The Chat

Buchanan County Bird

Club Newsletter

Editors Roger & Lynda Mayhorn

The Buchanan County Bird Club meets the 2nd Monday of each month at the Buchanan County

  Public Library at 6:00 PM

      http://www.bcbirdclub.org

Volume 6   Issue 4 April - May 2007

 
May Outing - Breaks Park - Beaver Knob

Since the April outing in the Breaks Park was pretty much rained out for most members, another outing was scheduled for the Breaks Park for May 12th. Ten club members turned out for a nice day of birding at the park, then went on to Beaver Knob near Elkhorn City. The group found a total of 82 species for the day. Two of the more interesting species found were the Grasshopper Sparrow (see photo) and the Blue Grosbeak. The Grasshopper Sparrow gets its name from the insect like buzz of its song.
Magee Marsh Birding Trip

 Thirteen birders joined the annual birding outing in May to Magee Marsh, a part of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge located on the shores of Lake Erie in Ottawa County OH. One-hundred thirty-four species were found during the few days the birders were there with Bald Eagles and warblers being the most numerous. Twenty-two warbler species were logged, as the birds stopped to rest and feed in the marsh before making the flight across Lake Erie. Those who were along for the trip were Don Carrier (in photo), his son Christian, and nephew, Coleman, Dan Kendrick, Susan Mayhew, Roger & Lynda Mayhorn, David Raines, Neil Smith, Steve (Kip) Sweeney, Michelle Talbott and Sheldon & Orpha Woods.
VSO State Parks Foray

 Each year the Virginia Society of Ornithology chooses a different section of the state to do a breeding bird survey. This year the VSO chose state parks and asked for volunteers to help. Those in our area who participated were Don & Dawn Carrier, David Raines, Roger & Lynda Mayhorn, Ed & Michelle Talbott. Ed Talbott and I signed up to bird the Breaks Park. Don Carrier chose Hungry Mother State Park. We helped each other with the two parks. Several Swainson's Warblers were found in the Breaks Park, which is has been the nesting site for the species in past years. Pine Warblers were found for the first time in the Breaks Park during the breeding season. No evidence was found of nesting, but the fact that the species was found there during the breeding season is a good indicator of the possiblility. No Swainson's Warblers were found in Hungry Mother State Park, but it was home to several pairs of Louisiana Waterthrushes. We found a nest with 5 young, and watched the parent birds feed them.
Birding in Lebanon,VA

 On April 20th Lynda and I birded around Lebanon in Russell County with Don Carrier. The highlight of the day was an Osprey perched above Cedar Creek near the Ponderosa Steak House. On the way home we stopped at Stuart's Pond in Rosedale and found the Northern Shoveler duck that had been hanging around the area. We got 46 species for the day. On April 22nd Dave Worley reported a Great Egret at Stuart's Pond.
 
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were still showing up at feeders in late April. Club members, Ann & Grady McRae of Bluefield had three at their feeders on April 22nd. One male and one female were wearing leg bands. Birds are banded in hopes of finding the banded birds at some other location in the future. This research is to learn more about the movement of birds, especially over long distances during migration.
Unusual Birds Found in the Breaks Area

 Upon arrival back home from the Magee Marsh Trip David Raines found a male Blackpoll Warbler on his property on Middle Fork. We have only one other record for a spring Blackpoll in Buchanan County. That one was found at our place here on Compton Mt in 2003 by Ed & Michelle Talbott. On June 15, 2007 David found at least three, possibly more, Saw Whet Owls at his place. This is a really rare find for Buchanan County. The only other record we have for the species in the county was the one mentioned by David in his post. It was also a sighting by David and was about 20 years ago. Excellent finds David! Congratulations!
 
Birding Bluestone Dam, Bluestone State Park and Sandstone Falls

Lynda and I joined other members of the Bibbee Nature Club of Bluefield on April 28th for a birding and wildflower outing in the Bluestsone Dam area near Hinton, WV. Other than ourselves those attending were Grady & Ann McRae, Allen & Mindy Waldron and Mark Mullins and his mother, Frances. Sixty-one bird species were found for the day. The highlights of the day were 2 adult Bald Eagles, a Red-breasted Merganser, Double-crested Cormorants, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Great Crested Flycatchers and a Worm Eating Warbler. Baltimore and Orchard Orioles and Warbling Vireos were a treat for us because we don't see that many of them in our area. It was a very enjoyable birding day with good company.
Cerulean Warblers Galore

 This seems to be the year for Ceruleans, at least in certain local areas. On April 29th Ed & Michelle Talbott found 12 on a hike on Guesses Fork near Hurley. Ceruleans also seem to be numerous on Compton Mt this year. They have been heard in several places on the mountain. I photographed the bird in this photo. It is a male that has been coming to our small yard stream during the hot, dry weather.. I watched it carry food into the thick foliage of a nearby cherry tree. Ceruleans are said to be disappearing in some areas of the U.S., but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Peregrine Falcons in the Breaks Interstate Park

Three young Peregrine Falcons were brought to the Breaks Park the last week of May by members of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This is an attempt to reinstate the species to the area, where it once nested. The cliffs of the Towers in the Breaks Park was the last nesting site within the state in the 1960’s, when Peregrines and other raptors were extirpated from the east coast by the use of the insecticide, DDT. The chemical got into the food chain and the raptors were unable to raise young because their egg shells were so fragile the parent birds couldn’t sit on them.

The new young birds were transported to the park and placed in a previously prepared hack box. The box with bars on the front is situated so the young birds can see the majestic gorge and the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River stretching out below them. The birds are fed through the top of the box so they will not see their human feeders. When the birds are large enough they will be released from the box. It is hoped that the birds will stay in the area and nest there.
 

Indigo Buntings and Grosbeaks in  Russell County

Club members, Jerry and Jane Thornhill of Rosedale , VA have had some record numbers (for them) of birds coming into their yard. On May 6th they had 17 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at their feeders, and on May 8th they had 5 male Indigo Buntings in their yard. Their yard must have looked like it had been decorated in color.

Henslow's and Lincoln's Sparrows Found

On April 30th I, Roger Mayhorn, found a Henslow's and a Lincoln's Sparrow on the Mountain Top Golf Course here on Compton Mountain. Both birds gave me great looks, and I had plenty of time to make the identification. That is the first record for a Henslow's here on the mountain, and the Lincoln's is rarely seen here..

Great Crested Flycatcher

This photo of a Great Crested Flycatcher was taken on May 9th by Don Carrier. The bird was photographed at Osceola Island just below the South Holston Dam. This was a lifebird for Don. Good shot Don.
Swainson's Warbler

Don Carrier and I went into the Head of Slate Creek Hollow on June 2nd, where Lynda and I had found 3 Swainson's Warblers and two Louisiana Waterthrushes just a few days before. I took this photo of the Swainson's Warbler that we found at the upper end of a beaver pond. We also got photos of a Kentucky Warbler and a Northern Parula.
Raising Bluebirds

This is one of four baby bluebirds that Larry Pinson of Whitley, KY attempted to raise by hand after the young ones were abandoned. This is the only one that made it. According to statistics about 95% of young birds die when they are being raised by humans. The bird only used the cage for roosting at night. It was allowed to fly outside during the day, but would come back for a treat of mealworms. This bird suddenly stopped returning. Larry fears that it met an untimely end.
Birder of the Month for March 2007

 Ed & Michelle Talbott received the Birder of the Month award for finding the uncommon Red-breasted Mergansers on Laurel Lake in the Breaks Interstate Park on March 24th. Congratulations guys! You can see photos of their birding day at http://www.pbase.com/aquilaet/breaks7
Birder of the Month Award for April 2007

David Raines won the Birder of the Month award for his find of a Pectoral Sandpiper on Middle Fork of the Breaks. Sandpipers are not found often in our area. Congratulations Dave.
Birder of the Month for May 2007

 Johnnie Ratliff walked away with the Birder of the Month Award for May for his sighting of a Bald Eagle on the Levisa River near his home at the mouth of Little Prater. This is one of a handfull of confirmed sightings in the area. Congratulations Johnnie! Johnnie's eagle sighting took precedence over the finding of a Blackpoll Warbler by David Raines at his place on Middle Fork of the Breaks. Blackpolls are also very uncommon for our area.
Sandhill Crane on Compton Mt

I photographed this Sandhill Crane on a farm here on Compton Mt on June 6, 2007. I found the bird after being notified of it by a neighbor. The bird fed in the field and ignored people and cars, as long as they didn't come too close. This is the first record of a Sandhill Crane in Buchanan County. You can see larger photos at http://www.pbase.com/mayhorn/cranes__herons