Greetings Earthlings...
On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings I went to the Chester Phelps Wildlife
Management Area in southern Fauquier County to listen for goatsuckers. I was
with my wife on Tuesday, and my father and Sue Heath on Wednesday.
The most productive place that I've found for Whip-poor-wills (WPWI) at
Phelps is along the road that leads to the fishing pond and the resident
manager's house. (Worth noting is that this road is also the only road in
the entire WMA that can be driven (that I know of), allowing for the
possibility that there might be stretches within the WMA with similar of
greater density of birds.) This road runs west from Route 651 at about a
point midway between where 651 intersects 637 and 632. It is unmarked, but
has two white pillars flanked by white rail fence. This road is a little
over a mile long, and the fishing pond is at the west end near the house.
The first three-quarters of a mile is the most productive for WPWI. On both
nights I had a similar number of birds. It can be difficult to tally them
without double counting, but I put the number of heard birds along the road
at about 12-16, all observed between eight and nine-fifteen PM. One thing
that I had never heard before was a sort of alert or alarm call that they
give. It sounds a bit like a thin band of metal being snapped against wood
or something solid. It reminds me somewhat of the chip note of Common
Yellowthroat, but louder and more mechanical sounding. We were also able to
hear the loud "dripping" note that they whistle sometimes as well. This note
sounds something like the call note that Wood Thrush gives. Both of these
calls I heard before dark, and before I heard any bird singing on both
nights. On Tuesday night the first bird was heard at eight-fifteen, and the
first song was at eight-eighteen. Wednesday night had the first calls at
eight-eight, and the first song shortly after. Both nights had temps in the
low eighties. Typically if you get there before it becomes completely dark,
it is possible to catch glimpses of them flying. Their flight reminds me of
the courtship flight that mourning doves can be seen doing in spring. Also,
when the numbers build a little more in the upcoming weeks, you can often
drive the road slowly and spot their dark shapes and red eye-shine on the
gravel road. If you approach them slowly, they will usually stay put for a
while. There is also a yellow gate about a third of the way down the road on
the right that often has a bird singing on it.
Of course my real motivation for going out there is Chuck-will's-widow,
however that is still something of a dream. Their current status on the
Piedmont in this part of the state is a complete mystery to me. Does anyone
know of a reliable spot on the northern Piedmont where they still breed? In
James Waggener's fine checklist of Prince William County birds, they are
listed as a confirmed breeder. I've presumed that these were birds at
Quantico, and perhaps Prince William Forest and Occuquan NWR (the latter
being Coastal Plain). What I don't know is when they were last thought to be
breeding. Whip-poor-will is not listed even as a possible breeder on that
list, which I suspect could have been an error. In Teta Kain's Annotated
Checklist (The Blue Book) they are said to be rare on the piedmont in summer
north of the James River. I couldn't agree more. I've only heard of one
reliable Fauquier observation of Chuck-will's-widow, and that was by David
Pashley at his former home near Marshall some years back, but fewer than ten
years ago.
On Tuesday night Brandy and I also found a couple of WPWI along Rogers Ford
Road (Route 632) on the southern boundary of Phelps. They were heard at one
of the parking areas that service the WMA.
Barred Owls were heard both nights along the road to the fishing pond, with
three on Tuesday and at least that many Wednesday. Barred Owls were also
heard Wednesday night at the WMA parking area where Route 651 crosses Marsh
Run (one) and on Savannah Branch Road (Route 688) where it crosses Marsh Run
(one). A lone Eastern Screech-owl was also heard from the Route 688
location.
Birds not heard but can typically be heard while "whippoorwilling" at Phelps
were Chats. This same access road teems with them in another week or two,
and a fair amount of them sing incessantly all night. We also listened at
the Woodward sod Farms further north on 651 for Grasshopper Sparrow this
evening before sunset and didn't hear any.
Sometime this past winter I offered to provide people with more information
about Phelps if they contacted me. A few people did, and I never got back to
them. I do sincerely apologize. If anyone is interested in more information
about Phelps, please contact me; I will respond this time.
Cheers...
Todd
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Todd M. Day
Jeffersonton, VA
Culpeper County
BlkVulture@xxxxxxx
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