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

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

Volume 1   Issue 3    March 2002

The Feb. 11 Meeting:

The third meeting of the BCBC was a great success. Lynda Mayhorn gave the financial report and announced, that with the addition of Tom and Laverne Hunter of Lebanon, our membership had grown to a total of 25. It was also announced that the club had joined the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO).

Bob Riggs, (right) president  of the Russell Co. Bird Club, and his wife, Diana, were our guests for the evening. Bob did a great program on a group of Sandpipers called Whimbrels. In addition he showed video of his recent trip to Eastern VA , as well as interesting video of the release of an injured but rehabilitated Barred Owl on Drill Mountain. After the program Bob was presented with one of Grayson Perkins’ nicely made  Pileated door knockers.  Shortly afterward Roger Mayhorn was pleasantly surprised by also being presented one of the door knockers, since the day of the meeting was his birthday.

Other guests attending were, soon to be new member and retired Biology teacher, Ed Caudill, and Sheldon Woods’ mother, Bonnie Woods, who is such a sweet lady.

Interesting Events:

On Jan. 30 Roger Mayhorn and Ed Caudill climbed the hill on Elkins Branch to see if the Great Horned Owl that nested there last year was using the same nest. The nest was empty and in disrepair.

Early in Feb. Jeff Boardwine reported to Roger Mayhorn that he had seen a Great Blue Heron on Garden Creek. These birds seem to be increasing in numbers within the county.

Jeff also sighted an unusual sparrow at Twin Valley Middle school. He said it had markings like a Harris Sparrow. Roger and Lynda Mayhorn went in search of it, but it had evidently moved on.

Feb. 3 Ed Talbott Jr., his wife, Mary, along with their son, Ed Talbott III and his wife Michelle, birded Beaver Knob near Elkhorn City, KY. In addition to many regular birds, they were able to get good looks at a Northern Harrier Hawk, a Red-shouldered Hawk, Eastern Meadowlarks and a Horned Lark.

Shirley Justus has been seeing some interesting birds in her area of the county on Guesses Fork. On Jan. 27 on a mountain walk she jumped 5 Ruffed Grouse. On additional walks on Jan. 28 and Feb. 2  she saw 12 Am. Crows, 20 White-throated Sparrows, 16 Dark-eyed Juncos, 8 Northern Cardinals, 3 Song Sparrows, 2 Ruffed Grouse, 2 Carolina Chickadees, 6 Mourning Doves, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 4 Northern Flickers, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 20 Am. Robins, 1 Eastern Towhee and 3 hawks (unknown species).

The morning of Feb 10 Tom and Laverne Hunter, two of our Russell Co. club members, found a Rough-legged Hawk and two Golden Eagles at Elk Garden in Russell Co. On Feb 17 they located 3 Golden Eagles and 10 Common Ravens in the same location. Tom and Laverne are excellent birders, and Laverne is well known in the Russell Co. Bird Club for her ability to identify birds by calls and songs.

On Feb 13 Todd Perkins called Roger Mayhorn to tell him that earlier that evening he had seen a pair of Northern Shoveler ducks in the creek on Deskins in front of the bus garage. He said the birds had wide bills, the male had a green head like a Mallard, but he had remembered what Bob Riggs had said about the colors on the breast and sides of the male Shoveler being reversed to those on the male Mallard. He described the breast as being an evident white with brown on the sides.

Roger and Lynda were up early the next morning going in search of these birds. They searched up and down Deskins with no luck. They then expanded their search to the Levisa River. They went down the river as far as the Ky state line, and up the river to Twin Valley Middle School. Several Mallards were seen but no Shovelers. Since it is the season for ducks to start moving north these birds may have dropped down for a short feed. This is a new bird for Buchanan Co. records. Good job Todd.  Everyone keep your eyes open for more spring waterfowl passing through the county.  

At the Feb 11 meeting Bob Riggs informed the club that he had a record of an immature Golden Eagle sighting for Buchanan County that took place on Dec. 22, 1997.  This is another new record for Buchanan Co. The eagles have surely been here before, but the sightings have to my knowledge not been documented.

Sunday, Feb. 17 Ed Talbott, David Raines and Bob Riggs birded a river area near Raven VA. Despite the intermittent snow they saw 36 species. One was the Common Snipe, which was a lifebird for Ed.

Grayson Perkins and his nephew, Todd, went owling the week of the 17^th. They found no owls, but the outing gave Todd the opportunity to practice his Barred Owl call.

 Saturday, Feb. 23,  Roger & Lynda Mayhorn went with Ed  & Barbara Caudill to Osceola Island, near South Holston dam to look for waterfowl. They found Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon and three beautiful Green-winged Teal. While walking the island they also saw a Red-tailed Hawk, a Winter Wren and a Brown Creeper.

*  Red signifies an unusual bird for the area   

Burkes Garden Outing – Feb 16

BCBC birders joined members of three other area bird clubs at Burkes Garden in search of  Golden Eagles and other raptors. The three other groups were, The Russell County Bird Club, The Bristol Bird Club and the Herndon Chapter of Elizabethton. After picking up members in Lebanon and Tazewell the thirty-three birders made their way to Burkes Garden, where Bob Riggs, along with a few other tough guys braved the cold and rode in the back of Bob’s Pick-up.

It was a bright sunny day with a very nippy wind. The group made periodic stops along the way searching the nearby ponds, fields and ridges for any signs of duck, hawk or Eagle activity.  37 species were seen including Mallards, 1 Gadwall, 1 Bufflehead, Canada Geese, 2 Golden Eagles, 57 Horned Larks, 13 Green-winged Teal, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker and 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 21 Red-tailed Hawks in addition to some more common  species. 

Around noon the group stopped for lunch at a shelter of the Tazewell County Sportsmen’s  Association where Ron Harrington prepared turkey burgers, grilled hot dogs and chili. The   warm food  was welcomed by everyone after having been out in the cold all morning. Lunch  was a good time for friendly conversation and camaraderie. Shortly after the group began to break up and make its way out of the Garden and back down into the valley. A good time was had by all.

Early Visitor 

An unusual bird showed up at Roger & Lynda Mayhorn’s feeder on Feb. 27.  Most warblers don’t return to the area until the first part of April, but this Pine Warbler decided to come north a month or so early. These warblers normally spend the winters in the southern U.S. David Raines had a Pine Warbler at his feeder about the same time of year, some years earlier. This, along with David’s sighting is a good early migration record for the county.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Roger Mayhorn would like to thank all of those club members who participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 15 – 18. The participants were as follows: David Raines, Ed and Mary Talbott, Ed and Michelle Talbott, Shirley Justus, Grayson and Shirley Perkins, Jeff and his mother, Mary Boardwine, Roger and Lynda Mayhorn, Clarence Brown and Jack Brown. Jack had the most unusual bird of the count, that being a Gray Catbird. This bird is very common here in summer, but is never seen here during winter. This is a new record for the county. As you can see on the map, our area is not blank as it has been in the past. Congratulations for a job well done.   

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