[Bristol-Birds] VSO High Knob Field Trip
- From: Richard Peake <rpeake1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Bristol Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:59:07 -0500
VSO High Knob Field Trip Results
One Good Day
The dry weather that had bedeviled much of Southwest Virginia ended this past
weekend. Farmers applauded, but others did not. This included visiting
birdwatchers, who enjoyed their visit despite the weather.
Some VSO birders camped at High Knob Recreation Area while others stayed at the
Inn in Norton, but all of them were impressed with the natural and man-made
opportunities available here. The birding field trip of the Virginia Society of
Ornithology (from Friday, June 27 to Sunday June 29) had only one day in which
the weather did not thwart their efforts—one good day
Rained out of their Friday afternoon and Sunday morning trips, the visitors
had only Saturday to see the local birds without being hindered by the weather.
The Saturday results, however, showed what a spectacular variety of breeding
birds Wise County has to offer. One good day, but what a great day it was. The
participants in the VSO field trip listed 96 different species in that one day.
The VSO birders came to see the birds of Wise County because this area has a
great variety of nesting birds—especially neotropic migrants such as warblers.
Wise County has on its list twenty-four species of breeding warblers, more than
can be found in any national park in the United States. Organized field trips
to High Knob, Roaring Branch, Phillip’s Creek and other areas took place
between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday field trips ended with a stop at Mountain
Rose Winery, where the birders added a Red-tailed Hawk to their list and
experienced the excellent hospitality of Suzanne and Ron Lawson.
Of special interest to many of the birders were some of the warblers that Wise
County offers such as the Swainson’s Warblers that haunt local rhododendron
thickets and the Golden-winged Warblers that like very early stages of
succession and thus are sometimes found on reclaimed surface mines. Other
warblers of special interest are found at high elevations. These include
Blackburnian, Canada, Chestnut-sided and Magnolia Warblers—all found fairly
regularly at High Knob along with Veeries, Least Flycatchers and other species
that favor high altitudes. VSO birders found all of these species on their one
good day of birding.
An afternoon trip to the Lonesome Pine Airport produced interesting grassland
species including several sparrow species: field sparrows, grasshopper
sparrows, a savannah sparrow, song sparrows, and a vesper sparrow. A willow
flycatcher and an orchard oriole also appeared. Most exciting, however, was a
flock of around 20 Bobolinks.
Among other birds of interest located during the weekend were a pair of
woodcock, a peregrine falcon, tree swallows, a blue grosbeak, and a family of
ruffed grouse. A few common breeding birds missed were the blue-gray
gnatcatcher, green heron, and rose-breasted grosbeak, as well as cerulean and
yellow warblers. Who knows, with more good weather the VSO birders could have
added these species also.
After dinner at local restaurants Saturday night, the birders who camped at
High Knob spent a musical evening. They listened to barred owls serenading them
during the night—an excellent way to end a good day of birding.
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