Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County is located in the deep southern piedmont bordered by Brunswick County to the east, Halifax and Charlotte Counties to the west, Lunenburg County to the north and the state of North Carolina along its southern border. It was organized on 1 March 1765, having split from Lunenburg County in 1764 as the result of the passage of an act by the Virginia General Assembly. Due to new settlement and population increases in the area, the legislature divided Lunenburg into three counties: Lunenburg, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg. It was named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The total area of the county is 679 square miles consisting of 625 square miles of land and 54 square miles of water.   A predominantly rural county, the population of Mecklenburg is only just over 50,000 as of the 2010 census. The largest town is South Hill and the county seat is Boydton.

Although the main recreational pursuits in Mecklenburg County are hunting and fishing, history buffs have several hidden gems there in order to pursue their hobby, such as Prestwould, a beautiful plantation home in Clarksville; the 18th century Boyd Tavern in Boydton; MacCallum More Gardens and Museum in Chase City; the best Tobacco Heritage Museum in the state located in South Hill; and several local history museums throughout the County. Mecklenburg County also boasts a rich history of outdoor recreation featuring three lakes, the largest of them being Kerr Lake (locally known as Buggs Island Lake) which, at its maximum capacity, is one of the largest reservoirs in the southeastern United States covering approximately 50,000 acres and bordered by over 850 miles of shoreline, portions of which are shared with North Carolina.

Approximately 270 species of birds have been recorded in Mecklenburg County. The most well known birding location in the county is the aforementioned Kerr Lake (pronounced “CAR” by the locals), also known as Kerr Reservoir. The area of the lake that is birded most frequently and consistently is the portion that is connected to the dam on state Route 4, a hydroelectric facility run by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Despite its reputation as a winter birding location due to its healthy wintering populations of various waterfowl, loons and grebes, other seasons should not be ignored and have been known to produce quite a number of rarities over the years including an adult Brown Booby discovered by a boater photographing jet skiers in late August 2015. The bird remained in the area for close to a month and was enjoyed by many. Another outstanding rarity at Kerr was a Pacific Loon discovered in December 2003 that returned every winter for 13 straight years. Due to the size of the reservoir, it has great potential to attract seabirds that have been entrained in tropical cyclones so birders should keep an eye on any storms that pass through this area. Never was this potential more evident than 6 September 1996 when Hurricane Fran passed over the lake. Birders that were on hand were blown away by the numbers of seabirds they witnessed that day which included Trindade, Fea’s and Black-capped Petrels, Cory’s and other unidentified shearwaters, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger, Sabine’s Gull, Sooty, Gull-billed, Roseate, Arctic, Royal and Sandwich Terns and Black Skimmer. Another well-birded area in Mecklenburg is the nearby Dick Cross WMA which consists of 1,400 acres of mostly open upland habitat, maintained as old fields or cultivated to benefit wildlife. Other habitats include somewhat small sections of woodland trails and numerous wetland impoundments, the largest of which is Clyde’s Pond on the far eastern section of the property. Birding opportunities at this WMA are good year round but mostly during spring and fall migration. Small numbers of Loggerhead Shrikes—a species in steep decline in Virginia—can still be found along some of the back roads in this area. Further west in the county and at the upper section of Kerr Reservoir is Staunton View Park, which overlooks the confluence of the Staunton and Dan Rivers. In late summer when water levels are typically at their lowest, a series of mud flats are unearthed that can attract a variety of shorebirds and waders, many of which are considered rare that far inland. Birders who keep county lists may have a little trouble at this spot because the area is also bordered by two other counties: Halifax and Charlotte. Despite these listing conundrums, this area should not be missed in the months of August and September because you never know what you may find down there on any given day. The possibilities are exciting to think about for the serious birder.

Besides the birds mentioned above, Mecklenburg County has a long list of both statewide and regional rarities which include Ross’s Goose, Cackling Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, three species of scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Western Grebe, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, Wood Stork, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White and Glossy Ibises, Golden Eagle, Clapper Rail, American Avocet, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Baird’s, White-rumped and Buff-breasted Sandpipers, all three phalaropes, Willet, Black-legged Kittiwake, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Snowy Owl, Western Kingbird, Sedge Wren, Snow Bunting, Kirtland’s Warbler, LeConte’s, Clay-colored and Harris’s Sparrows, and Yellow-headed and Brewer’s Blackbirds.

—Adam D'Onofrio

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