City of Winchester
Black-billed Cuckoo, © James Fox
The City of Winchester was one of the most coveted cities in the struggle to control the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, changing hands an average of once every three weeks throughout the war. The walking mall in Old Town Winchester preserves many of the buildings from this time period and is a popular destination for both city residents and visitors.
The most popular hotspot in the City of Winchester is the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve. The preserve has a short boardwalk with a wet area which can attract waterthrushes during migration and is a good spot to find displaying American Woodcock in the spring. Keep in mind that with the exception of a small area at the east end of the park, all land south of the railroad tracks is in Frederick County, and as a result most of the marsh birds and waterfowl at this location are not in the Winchester. There is a small bit of water on the north side of the tracks at the west end of the preserve (thus in Winchester), however, so be sure to keep an eye out for any ducks or shorebirds that utilize this part of the lake. Two good spots to look for passerines are Jim Barnett Park and Shawnee Springs Nature Preserve. Shawnee Springs in particular is an excellent migrant trap in the spring and fall, having hosted uncommon species such as Black-billed Cuckoo, Blue-winged Warbler, Wilson's Warbler and Hooded Warbler. The Walmart in town hosts a large Purple Martin roost in late summer, and is also a good spot to look or listen for Common Nighthawks in migration.. During cold winters, Wilkins Lake (at the entrance to Shenandoah University), is the prime spot to look for waterfowl. A wide variety may be found here under the right circumstances, including Redhead, Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Merganser. In milder winters, birders have to settle for the occasional Pied-billed Grebe or American Coot along with the ever-present Mallards and Canada Geese. Open country birds can be difficult to find in Winchester since most of the land has been developed. One of the better spots to look for these species is the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, which maintains a cow pasture and some other open areas on its 90 acres. Species such as Eastern Meadowlark and Vesper Sparrow have been found in this area. Once their planned network of over three miles of trails is completed this will likely become one of the top birding destinations in Winchester
In addition to a good variety of uncommon migrants, Winchester can also boast a record of Clay-colored Sparrow from Abrams Creek.
—James Fox
Hotspots
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS
A small sliver of the Northern Shenandoah CBC circle falls within the City of Winchester, the majority of the circle is is in either Frederick, Clarke, or Warren Counties. This count has been run annually since 1975 and is sponsored by Lord Fairfax Community College and the Northern Shenandoah Audubon Society. The count typically falls on the first Saturday of the count period and often posts one of the highest species totals for the Mountains and Valleys region of the state. If you are interested in participating please contact the compiler, Charles Hagan, naturetrekr@gmail.com.