[va-bird] Peregrine Falcon, RockinghamCounty

While in the Shenandoah Valley yesterday (12/24) to visit the family for 
Christmas, I took a few hours to do some birding with Diane Holsinger and 
Steven Boyle.  From about 8:30 until 11:00 we drove around the farmland from 
Dayton and Montezuma to Clover Hill, Mount Clinton and Dale Enterprise in the 
hopes of finding snow buntings or lapland longspurs among the flocks of horned 
larks that can sometimes be found in the farm fields in this area.  
   
  We didn't find any longspurs or snow buntings (not even a flock of horned 
larks), but we did find lots of birds.  The best bird by far was the adult 
peregrine falcon on War Branch Road (Rte. 726), about one mile west of Whitmore 
Shop Road (Rte. 613).  The falcon was perched in the top of a dead tree between 
the road and the creek.  It was rather large and stocky looking, and based on 
size, appeared to be a female.  We watched the falcon for several minutes 
before it flew out of sight to the north toward Little North Mountain.  
   
  I don't recall ever seeing a peregrine in Rockingham County in the winter, 
but according to the online CBC data, a peregrine was found on the Rockingham 
County CBC last year (the only Rockingham CBC record!).  Does anyone out there 
recall where that peregrine was observed?  Clair Mellinger's Birds of 
Rockingham County, Virginia lists the peregrine falcon as an accidental to rare 
transient and winter visitor, with an historical nesting record near Rawley 
Springs, just a few miles (as the peregrine flies) from the site of this 
observtion.
   
  Later in the day, between family functions, I quickly checked Lake 
Shenandoah.  Waterfowl on the lake included a small flock of ring-necked ducks, 
two ruddy ducks, two gadwalls, a female bufflehead, two female scaup (I didn't 
have my scope and they were too far for a positive ID), a number of mallards 
and a small flock of coots.  Nearby, there were several hundred Canada geese at 
the lake at Massanetta Springs, but I was running late and didn't have time to 
look for something rarer among them.
   
  Then later in the evening (between about 11:00 PM and midnight), I did some 
owling along Ore Bank Road (Route 708) where I found two screech owls.
   
  It's always fun to get back to the Valley and bird my former haunts.
   
  Happy Holidays to all!
   
  Craig Tumer
  Adelphi, MD

                
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Photos
 Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, 
whatever.

Other related posts: