FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Re: Blue Ridge "Blizzard" and Birding

["Michael & Kristin Stewart" <MikeKrisStewart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If it's any consolation, we have had snow in Western Washington this April
also, as well as a "blizzard" in late March. Does make the birding
visibility a bit iffy.

Kristin Stewart
Olympia WA

----------
> From: Spahr MD, John <Jspahr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: VA BIRD (E-mail) <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: Yulee Larner (E-mail) <larnery@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [va-bird] Blue Ridge "Blizzard" and Birding
> Date: Saturday, April 06, 2002 5:18 PM
> 
> 
> A group of a dozen August Bird Club members started at Afton Mountain on
an
> early morning field trip.  After less than one mile along route 610 the
> initial snow flurries turned into a mild blizzard.  We shivered yet
> persevered, and by the time we got to Humpback Rocks and Pioneer Village
the
> sky was blue.  We were hoping for some early spring arrivals, of which
there
> were few on the mountain other than a rare towhee and small groups of
> chipping sparrows.  So we descended the east slope of the Blue Ridge into
> Nelson county where things picked up a little.  The early warblers and
> vireos have apparently not reached this part of the state in great
numbers.
> Not even a Louisiana Waterthrush was heard as we hiked along a wooded
> stream!  Nevertheless the gang enjoyed finding the following birds:  
> 
> Wood Duck
> Mallard 
> Hooded Merganser (Waynesboro Dupont Ponds)
> American Coot (ditto)
> Canada Geese
> Red-tailed Hawk
> Red-Shouldered Hawk
> American Kestrel
> Black Vulture
> Turkey Vulture
> 
> Wild Turkey (by Tom "early bird" Pendleton only)
> Great Blue Heron
> Mourning Dove
> Rock Dove
> Northern Flicker
> Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
> Red-bellied Woodpecker
> Downy Woodpecker
> Pileated Woodpecker
> 
> No. Rough-winged Swallow (Waynesboro, Dupont Ponds)
> Eastern Phoebe
> Eastern Bluebird
> Hermit Thrush
> American Robin
> Brown Thrasher (perhaps 4 or 5 total)
> Northern Mockingbird
> 
> Blue Jay
> American Crow
> Common Raven (nesting; also in flight chase by crow)
> Carolina Chickadee
> Tufted Titmouse
> White-breasted Nuthatch
> Brown Creeper (2)
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet
> Carolina Wren
> Blue-gray gnatcatcher
> 
> Loggerhead Shrike (in Nelson Co., by Randy Robinson and John Spahr only)
> Yellow-rumped Warbler
> Pine Warbler
> 
> Common Grackle
> Red-winged Blackbird
> Brown-headed Cowbird (ugh!)
> Meadowlark 
> House Sparrow
> E. Starling
> 
> Chipping Sparrow
> Field Sparrow
> White-throated Sparrow
> Song Sparrow
> Dark-eyed Junco
> Eastern Towhee
> House Finch
> Goldfinch
> N. Cardinal
>  
> Who'd a thunk we'd get SNOW in April!
> John
> You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send
email to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
> va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.