FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Cranberry Glades, WV trip

[JMIrvine@xxxxxxx]

Six members of the Rockingham Bird Club went on an overnight trip to the 
Cranberry Glades area of West Virginia on Wednesday and Thursday, June 9-10.  
We 
included Ken Hinkle, John Irvine,  Clair Mellinger, Tom Mizell, Tom Pendleton, 
and Charles Ziegenfus.  Our trip list for both days totaled 61 species.
A visit to spruce country almost always involves placing Red Crossbills high 
on the target bird list.  On Wednesday afternoon when we first visited the 
Cranberry Mountain Visitors' Center, staff members told us that they frequently 
saw the crossbills in the spruce tree closest to the flagpole outside.  
Mid-morning on Thursday when we returned and looked up, nine of them promptly 
flew 
in--and fed upside down for some minutes on the very green tightly-furled 
cones, 
to our surprise.  We had excellent looks at individuals of both sexes.

Wednesday afternoon and evening, both before and after a heavy downpour, we 
made the circuit of the boardwalk tour.  Birds heard or seen from the boardwalk 
included Barred Owl, Hairy Woodpecker,  Red-eyed Vireo, Black-capped 
Chickadee (nest?), Veery, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Magnolia 
Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Canada Warbler (nest), 
Eastern 
Towhee, Song Sparrow, and American Goldfinch.

We also had a close look, in the gloaming, at what appeared to be a very 
gravid doe White-tailed Deer a few yards off the boardwalk.  We would have 
expected her to have dropped her fawn already by this date,but she certainly 
looked 
as if she hadn't yet.

Late in the evening, after listening unsucccessfully for Swainson's Thrush, 
we had driven some distance down the road past the parking area for the 
boardwalk.  After getting out of the car to listen, we looked back behind us 
and 
there was a good-sized Black Bear ambling away from us up the road at probably 
seventy yards' distance.  We wondered how close it had been to us while our 
attention was focused elsewhere, and were grateful it was receding into the 
distance..

Thursday morning we drove past the parking area for the boardwalk, and past 
where we had seen the bear, to the gate barring further vehicle entry.  We 
walked further down the road and turned right onto the Cow Pasture trail, which 
we 
followed till it crossed a new bridge over a stream.  As we approached the 
bridge, we saw a large female snapping turtle behaving as if she were 
interested 
in laying her eggs in the sandy soil of the build-up to the bridge.  
Cautiously we edged past her and after a little she decided to vacate the 
premises and 
put her eggs somewhere safer.  The whole area was covered with scoop marks as 
if she had been trying to find just the right spot to dig.  As we stood on 
the bridge and watched and listened, a male Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over 
carrying a luckless songbird in its talons.  It traversed a long descending 
line and 
then turned into some trees, where it probably fed its nestlings their 
breakfast.  Though the area seemed perfect for Alder Flycatchers, none were 
present.  
 

Both days we went up the Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150) stopping to bird 
at various places.  Wednesday we had to compete with rain but Thursday midday 
the weather was somewhat improved. Our main target bird was Mourning Warbler 
(which we never found) but we did see or hear the following songbirds in 
various locations along the roads we birded:  Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos;  
Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice; Blue-gray Gnatcatchers; 
Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated 
Green, 
Blackburnian and Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstart, and Common 
Yellowthroat; Scarlet Tanager; Eastern Towhee; Chipping and Song Sparrows, 
Dark-eyed 
Junco, Indigo Bunting, Purple Finch, and American Goldfinch.

John Irvine
Harrisonburg, VA



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