The Chat
Buchanan County Bird Club Newsletter
Editors Roger and Lynda Mayhorn

The Buchanan County Bird Club meets the 2nd Monday of each month at the Buchanan County Public Library at 6:30 PM

Volume 1   Issue 4    April 2002
March 11 Meeting:

The last club meeting was a treat for everyone when Grayson Perkins presented his program on how to photograph hummingbirds. Grayson did an excellent job as he explained how he set up props and enticed the hummingbirds to use them, while he clicked away with his 35mm Nikon from only inches away. He shared his prize winning photos and described the techniques he used for each. His program gave many of us the desire to try hummer photos, when the hummers start returning in early April. Good job Grayson!

The club would like to welcome two new members, Ed and Barbara Caudill, who attended the March 11 meeting. They have been making regular visits to the Breaks Park, where they have spotted Canada Geese and Wood Ducks on Laurel Lake.

Bill Carter of Grundy was a guest visitor at theMarch meeting . We hope Bill becomes a member as well.

 

Interesting Events:

Editor Roger Mayhorn would like to apologize to Jack Brown for leaving out an important sighting in the last newsletter.  Jack had a Gray Catbird at his feeder in Roseanne on Jan 27.  This is a new early record for the county.  Catbirds are common here in summer, but not in winter. Good job Jack!

Ed Caudill saw his first Brown-headed Cowbird of the season on March 11 at his feeder on Elkins Branch.

On March 13 Grayson & Shirley Perkins were watching birds from their window, when they saw a Gray Squirrel approach a Pileated Woodpecker on a log. The Pileated turned and attacked the squirrel. The squirrel tried to get away, but the Pileated wouldn’t let go. In Grayson’s words “They changed ends several times as they came down the log.” The squirrel was  finally able to get himself free and disappeared like a gray streak.  Grayson & Shirley were eventually able to get up from the floor where they were rolling and laughing.

The first Chipping Sparrow of the season was seen in the yard of Lynda & Roger Mayhorn on March 16. This is about the time they normally return each year.

On March 17  Ed & Michelle Talbott hiked and birded the Breaks Park. At Laurel Lake they spotted Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers.

On March 18 Ed Talbott and Larry Ramey birded Musick’s Campground and Osceola Island at South Holston Dam.  They had a good day finding several species including Pied-billed Grebe, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, American Coot and Blue-winged Teal.  

Ed & Michelle Talbott had a Common Snipe to appear in their yard on March 19. This was a lifebird for Michelle.  Some people are just lucky enough to have lifebirds come right to their yards.  They must be living right. 

The first Blue-headed Vireo of the season was located on March 25 by Ed & Michelle Talbott  in the Breaks Park.  It was seen and heard on the lower end of the bike trail near the horse stables. This is usually one of the first small songbirds to return to the area.  David Raines found them in the Breaks Park last year near the end of March.

While doing yard work on March 26, Roger & Lynda Mayhorn heard the song of their first Brown Thrasher of the season.  The bird sang from its favorite perch in the top of the apple tree until the wind forced it into lower shrubbery.  The pair usually nests in the thick Trumpet Vine at the edge of the yard. 

Jack Brown also had his first sighting of a Brown Thrasher on  March 26.  He has also been seeing Chipping Sparrows, a Purple Finch, a pair of Northern Mockingbirds and male and female Towhees. 

Tom Hunter, one of our Russell Co. members, stopped by the “Mudhole” at Elk Garden on March 29.  This is a large pasture that has standing water after a rain.  It attracts migrating wading birds. Tom found 75+ Common Snipe and 30+ Killdeer. He saw a Greater Yellowlegs, a large sandpiper, being chased by a Robin.  He also saw 15 Wood Ducks, 2 Green-winged Teal and 4 Mallards. 

April 1 David Raines birded the Breaks Park .  On Laurel Lake he found Wood Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, a Great Blue Heron, a female Hooded Merganser, a female Lesser Scaup, Rough-winged Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, a Red-shouldered Hawk and American Crows.  In other areas of the park he found Robins, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Blue-headed Vireo, a Northern Cardinal and a Northern Flicker. 

Also on April 1 a very large bird was seen on the river just below Harman. The bird had a wingspan of about 8 or 9 feet. It seemed to be a large vulture.  It is believed to be a California Condor. It is also believed that they are establishing themselves in the area. They are probably nesting on the cliffs in the Breaks Park. 

Jeff Boardwine and his mom have two Eastern Towhees at their feeder. On April 3 Jeff saw two Chipping Sparrows. His mom saw a Red-winged Blackbird the week before. 

Sheldon & Orpha Woods also had a Red-wing at their feeder along with White-breasted Nuthatches, Titmice and American Goldfinches. On April 3 Sheldon saw a Red-tailed Hawk circling over their house.

County Records:

Ed Talbott and myself are in the process of compiling  unusual and early season sightings for the county. 

Some of you may not know that one of our club members, Mary Talbott, is responsible for two or our most unique county sightings.  In 1969 she spotted a Horned Grebe on Slate Creek.  She also identified a Wood Stork at one of the sediment ponds at the tipple sight on Rockhouse Mountain. 

Outer Banks Trip

During Easter week Ed & Michelle Talbott and Roger & Lynda Mayhorn took a 5 day birding trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They stayed at Buxton on Hatteras Island and birded the marshes of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Buxton Woods, the beach area of Cape Hatteras, Pamlico Sound and Ocracoke Island.  The trip was a rewarding one with Michelle getting 31 lifebirds, Ed getting 28 and Roger ending with a total of 12.  Overall 87 different species were seen.  Some of the more interesting birds observed were Northern Gannets, Black-crowned Night Heron, American Oyster Catchers, American Bitterns, Marbled Godwits, Common Tern, and Black Skimmers.  Ed’s scope afforded great views of Ospreys, the Black-crowned Night Herons and the Am. Bittern.  The Oyster Catchers were so close their unusual eye colors were evident. Video and photos were taken. The Outer Banks is a great place to bird for shorebirds, gulls, terns, ducks and wetland birds

Future Events:

Monday, April 8 – Buchanan County Bird Club meeting.  Program on Wood Warblers.  Members should study their warblers and see if you recognize the ones Michelle Talbott will be showing in her slides.  Members are requested to bring their field guides to the meeting. 

Saturday, April 20 – 10:30 Southwest VA Higher Education Center in Abingdon (exit 14) a program on Purple Martins – speaker Tom Brake - $3.00 admission 

Sunday, April 21 – 2:00 Southwest VA Higher Education Center – Planting a hummingbird garden – speaker Kevin Hamed - $3.00 admission 

Saturday, April 27 – Buchanan County bird club outing in Breaks Park – Meet at lodge at 8:00 AM. (7.00 if you plan to eat breakfast at the lodge with other members) 

Saturday, May 4 - Outing at Roger & Lynda Mayhorn’s house for warbler search

Reminder:

Hummingbirds have returned to this area as early as April 7 so hang  your feeders.

If you want to try to attract Orioles put out some orange halves. They will come to  feed from them.

Did You Know?

Did you know that only the female hummingbird incubates the eggs and raises the young?

She drives away other females and males from the nesting territory.  The male mates with more than one female.
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