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 6:00 PM

Volume 5     Issue 3     March 2006

This was the first time that a “Birder of the Month” award was presented to a club member. David Raines (right) was the recipient and is shown here accepting the award from club president, Roger Mayhorn. David received the award for being the first of the club members to find two Whooping Cranes at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee.

Club secretary/treasurer, Lynda Mayhorn, gave an update on the upcoming VSO meeting, which is scheduled for May 5-7 2006. 

Club Members planning to attend the VSO event should get their $25 banquet fee in as soon as possible.

Birding Outing in Breaks Park – Saturday April 8.

Thanks go to Richard Kretz, Roger & Lynda Mayhorn, David Raines, Johnnie & Betty Ratliff, Ed & Mary Talbott and Cheryl Thompson for participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count during the weekend of Feb 17 – 20 and putting some red dots on this map for our area of the state. 60,613 check lists of birds from all over the U.S. and Canada were submitted to the Audubon site for the count, and 623 species were logged.

Burke's Garden Trip 

Ed & Michelle Talbott and Fred & Janice Martin were BCBC members among several other birders who visited Burkes Garden in Tazewell County VA on Saturday, February 25. The 10 mile long crater-like valley is the highest valley in Virginia and during the winter months is home to Golden Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks.  Also birding the Garden were members of the Bristol Bird Club and faculty and biology students from UVA-Wise.

Ed and Michelle noted 2 Golden Eagles, 15 Wood Ducks, 1 Loggerhead Shrike, 1 Northern Harrier, 7 Wilson’s Snipe, 15 Green-winged Teal and 3 American Kestrels. 

While birding Pine Mountain near Elkhorn City, KY on March 11, 2006, Ed & Michelle Talbott got great looks at a Northern Goshawk as it circled below them near Skegg's Gap. Since Pine Mt is on the VA – KY border, the bird was observed in both states. This is only the second record of the species in the area. The Northern Goshawk is our largest accipiter, in the group with the much smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk and the medium-sized Cooper’s Hawk. The Goshawk is closer in size to the larger Red-tailed Hawk. Congratulations to Ed & Michelle!

BCBC member Richard Kretz of Elk Garden VA photographed this immature Golden Eagle in Russell County on February 19. Richard was driving on state Route 19 when this very large bird flew over his car. He was lucky to have his camera with him. He pulled to the side of the road and took several photos of this large raptor in flight and as it perched. More of Richard’s pictures can be found on his website at www.pbase.com/rkretz/nature

Golden Eagles spend the winter on Beartown Mountain in Russell County, and often come down into the valleys nearby. Earlier on February 10, Russell County Bird Club member Tom Hunter of Lebanon, VA counted 8 Golden Eagles as he drove around different areas of the county.

On February 13 a thump was heard at Morris Wallace’s house in Elkhorn City, KY. A few minutes later, Sally Wallace saw this immature Cooper’s Hawk sitting just outside their glass door. The bird had evidently flown into the glass and knocked itself senseless. Morris was able to take several photos before the bird recovered and flew away. It can be identified as a Cooper’s by its large, flat head, the long striped tail with a band of white at the tip. It can be determined that this is an immature bird because of the brown color on the back and head, and by the brown spots on the breast. If this were an adult, its back and head would be gray, and its breast spots would be a reddish-brown.

Roger Mayhorn is participating in a feeder study sponsored by the WBFI (Wild Bird Feeder Industry). The study is called Project Wildbird. The participant receives 4 feeders, poles and squirrel baffles and 200 pounds of different types of seed free. The feeders and types of seed are rotated periodically. Every other day the species of birds using the feeders are recorded for 45 minutes at 5 minute intervals, then the data is put into the Project Wildbird database via the internet. Those in charge of the study are still looking for participants. To learn more about the study and how to participate go to the Project Wildbird website at www.projectwildbird.org-index.php

Club member Richard Kretz and his wife, Pam, recently took a trip to the area of Melbourne, Florida, where they did some extensive birding. They saw 97 species, including the Moorhen shown here that Richard photographed. Some of the many species he found were Bald Eagles, several species of egrets, herons, Cinnamon Teal, Crested Caracara, Brown Pelicans and Brown-headed Nuthatches. Photographs of many of the birds he saw may be seen at his website mentioned previously.

Johnnie Ratliff has built over 300 nest boxes over the past few years, most of which he has given away . A couple of years ago Johnnie came up with a design, where he made use of some plastic 4x4 inch fence post covers as the wall section of the box. He then put on flat wooden roofs and wooden floors inside. Several bird species have used them. Now Johnnie has changed his design to the peaked roof look, like the one in the photo. The box is designed to fit on a 1 ¾ inch PVC pipe. These boxes are excellent for Chickadees, Titmice and Eastern Bluebirds.

These two male Purple Finches were part of a flock of 5 that has spent the winter at the Mayhorns’ house on Compton Mt. David Raines and Johnnie & Betty Ratliff have also had this species at their feeders during the winter months. At one time David had 11 or 12 at one time. These birds will soon be leaving to go farther north to their spring nesting grounds. 

Club member Cheryl Thompson has had dozens of goldfinches at her feeders at Big Rock this winter. In late February she noticed that some of the males had started to change to their bright yellow breeding colors.

Goldfinches seem to be visiting feeders in great numbers this year. Ed & Mary Talbott, also at Big Rock, have had as many as 200 at their feeders. The Mayhorns sometimes have over 100. Ed & Michelle Talbott and Johnnie & Betty Ratliff have also had large numbers of goldfinches this winter.

Richard Kretz photographed this Great Horned Owl on its nest near Kingsport March 11. Two chicks were also observed in the nest.

David and Susan Raines heard a Great Horned Owl at their place on Middle Fork on February 23. Middle Fork is located in the Breaks community not far from the Breaks Park. The owl was not heard in subsequent weeks, so it must have moved on.

While working in his field on Compton Mt on February 25, Roger Mayhorn heard and saw two Common Ravens playing on the wind high above. The large birds were climbing and diving as if they were having fun. A few minutes later Roger heard a Killdeer as it flew overhead then landed the neighbor’s pasture. 

On February 27 this adult Cooper’s hawk came into the Mayhorns’ yard on Compton Mt, scattering small songbirds in all directions. Some of the birds took refuge in a nearby Gooseberry bush. The hawk then came to the ground and went under the bush. The small birds came out of the top of the bush, and made it to safety in the woods close by. More photos of the chase can be seen on Roger’s website at www.pbase.com/mayhorn/chase

Roger Mayhorn and Richard Kretz birded Poplar Gap Park here in Buchanan County on March 8, 2006. They went in search of Horned Larks, which Richard needed as a lifebird. A small flock of 7 larks were found. Richard took this photo after Roger eased the vehicle within camera range of the birds feeding on the ground. These birds are year round residents of the area. They prefer open, cleared fields.

An American Kestrel was also found in the park.

Ed & Michelle Talbott made a quick hike on Guesses Fork near Hurley on March 5. They heard a Red-shouldered Hawk and saw two thrushes, which they suspected were Hermit Thrushes.  A couple of Belted Kingfishers that seemed to have paired up was observed by Ed on the Levisa River behind his house at Weller Yard.

On March 7 a White-crowned Sparrow visited Ed & Michelle’s feeders. These birds are seen during migration, but are seldom seen during the winter.