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

From: "Michael & Kristin Stewart" <MikeKrisStewart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <Jspahr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "VA BIRD (E-mail)" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 19:19:48 -0500

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

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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

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

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