Bramble Hill
Photo: Panoramic view of the Bramble Hill Property
The Virginia Society of Ornithology recently received the gift of Bramble Hill, a pristine wildlife habitat that will be stewarded by VSO and maintained for breeding Golden-Winged Warblers and other species. Please help us care for this beautiful property so that that both birds and birders can continue to enjoy it for many years to come.
About Bramble Hill
Golden-winged Warbler, Marshall Faintich
The VSO is pleased to announce that we are the new owners of Bramble Hill, a 30-acre birding preserve which straddles the Virginia-West Virginia state line in the scenic Blue Grass Valley area of Highland County, VA and Pendleton County, WV often referred to as “Little Switzerland” for its stunning landscape of mountains, grasslands and pristine streams. Thanks to the generosity of Wayne O’Bryan, who recently donated Bramble Hill to the VSO in honor of his late wife, Margaret, VSO will now steward the property, manage the habitat and continue to welcome birders to enjoy this special place.
The high elevation property is maintained as early successional habitat specific to the needs of the Golden-Winged Warbler. This habitat is also desirable for many other Virginia breeding birds such as the Yellow-breasted Chat, Willow Flycatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, American Kestrel, Cliff Swallow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Bobolink.
Located in a quiet setting with stunning scenery and starry nighttime skies, Bramble Hill and vicinity is home to an abundance of wildlife.
Birding Bramble Hill
The property is located at 3314 Wimer Mountain Road, north of Bluegrass, Virginia. Birders can park along the roadside being sure to pull off to the side as far as possible and out of the road. Birders may walk the driveway, on mown areas around the house, and up the mown slope in the back of the property. THE PROPERTY BOUNDARIES ARE MARKED AND BIRDERS MUST STAY ON TRAILS AND WITHIN THE PROPERTY LINES.
To honor Margaret’s wishes and to protect the many unique species at Bramble Hill, please observe the following rules when visiting:
The use of audio lures to attract birds or other wildlife species, especially playback by cell phone or speaker, is strictly prohibited at all times. Playbacks incur additional stress on the already threatened and unusual species present on this property; VSO strictly enforces this requirement.
Visitors should be as quiet as possible. Please stay well clear of and do not disturb nesting birds. Never approach any nest box, even if it appears vacant.
Visitors may walk around the barn if mown only, but access inside any level of the barn may be dangerous and is prohibited.
No pets are permitted on the property.
Visitors to Bramble Hill and the surrounding area should be careful at all times not to impede local traffic. Driving slowly along many of the backroads is a great opportunity to enjoy the landscape and find birds. VSO wishes to be good neighbors. As visitors to Bramble Hill and the local area, we all are ambassadors for the welfare of birds and for VSO. We ask you to be respectful of birds and our new neighbors while you are on the road as well as on the Bramble Hill property.
Check out more details for birding the area here.
Please visit the Highland County Chamber of Commerce Lodging webpage to see a list of properties available for short-term rental in the Highland County area.
How can you help?
Donations to the Bramble Hill Conservation fund will help us maintain the property as early successional wildlife habitat, especially for the Golden-winged Warbler, and help us keep the site accessible to birders.
Join the best birding community around.
Your support helps VSO to promote awareness and enjoyment of Virginia’s birds and bolsters our conservation efforts across the state.
Photo: American Avocets, Diane Lepkowski