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The
Buchanan County Bird Club meets the Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2003 |
 November 4 MeetingLynda Mayhorn, club Secretary and Treasurer, gave a financial report on the BCBC’s financial status. Ed Talbott presented video of several birds he had filmed over the past few months. His Osprey video was fantastic. Roger Mayhorn presented a PowerPoint presentation on his and Lynda’s recent trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Ed and Barbara Caudill. The upcoming Christmas Bird Counts were discussed. The next meeting will be the club’s annual Christmas dinner in the upstairs section of Italian Village on December 8 at 6:00 p.m. Bring a small birding gift to exchange. |
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First Ross’s Goose in Buchanan County On the evening of November 17 David Raines got a call from his neighbor, Ed Bailey, about a strange bird that was in a nearby field on Middle Fork of the Breaks community. David drove down and he and Ed observed a white goose with black wing tips. David’s first impression was that it was a Snow Goose, but after looking at his Sibley’s field guide he later decided that it was a Ross’s Goose. The two watched the goose until it got dark as the goose fed in the hayfield. David called Roger Mayhorn and at daylight the next morning Roger and Lynda Mayhorn were on the scene waiting to get a look and hopefully a photo of the bird. Unfortunately, the goose had left during the night. This is the first record of this species within the county. Congratulations to David. |
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Possible Selasphorous Hummingbird found in Buchanan County On November 11 and 12 Johnnie and Betty Ratliff watched what they believed to be a female Rufous Hummingbird at their feeder at Little Prater. The feeder was located within inches of a window from which the bird could be observed at close range. The bird was seen for only a couple of days and never stayed long enough at the feeder to get a photo. Since it is almost impossible to tell the difference between a Rufous Hummingbird and an Allen’s without having the bird in hand to make measurements, we will just have to say that it is probably one of the two, both of which belong to the genus, Selasphorous. |
 White Crowned Sparrows Pass ThroughIn the November issue of the newsletter there was an article about immature White-crowned Sparrows showing up at various club members’ feeders. On November 10 this adult White-crowned showed up at the Mayhorns’s feeder on Compton Mtn. The same bird, or another adult White-crowned, showed up again on Nov. 12. By Nov. 15 no White-crowneds were found. They have gone to areas farther south of the county. We won’t see them again until next spring, when they start their return trip north again. |
 Former Buchanan County Birder’s Records LocatedEarly White was a man who loved birds and was a birder in Buchanan County for more than 30 years. Shown here in a 1984 newspaper article, Early watches the hummingbirds in his yard on Watkins Branch at Royal City. Early not only kept records of the birds he encountered, he also wrote articles about birds for the newspaper, The Mountaineer. Early died in 1994. For the last couple of years BCBC President, Roger Mayhorn and Vice-President, Ed Talbott III with the help of Johnnie and Betty Ratliff, who knew Early, have been trying to locate Early’s records. It was feared that they had been lost. However, in November Roger located Early’s son, Jeff. Roger called him and talked to him about his father’s data. Jeff told Roger that he has the records, and that club members are welcome to copy the data, as soon as he digs them out of storage. This information will add valuable data to the club’s growing database. |
 Another Sedge Wren found within the CountyWhile birding David Raines’ property in the Breaks community on November 7, David and Ed Talbott III found the second Sedge Wren of the fall, which Ed video taped. David’s property lies just inside Buchanan County near the Buchanan – Dickenson County line. This is only the third recorded sighting of this species within Buchanan. The first was Sept. 26, 2002 and the second was September 23, 2003. Also found in the same area were White-crowned Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Field Sparrows and one Lincoln’s Sparrow. The two birders also birded the Virginia section of the Breaks Park, which lies in Dickenson County, where they found a Swainson’s Thrush, a Hermit Thrush a Brown Creeper and several Golden-crowned Kinglets. On Laurel Lake within the park 48 Hooded Mergansers, 12 Ring-necked Ducks and one American Coot were found. |
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| On November 3 Roger Mayhorn checked out the section of the Compton Mtn Bluebird Trail located on the Compton Mtn golf course. He was looking to see if nest boxes needed repairs, etc. During the 30 minute walk Roger encountered Palm Warblers, Yellow-rumps, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, an immature White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Carolina Wrens. |
 Dave and Diana Worley Go Birding in Mexico and Belize Club members Dave and Diana Worley of Rosedale, VA returned in November from a birding cruise on Grand Cayman Island, Mexico and Belize. They got several lifebirds including the Loggerhead Kingbird (at left), the Tropical Mockingbird on Grand Cayman, the Stripe-headed Tanager, the Black Catbird, the Melodious Blackbird, the Caribbean Elaenia and the Tropical Kingbird on the Isle of Cozumel, Mexico. They traveled into the interior of Belize, where they found the White Hawk, Common Blackhawk, the Roadside Hawk, the Rufous Mourner, the Social Flycatcher and the Chestnut-headed Oropendola. The Brown Jay was the most common bird they saw in Belize. While on the trip they saw some of the birds that migrate from our area to spend the winter farther south. These included Magnolia Warblers and Gray Catbirds. Great Birding Dave and Diana! |
| Ed Talbott III birded the area around Blacksburg, VA on November 15. At Pandapas Pond he found an American Black Duck mixed in with a flock of Mallards. At Mountain Lake he found a single Pied-billed Grebe. At Rte. 114 Fairlawn Ponds a Green-winged Teal was found. Along New River Ed located Canada Geese, a pair of American Black Ducks, six Hooded Mergansers and a pair of American Wigeons. At Bissett Park he found three Buffleheads, two DC Cormorants and a flock of Ring-billed Gulls. The highlight of the day was a singing White-crowned Sparrow. |
 Birding with the Bibbee Nature ClubRoger and Lynda Mayhorn joined members of the Bluefield Bibbee Nature Club on November 8 to help with their annual waterfowl count. The group birded the Bluestone Dam and the New River from Hinton WV downriver to Sandstone Falls. The waterfowl numbers were not as high as expected, but in spite of that the following water species were logged: Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Buffleheads, Double-crested Cormorants, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons and Belted Kingfisher. After the birding the group met for lunch at the Dairy Queen in Hinton, which overlooks the New River. The birders were able to eat in comfort while having a great view of the waterfowl on the river just outside the large windows. It was a wonderful day of birding with some great birders. |
 Thanksgiving Day Window Watch Bird CountTwo Pine Siskins, like the one shown here, were the first Pine Siskins of the season to show up at the Mayhorns’ feeder. This was during the Thanksgiving Day Window Watch Bird Count, where for one hour birds were counted that entered a 15 foot circle. Several club members participated in the count and President Roger Mayhorn would like to thank those members for participating. |
 Purple Finches ReturnPurple Finches (at right) returned to the area in late October from their nesting sites in the Northern U.S. and Canada. On November 29 with a couple of inches of snow on the ground 11 Purple Finches showed up at the Mayhorns’ feeders on Compton Mtn. Roger thought this was a new feeder record for his yard, but upon checking his records he found that he had had 14 at his feeder on New Year’s Day, 2002. |
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Birding Habitat Destroyed Ed Caudill and Roger Mayhorn birded a reclaimed strip site near Compton Mtn on November 26. The area was great bird habitat and a variety of species used the area. Wood warblers, vireos, Thrushes, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks are some of the species that could be found there. When these two birders birded the area on the 26th they knew that logging had been going on in the area. The reclaimed strip site itself was mostly untouched, but the ridge just above it was devastated. Where once giant Oaks, Maples, Black Gum and Hickories had stood with Wood Thrushes and Ovenbirds feeding in their shadows, there is now just brown, gouged out earth with rows of stumps, as clear cutting has completely deforested the ridge and the mountain side below it. Eventually, as the area starts greening up again, it may become a habitat for birds that prefer more open areas, but for the next several years the sight and sounds of birds on the ridge will be missing. There is no cover to hide in and no trees or shrubs from which the birds can get food. Such a waste. |
| Ed and Michelle Talbott have been seeing Great Blue Herons periodically on the Levisa River behind their house at Weller Yard. They also have a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers that are hanging around in a Hemlock in their yard. A Northern Mockingbird has been showing up in their area as well. Roger Mayhorn and David Raines are also seeing Mockingbirds in their areas. |
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Christmas Bird Counts The Breaks Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 20. Come out and help other BCBC members bird the area. It’s always a lot of fun. Bring a lunch and meet at the visitor’s center at 8:00 a.m. Other Christmas Bird Counts in the area are: Dec. 14 – Elizabethton, TN CBC |
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Do You Know? Do you know why some birds fly in a vee formation? The real reason is not known, but there are a couple of theories. One is that one bird, flying behind another, gets lift from the air disturbance of the bird’s wings in front of it. If that is true then all of the birds except the leader in the vee formation could get lift to help them travel farther while using less energy than flying alone. The second theory is that the birds fly in a vee formation in order to maintain visual contact with each other and thus avoid midair collisions. Whatever the reason, a flying vee of wild Canada Geese or Snow Geese is an impressive sight. |
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Johnnie Ratliff, A Man who loves Birds