VA Birders,
Yesterday (10/29/05) with temperatures hovering at the freezing point seven
members of the Buchanan County Bird Club began their annual Sparrow Day near
Hurley VA. With permission the club birded a reclaimed strip site area that has
great sparrow habitat with fields of brambles, small shrubs, grasses and weeds.
As usual sparrows were in anbundance with 11 species recorded, including Junco
and Towhee. Chipping, Field, Grasshopper, Savannah, Song, Swamp, Vesper,
White-crowned and White-throated were logged with White-throated being the most
abundant and Vesper (one bird) being the least. 1 Tennessee, 1 Orange - crowned
and 1 Yellow-rump were the three warbler species found. Both Golden-crowned and
Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen. Woodpecker species observed were Pileated,
Flicker, Sapsucker and Downy. 1 Ruffed Grouse was heard drumming. Noticeably
absent were hawks, wrens and bluebirds. The day's complete list is below.
After a morning of birding the group gathered for its annual wiener roast.
Photos can be seen on the club website at
http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/events/Sparrow2005.htm
Enjoy the birds,
Roger Mayhorn
(Near) Grundy
Buchanan County
American Crow 4
American Goldfinch 12
American Robin 17
Belted Kingfisher 1
Blue Jay 8
Carolina Chickadee 1
Cedar Waxwing 59
Chipping Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Towhee 2m
Field Sparrow 19
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Mourning Dove 9
Northern Cardinal 3
Northern Flicker 2
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruffed Grouse 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 38
Swamp Sparrow 4
Tennessee Warbler 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Vesper Sparrow 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-crowned Sparrow 3 (juv)
White-throated Sparrow 44
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1