Chesterfield County

Chesterfield County, located to the southwest of Richmond, was formed from Henrico County in 1749, and encompasses 437 sq. mi. of total area. Recent estimates indicate that it is Virginia's fourth-most populated county and is one of the more developed counties in the state. The northern and eastern portions of the county are defined by their proximity to the state capital in Richmond.  Chesterfield has managed to attract a variety of companies, and its economy is dominated by several industrial giants including DuPont, Amazon, Capital One, and Honeywell. Historically, the county was a transportation hub for the movement of coal. The southwestern part of the county remains rural.  Despite the population growth and associated development, there are many publicly accessible birding areas and there is a good county park system.

By far the most popular birding spot in Chesterfield is Dutch Gap Conservation Area, located in the southeastern part of the county. Dutch Gap, and the adjacent Henricus Historical Park, provides excellent viewing opportunities of an expansive series of wetlands that are particularly popular in the winter for the wide assortment of waterfowl. The area can also be good for other marsh-loving species such as Least Bittern – as of early 2018, this is the only confirmed breeding site for the species in the state according to the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas 2 project. Dutch Gap is part of the Lower James River Important Bird Area and is the site for an ongoing nest box and banding study of Prothonotary Warbler.  Richmond Audubon Society hosts monthly field trips to this location.

Another prominent birding location is Swift Creek Reservoir, which has several different access points for viewing wintering waterfowl and Bald Eagles; it sometimes produces interesting inland records such as White-winged Scoter or Red-necked Grebe. R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks, though a mouthful, is a good location that combines woodland trails with a marsh boardwalk and can often produce a well-rounded species list.

Pocahontas State Park has 7600 forested acres and two manmade lakes, making it the largest state park in the state.   Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, it is one of the oldest parks in the state system. It is one of the few locations where Connecticut Warbler has been recorded in the Capital Region.  Harry G. Daniel Park at Ironbridge, which is primarily an athletic park, has a record of nesting Mississippi Kite.  Rockwood Park—the county’s oldest park—boasts forested habitat that is bordered by a private lake. White Ibis and Common Gallinule have been recorded there, both uncommon in the area. John J. Radcliffe Conservation Area & Appomattox River Canoe Launch, which follows the Appomattox River below the Brasfield Dam on Lake Chesdin, is an excellent location for warblers with 30 species being recorded.  The wooded swamp area at Robious Landing Park can be productive for wintering and migrating Rusty Blackbirds.  Presquile NWR can only be visited by advance reservation or during refuge-sponsored events; this is reflected in a somewhat limited species list.

Notable records for Chesterfield county include Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (2003), Eurasian Wigeon (2002), White-winged Dove (2015), Rufous Hummingbird (2001, 2006, 2012), Allen's Hummingbird (2011), Purple Gallinule (1980), Wilson's Storm-Petrel (2003 following Hurricane Isabel), American White Pelican (1994), Brown Pelican (1986-1987), Snowy Owl (2013), Red-cockaded Woodpecker (prior to 1900), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (2012), Bell's Vireo (1962), Common Redpoll (2004), Bachman's Sparrow (1937), Lark Sparrow (2012, 2013), Western Tanager (2014), Connecticut Warbler (2016) and Painted Bunting (2012).

—Wendy Ealding

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.

• stakeout Allen’s Hummingbird, Okuma Drive (2010-2011)

• stakeout White-winged Dove, Richmond (2015)

• stakeout Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bellwood (2021)

Christmas Bird Counts

The only active CBC in Chesterfield County is the Hopewell CBC, conducted since 1954. In addition to parts of Chesterfield, the count circle also includes the entire City of Hopewell, portions of Henrico, Prince George, and Charles City Counties, and a small part of the City of Colonial Heights.