[va-bird] Highland County, June 18-20

This past weekend ten members of Augusta Bird Club and six members of
Bath-Highland Bird Club joined Tom Brody & Patti Reum of Bear Mountain Farm
and Sandy & Shauna Bratton of Sapling Ridge.  Many birded both properties
plus portions of the Blue Grass Valley.  Although the weather was fine and
the views from the mountain tops were splendid, the birding itself was
difficult.  Territorial singing was limited, presumably because birds were
raising young.  Some stretches of woods seemed eerily quiet save for an
occassional Red-eyed Vireo.  Nevertheless, we did manage to see/hear the 83
species listed below.  

A few highlights would be the courtship flight of the male hummingbird, the
Golden-winged Warbler that came within 5 feet in response to pishing, and a
recently fledged and goony-looking Blue-headed Vireo that perched
precariously on a twig, all at Bear Mountain Farm on June 20.  The red
spruce groves on Sapling Ridge (Jun 19) revealed quite a few vocal
Golden-crowned Kinglets and an occassional Red-breasted Nuthatch, while the
hardwood forests echoed with that magical song of the Hermit Thrush late
into the morning.  Only a rare Blackburnian Warbler was heard (none seen),
in marked contrast to the dozens that were seen and heard during the last
year's breeding bird foray (held in early June 2003).  Magnolia Warblers
were vocally and visually somewhat more conspicuous. 

A fine time was had by all.

John Spahr

CUMMULATIVE LIST (June 18,19,20)
Canada Goose    
Great Blue Heron        
Black Vulture   
Turkey Vulture  
Cooper's Hawk   
Broad-winged Hawk       
Red-tailed Hawk 
American Kestrel        
Ruffed Grouse   
Killdeer        
Rock Pigeon     
Mourning Dove   
Chimney Swift   
Ruby-throated Hummingbird       
Belted Kingfisher       
Red-bellied Woodpecker  
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker        
Downy Woodpecker        
Hairy Woodpecker        
Northern Flicker        
Pileated Woodpecker     
Eastern Wood-Pewee      
Acadian Flycatcher      
Least Flycatcher        
Eastern Phoebe  
Great Crested Flycatcher        
Eastern Kingbird        
Blue Jay        
American Crow   
Common Raven    
Blue-Headed Vireo       
Red-eyed Vireo  
Cedar Waxwing   
Eastern Bluebird        
Veery   
Hermit Thrush   
American Robin  
Gray Catbird    
Northern Mockingbird    
Brown Thrasher  
Red-breasted Nuthatch   
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Carolina Wren   
House Wren      
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   
Tree Swallow    
Barn Swallow    
Cliff Swallow   
Golden-crowned Kinglet  
Black-capped Chickadee  
Tufted Titmouse 
Horned Lark     
House Sparrow   
American Goldfinch      
House Finch     
Golden-winged Warbler   
Northern Parula 
Yellow Warbler  
Magnolia Warbler        
Black-throated Green Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler    
American Redstart       
Ovenbird        
Louisiana Waterthrush   
Common Yellowthroat     
Song Sparrow    
Dark-eyed Junco 
Savannah Sparrow        
Chipping Sparrow        
Field Sparrow   
Vesper Sparrow  
Eastern Towhee  
Scarlet Tanager 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  
Northern Cardinal       
Indigo Bunting  
Red-winged Blackbird    
Eastern Meadowlark      
Common Grackle  
Brown-headed Cowbird    
Bobolink        
European Starling       
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

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