Snowy Owl, Painted Bunting, and Eurasian Wigeon.

—Matt Anthony

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