VA BIRDers,
(Re-sending this again the old fashion way. I have attempted to get AOL's
attention numerous times about their BinHex encoding problems but,
unfortunately, nothing has happened. Of course, if someone out there knows
someone at
AOL...)
Rich Rieger, Linda Millington and I paid a visit to Clarke Co, concentrating
mainly in the area between Rt 50 and the W. VA border to the north except some
time in Blandy at the end of the day; total birding time was about 7 hours.
The best highlights of the day were the large swallow flocks forming in the
county - one Tree Swallow flock tallied over 200 birds! Altogether we noted
about a thousand swallows (a couple hundred of which were distant over a pond
on
private property). Yet, with all those swallows, we could not find a single
Bank Swallow! Most of the birds found were typical with only a few other
highlights for the day: a couple of migrant Great Egrets, a few Yellow-billed
Cuckoos, Red-headed WP nr Rt 641 and Long Marsh Run, a Willow Flycatcher at
Blandy
attending to fledged young, several Warbling Vireos, about 20 still-active
Cliff Swallow nests under the Rt 7 bridge over the Shenandoah River, a single
LA
Waterthrush, and a nice flock of Baltimore Orioles near the Abbey off of Rt 7
near the Shenandoah (Rt 603 near the Abbey had fine birding, the Abbey can be
birded too, but ask permission first). We tallied 75 species.
Here are the top 10 species and tallies for each:
Tree Swallow 512
E. Starling 386
Com. Grackle 311
Rough-winged Swallow 120
Barn Swallow 80
Am. Robin 64
Red-winged Blackbird 64
Canada Goose 53
Indigo Bunting 49
Cliff Swallow 43
honorable mention: Eastern Kingbird with 35!
Breeding confirmations: Wood Duck, E. Wood Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, E.
Kingbird, E. Phoebe, Warbling Vireo, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow (ON), Barn
Swallow
(ON), E. Bluebird, Am. Robin, Gray Catbird (CF), No. Mockingbird, Chipping
Sparrow (FY), Grasshopper Sparrow, No. Cardinal (FY), E. Meadowlark (CF),
Red-winged Blackbird (CF), Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole,and House Finch.
Some of the species we think we missed (we found scant information on birding
locations in Clarke Co.) were Cooper's Hawk, shorebirds other than Killdeer,
more Willow Flycatchers!, No. Parula and Yellow Warbler (have they all
migrated away?), Blue Grosbeak and maybe Bobolink. If you have any
information to
share about Clarke Co birding or places nearby please write. Thanks!
Kurt Gaskill
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