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The
Buchanan County Bird Club meets the Volume 2 Issue 8 August 2003 |
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July 14 Club Meeting: Vice President Ed Talbott showed video of his and Michelle’s trip to Wrightsville Beach.President Roger Mayhorn showed some video of the birds and animals attracted to his cherry tree by the ripening fruit.Next Meeting: The August 11 meeting of the Buchanan County Bird Club will not be at the public library, but at Poplar Gap Park at 6:30 PM. Members should bring their own picnic food. A birding walk will follow the meal. |
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Bluebird Trail Update: The Bluebird Trail has done really well this year, considering that this is its first year to be up. 18 of the 21 boxes on Compton Mountain were used by Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. As of August 5th. 67 young birds had fledged from all of the boxes. There is still one nest in the Breaks section with young yet to fledge, and one nest on Compton Mountain that has 4 eggs.The plastic nest box signs have been ordered and have been received from the VBS (Virginia Bluebird Society). There are plans to coat the boxes this fall with Exterior Polyurethane to help protect them from the weather. The signs will be added after that task is finished.Club members, Johnnie and Betty Ratliff, generous people that they are, have donated 7 more boxes to be added to the 13 already erected on the Breaks section of the trail. |
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First Alder Flycatcher found within Buchanan County: On July 12 Michelle Talbott and her mother, Shirley Justus, were birding on Guesses Fork near Hurley, when Michelle heard an Alder Flycatcher. To be sure she confirmed the call by later listening to the recorded call of an Alder. Even though we birders suspected they were in the county, this is the first time their presence has been confirmed. Good job Michelle and Shirley!Some of the other birds they found were Blackburnian Warblers, Cerulean, Yellow-throated, American Redstart, Black-and-White Warblers, Hooded, Yellow-breasted Chat and Black-throated Green Warblers. |
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Interesting Events: On July 13 Ed & Michelle Talbott again birded a strip mine site on Guesses Fork. Their big find of the day was a female Blackburnian Warbler and a juvenile at about 2000 feet elevation. This lends itself to the idea that the Blackburnians may be nesting in the area, though no nest has yet been found. Ed & Michelle found a total of 50 species including juvenile KY Warblers and a juvenile Black-throated Green Warbler. Other species found were Wood Ducks, Yellow-throated Vireos, Blue-winged Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Worm-eating Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-White Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Indigo Buntings, and White-eyed Vireo. For more info and pictures about this outing go to http://www.grundynet.net/talbott/birding/hikes/Sum03/Guesses3.htm |
 Burkes Garden Trip:Six members of the Buchanan County Bird Club birded Burkes Garden in Tazewell County on Saturday, July 19.Present were Johnnie Ratliff (He took the photo), his wife, Betty (far left), Lynda and Roger Mayhorn, Janice Martin and Ruth Smith.45 species were seen with a total of 521 birds. Some of the more interesting species were 2 brilliantly plumaged Red-headed Woodpeckers, a Willow Flycatcher, 3 Common Ravens, 8 Eastern Kingbirds, 2 Yellow Warblers, 2 Common Yellowthroats, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a close-up view of a Red-tailed Hawk. Everyone present enjoyed the outing. |
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Wise County Birding Data: Ed Talbott III, recently put 30 + years of Wise County Christmas Bird Count data into a spreadsheet format. Since this county is so close to our own, the information there may give us some insight as to what may be found within Buchanan County.In 1978 the county had a high count of 71 species. In 1987 the total bird count was 17, 792 birds. Other unusual birds found on these counts were: 1971 – Red-throated Loon All of the information can be found at http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/data/WiseCBC.htm The Breaks Park CBC data and the Blackford (Russell County) CBC data can also be found on the Buchanan County Bird Club web site. |
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Horned Larks at Poplar Gap Park: 27 Horned Larks were seen at Poplar Gap Park during the county fair by Ed & Michelle Talbott. Such a large number with juveniles mixed in may mean that some of the birds nested nearby. When the club meets at Poplar Gap Park on August 11 birders may get to view some of these birds. Members should also watch for migrating shore birds in the large pools of water at the upper level of the park. |
 Friendly Young Hummer:
This young Ruby-throated Hummingbird, photographed by Johnnie Ratliff at Little Prater has been unusually friendly for a wild bird. This youngster sits on Johnnie’s finger, head, glasses, etc.It even sat on his finger long enough for Johnnie to carry it into the house to show his wife, Betty. Young birds, just out of the nest have not yet learned to be afraid, but within a few days this young fellow had learned to be a bit more wary. |
| On July 30, While working in his garden, Roger Mayhorn noticed several birds coming and going to the Wild Cherry tree in his yard. The cherries were ripe and Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Catbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Brown Thrashers were all getting their share of the fruit. Families of Eastern Towhees and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were busy at the feeders. A total of 21 species were counted. |
 Hummers Galore:These hummingbirds are almost like a swarm of bees around the feeders in the Mayhorns’ yard. The 12 birds in this photo are only a part of the 20+ that were hovering around this feeder at dusk. The number of birds seems to vary from day to day. One theory is that the birds stay around for only a couple of days then move on. Another group then moves in to replace them.Roger Mayhorn saw one bird with a greenish-yellow crown, then another day one with a yellow throat. Johnnie Ratliff, who also has lots of hummers, has seen a couple with bands on their legs. |
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On August 2 a female Cerulean Warbler was eating insects in an apple tree at the Mayhorns’ place on Compton Mountain. The female can be distinguished from the male by her green back, the light supercillium (eyebrow stripe), and the light wing bars. It was a rather quiet birding day in the Breaks Park for Ed & Barbara Caudill and Roger & Lynda Mayhorn on August 3. Some of the birds seen were Barn Swallows, Carolina Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, an Eastern Bluebird, an Indigo Bunting, a Pileated Woodpecker, and Red-eyed Vireos. |
 David Raines Birds the Outer Banks of North
Carolina:During July David Raines vacationed with his family on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. While there he birded the area, including the wildlife refuge of Pea Island. David logged 47 species, one of which was the Willet, like the one in this photo. The most unusual bird David found was a European Whimbrel, a European bird found only occasionally along the east coast. Some other birds observed by David were Black Skimmer, Great Black-backed Gull, Caspian, Sandwich, Common, Elegant, Black and Least Terns, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Yellow Rail, Glossy and White Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Seaside Sparrow, Osprey and Semipalmated Sandpiper. |
| Several club members, including David Raines and Roger Mayhorn have been seeing warblers in their areas lately. David has seen Worm-eating Warblers, Hooded Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers in his yard. Roger has seen Hooded Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, Cerulean Warblers, a female Blackburnian Warbler and American Redstarts near his house. These are probably birds that have finished nesting and are now moving from their breeding territory, fattening themselves up for the fall migration that will soon follow. Club members are reminded that Roger & Lynda Mayhorn are sponsoring another Warbler Watch on Saturday, September 13. Birders are encouraged to come to Compton Mountain to watch the warblers pass through the Mayhorns’ property as they do every year. Those who come should bring a lawn or camp chair, their own drinks and a covered dish or dessert. The Mayhorns will provide the basic lunch. |
 Todd Perkins Birds the Western
U.S.
15 year old Todd Perkins, Buchanan County Bird Club member, just returned from a scouting trip of several weeks in the Western U.S and Canada. This photo (right) shows Glacier National Park, where Todd spent a few days. While out West Todd got to do some birding, though not as much as he would have liked. He got 33 new lifebirds, including such species as the Varied Thrush, the Western Kingbird and the Western Grebe. Way to go Todd! |
 Ed and Michelle Talbott Bird Cape
Hatteras:This Sandwich Tern (left) was one of the 57+ species seen and photographed by Ed & Michelle Talbott, as they birded Cape Hatteras, Bodie Lighthouse pond, Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Island and the nearby ocean during the week-end of August 1 – 3. The two arrived at Bodie Lighthouse pond around lunchtime on Friday. Many of the shorebirds had not yet returned, but at Oregon Inlet they found a couple of Gull-billed Terns and three Whimbrels mixed in with a flock of Willets catching sand crabs on Hatteras Beach.At Pea Island they found a couple of Glossy Ibis and the Little Blue Heron (lower right).The following  Saturday the two took a pelagic boat trip to find sea birds that seldom come to land. They had sunny skies and calm seas. The surprise of the day was a Red-billed Tropicbird, seen only a handful of times in the Atlantic. They also saw Shearwaters, Storm Petrels and Pelagic Terns. They were in some illustrious birding company on board the boat. One of the guys on board had written the book “ Birding Coastal North Carolina”. When Ed and Michelle were on their way home, they had just gotten inland from the Alligator River when Michelle sighted a Mississippi Kite soaring overhead. They stopped and looked at it through the scope to confirm the identification. A great finish to a rewarding trip.
Here is a link to more pictures from the trip: http://www.grundynet.net/talbott/birding/hikes/Sum03/OuterBanks1.htm
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| August is the month for shore birds to pass through the county as they migrate from their breeding grounds in the north to their wintering grounds in the south or along the coast. Be alert to large shallow mud puddles or pools. The birds stop over in these areas to rest and feed. In 2002 a few members of the BCBC found several species of sandpipers in a mudhole on Beaver Knob near Elkhorn City. |
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White Ibis Observed Near Bristol: Two BCBC members, Wallace Coffey and Janice Martin, along with other Bristol Bird Club members, had the opportunity to observe a immature White Ibis at Middlebrook Lake in Bristol on Tuesday, August 5. According to Wallace this may be the 7th record for this bird in Northeast TN, with the previous record being Wallace’s own in August of 1990. Good job Bristol birders! |
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