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The
Buchanan County Bird Club meets the Volume 3 Issue 3 March 2004 |
 Feb 9 Club MeetingMembers ate at the Grundy Pizza Hut before the meeting. At the meeting March 6 was the date chosen for a Burkes Garden outing. The April club meeting was chosen as a time for open house to invite others from the community to a bird club meeting. An outing to the new observation tower at Birch Knob was discussed for April. Ed Talbott then presented an excellent Power Point program on hawks, which was followed by video presented by David Raines of a partial albino American Goldfinch, which had visited his feeder on Feb. 3. Agnes Keen was the guest of club member, Marie Miller. Agnes is Marie’s neighbor and likes to feed the birds at her house on Slate Creek. The next club meeting will be on March 8. David Raines will present a video on hummingbirds. For those interested the group will meet that evening at the Tracks End restaurant at 5:00 for the pre-meeting meal. |
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 FIRST GULL BANDING IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST TENNESSEEOn Feb 22, 2004 and again on Feb 26, BCBC member, Wallace Coffey, with help from Bristol Bird Club members, Rack Cross and young Sammy Cross, banded Ring-billed gulls at the Super Wal Mart in Bristol VA . Ring-bills have become a common sight in store parking lots in the area. This banding is an effort to understand the migration pattern of these gulls. Rack and Sammy Cross ( left ) in a photo taken by Coffey hold two of the captured gulls. The banders made their own trap, and even though they did capture a few birds, they weren’t having the hoped for success. With the help of well known TN trapper, Ken Hale, they ordered a rocket propelled net trap. When the birds are in position at the bait the rockets are fired, and the net is propelled outward over the surprised birds. This will assure the banders of more captured and banded birds. It will be interesting to see what is learned from this project in the future. Good work guys. |
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Apologies Left out of the last newsletter was the fact that Ed & Mary Talbott had seen 3 Chipping Sparrows at their feeders during January. The Talbotts have had hundreds of American Goldfinches at their feeders this winter. Novice birder, Marie Miller, observed and identified a Pileated Woodpecker near her home on Slate Creek. Good job Marie. |
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Interesting Events David Raines on Feb 3 had an albino American Goldfinch visiting his seed feeder. He managed to get some video of the bird before it left. David also has had lots of goldfinches this winter, sometimes as many as a hundred or more. Among them he had one Pine Siskin and as many as 10 Purple Finches. While visiting his mother-in-law in Richlands, David saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch at her feeder. This is one of only two found in the immediate area this winter. Earlier Ed & Michelle Talbott had heard one on Guesses Fork of Hurley. Also at his mother-in-law’s feeder was a junco with white wing bars. Upon closer examination the bird appeared too dark to be a western White-winged Junco. |
| On Feb 7 Wallace Coffey with two other Bristol Bird Club members observed Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels, the smallest American falcon, in Sullivan Co. TN and Washington Co. VA. |
| Ed & Michelle Talbot still have plenty of American Goldfinches at their Weller Yard feeders. Recently they have had Eastern Bluebirds checking out the new bluebird boxes there, which were built and donated by Johnnie and Betty Ratliff. On Feb 8, Ed heard a loud thump against the side of the house and saw feathers floating down beside the 2nd. Story window. Looking out the window he saw a Cooper’s Hawk flying across the yard carrying a Rock Pigeon, but not able to gain altitude. The bird flew through a fence and dropped down to the river out of sight. |
| On Feb 10 a neighbor of David Raines saw a hawk being mobbed by a flock of crows. When he returned from getting his binoculars the hawk was gone, but he saw a pine branch floating down to the ground. The hawk had evidently been carrying the material to add to its nest. Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks pair off in January and do start nesting in February. |
 
The Ratliffs Visit Costa RicaClub members Johnnie & Betty Ratiff recently spent a week in Costa Rica. They were there with their church group helping build and repair local churches. They did have a little free time to do some birding. They saw and photographed a Boat-billed Flycatcher (above), Rufous-collared Sparrow (right), kingfishers and several species of hummingbirds. They also saw several species of birds that are commonly seen here. They saw hundreds of Tree Swallows. They also saw some species local to the area they didn’t get to identify. |
| Marie Miller on Feb 12 had a Belted Kingfisher at the creek behind her home on Slate Creek. She was able to study the bird with binoculars. Like the Talbotts, having water near her home, Marie is perhaps a little more fortunate than some of us, when it comes to observing kingfishers, Ospreys and some swallows. |
| David Raines and Roger Mayhorn on Feb 12 birded the Branham Farm and Tivis Ridge near John Flannagan reservoir. The highlights of their day were Red-shouldered Hawks calling and circling and landing on nearby trees, a Cooper’s Hawk, a Black-capped Chickadee, Pine Siskins, Pileated Woodpeckers, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows eating Poison Ivy berries. |
| Todd Perkins on Feb 12, while hunting for coyotes, managed to call in a Sharp-shinned Hawk and some American Crows. Todd also saw a Common Raven the same day. He was impressed with its larger than crow size. |
| On Feb 14 Ed & Michelle Talbott did a 7 mile hike around Bull Mountain here in Buchanan County. The highlights of the day were a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, a Fox Sparrow, three Ruffed Grouse and a Winter Wren. |
Great Backyard Bird Count The week-end of Feb 13-15 was the Great Backyard Bird Count. President Roger Mayhorn would like to thank those club members who participated in the count. Twenty-one different species were recorded with Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, who sponsors the count. This data will be made available to those who are studying birds to help learn more about their migration and feeding habits. |
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Birch Knob Observation Tower to Open Soon Recently, in Dickenson County the forest service built an observation tower at Birch Knob, an area not far from the small town of Blowing Rock, VA. The area near the top of the mountain has been a hawk watching vantage point in the past. Thanks to phone calls made by David Raines we have the following information. The gated road to the tower will be open to the public on April 1, 2004. A graveled parking area for 20 vehicles has been prepared. Vault toilets will be available. The observation deck is at an elevation of 3144 ft. There are 183 steps to the viewing platform. A BCBC club outing has been tentatively planned for April. The date is yet to be set. |
 During mid-February Ed Talbott spent the day birding the South Holston area.
This pair of Green-winged Teal (right) was found at Oceola Island just below South Holston Dam.
There he also found 6 American Wigeon and 40 Bufflehead. At Musick’s Campground on the lake he found 3 male Common Goldeneyes as well as
Redhead Ducks, Horned and Pied-billed Grebes and Ring-billed Gulls.
From atop South Holston Dam he saw 6 Common Loons and 150 Ring-billed
Gulls. To see more photos of this outing go to Ed’s website at http://www.grundynet.net/talbott/birding/hikes/W03/Holston.htm
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 This Sharp-shinned Hawk is one of two that has been making regular visits to the Mayhorns’ feeders at their home on Compton Mountain.
The other Sharpie is more immature with yellow eyes. The two have been trying to dine on the many small passerines at the feeders, but only occasionally do they seem to be successful.
These two male hawks are only about the size of Blue Jays. The females are larger.
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| It was a windy day on Compton Mountain on Friday, Feb 20, when a Red-shouldered Hawk glided around the side of the house at the Mayhorns. Roger had just stepped outside and had a perfect vantage point to see the hawk as it hovered in the wind only a few feet from the ground and only a few yards away. He watched as the bird hung almost motionless in the air for a couple of seconds, then slowly sailed away. |
| On Feb 23 Vice President, Ed Talbott, wrote an excellent resolution on behalf of the Buchanan County Bird Club to support the proposed hiking, biking, birding trail in Buchanan County. You can see the document at http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/Resolution.htm |
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| A hummingbird with a red throat appeared at the feeder of Johnnie & Betty Ratliff on Feb 24, 2004. The bird was probably a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, though there is a possibility that it was some other species. This is the same feeder that fed the Selasphorus hummingbird earlier in the winter. Johnnie has his camera ready if the bird shows up again. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been found spending the winter in the Carolinas recently. Perhaps this bird was one of those. The earliest recorded arrival for this species here has previously been April 6. |
| On Feb 24 Wallace Coffey and Don Holt, a member of the Herndon TN Bird Club observed 6 Ross’ Geese near the Wilbur Dam on the Watauga River. Ross’s Geese are very similar to Snow Geese in appearance with some small differences. |
| Marie Miller finally has birds visiting her feeder on Slate Creek, which was erected in December. Three finches are coming to the feeder, and her shrubs are harboring Blue Jays, Cardinals, Field Sparrows and Titmice. |
Ed & Michelle Talbott added a couple of new birds to their lifelists on Feb 28, when they birded the New River near Radford, VA.
This immature blue phase Snow Goose (right) was one of them, found near Glen Lyn in the presence of some domestic Graylag Geese.
Later they added the second when they found Greater Scaup (a duck) at Parrot River Road among some Lesser Scaup.
Other birds found on this outing were Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Redheads, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Black Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, and Gadwall.
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| David Raines had a few minutes after work on March 2, so he went out to Laurel Lake in the Breaks Park. There he found the first 11 Wood Ducks of the season. The lake had been frozen over in previous weeks. Red-winged Blackbirds and Robins were singing and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew over, calling as it went. Its mate answered from the nearby woods. David has not seen any Woodcock in his yard this year. In past years he has had several. Last year he had only a couple. He thinks they may have chosen a different location to do their courtship flights. |
| Evidently Woodcock change their courtship locations over time. Several years ago they performed their courtship flights in the Mayhorns’ yard. They then left the area. On March 2 Roger heard the peenting mating call of a Woodcock in the yard. Sure enough a male was there trying to attract a mate. The next evening he was there again just at dusk. Lynda and Roger walked out to listen and watch. As they stood there, another Woodcock came sailing over the yard and settled into the neighbor’s pasture. On the evening of March 4 the birds were still calling. Anyone who wants to come up and watch the show at dusk is welcome. The spiraling courtship flight is something to see. |
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NEW SPECIES RECORDED IN BUCHANAN COUNTY
The bird kept giving a low call when it wasn’t preening or diving for food in the pond.
Though these ducks are a common sight in other areas of the U.S. this is the first recorded sighting of this species within the county, though they have surely been here before. Many thanks to Jean and Bud Gilbert for alerting club members to this visitor.
Sometimes as many as 200 of these ducks overwinter at Osceola Island just below South Holston dam near Bristol.
To see more photos click on the this
address 
Red-winged Blackbirds like this one photographed at the Mayhorns are beginning to show up at area feeders, as they do every spring.
On Feb 24 Ed & Mary Talbott had 15 at their feeders. Roger & Lynda Mayhorn had 20 at theirs.
David & Susan Raines had 50 visiting their feeders on Feb 24. Also showing up at feeders are Common Grackles.
A few have been coming to the Raines’ feeders and a couple have been showing up on Compton Mountain at the
Mayhorns’.