There is an excellent opportunity for you to help determine if Golden
Eagles breed in the mountains of Highland County. You can participate in a
fundraiser to help pay for the attachment of radio transmitters to Golden
Eagles in Highland County, which will then track and map their movements via
satellite. The fundraiser - The Golden Chase - will be a birdathon taking
place on May 19, 2007.
The Golden Telemetry project will be lead by Dr. Todd Katzner, who, with
his team from the National Aviary and the Powdermill Avian Research Center in
Pittsburgh, PA, will trap and attach transmitters to Golden Eagles in Highland
County and then monitor the resulting radio telemetry. Highland County has
been chosen since, as many of you know, there have been extraordinary high
numbers of sightings of Golden Eagles in this area, which include a historical
database of late-spring and summer Golden Eagle sightings. Recently, a
concerted effort of dedicated individuals has documented Golden Eagle sightings
spanning the entire 2006 calendar year- and into 2007. It has long been
suspected-but never confirmed- that Golden Eagles breed in Highland County.
What makes the question of Golden Eagle breeding all the more interesting
is that there are currently no known U.S. breeders east of the Mississippi
River. Radio telemetry research may help answer this question. By attaching
transmitters to a few eagles, their movements could be monitored, providing
valuable information on their foraging activities, roosting sites, and duration
of stay in the Highland County area. And, with a little luck, we may learn if
the subject birds remain in the area to breed.
These Golden Telemetry efforts will require a modest amount of funds. Bear
Mountain Farm and Wilderness Retreat is organizing The Golden Chase to help pay
for the transmitters and monitoring of the birds. It is planned that The
Golden Chase will take place on May 19, 2007. On that day, teams will go out
and try to find as many bird species as possible in Highland and Bath Counties
(or in a single location) in 24 hours; a documented Golden Eagle sighting will
count as 10 species! Each team raises funds from donors, which then will be
put into a special account administered by the Virginia Society of Ornithology
for the Golden Eagle telemetry project. On May 20th the event compilation and
brunch with recognition ceremonies will take place at Bear Mountain Farm.
Accommodations are available for the teams at a special group rate. And access
to important, private habitats is being arranged. Additional information will
appear soon on the Bath-Highland Bird Club website (www.bathhighlandbird.org)
and on Bear Mountain's website (www.mountain-retreat.com). All birders are
welcome to participate or make a pledge to a team in The Golden Chase!
Please consider supporting The Golden Chase by either forming a team to
participate or by making a monetary pledge to support the effort. The VSO will
coordinate finances for this project, which includes non-profit, tax-deductible
status. Please call (540-468-2700) or email me if you would like to
participate in or support this project.
Patti Reum/Chairperson
2599 Bear Mountain Rd.
Monterey, VA 24465
bearmountain@xxxxxxxxxx
Kurt Gaskill/event consultant
Sandy Hevener/Eagle Watch Data Collector
Bath/Highland Bird Club/local assistance
Virginia Society of Ornithology/financial coordination
www.virginiabirds.net
Brenda Tekin/photographer
Cheryl Gaskill/design
Dr Bryan Watts and Dr. Mitchell Byrd/ advisors
Patti Reum
Bear Mountain Farm and Wilderness Retreat
2599 Bear Mountain Rd.
Monterey, VA. 24465
www.mountain-retreat.com
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