On Saturday, April 21, 12 birders met to spend the day observing eagles and
scouting for potential Golden Eagle nesting sites in Highland County, Virginia.
Participants including Patti Reum, Sandy Hevener, Carol Bandy, Lin Pray, Polly
Newlon (all from Highland County), Brenda Tekin from Charlottesville, Joyce
Wilkinson from Herndon, Frank Tweedle from Northern Virginia, Clark and
Stephanie Hill from Roanoke, Ken Schaal from Ashland,VA and Highland County,
Tad Finnell from Roanoke, and George Wheaton from Greensboro, NC.
Our search focused on the NW corner of the county, near Lanz and Snowy
Mountains.
Here are our eagle counts:
9:15 am (Hill) 1 immature BE (Bald Eagle) seen on 220 S, perched on east
side of road, about 2 miles south of fish hatchery.
10:50 am immature GE (Golden Eagle) circling south of Hevener Lane (Rt. 643)
11:10 am 4th year GE circling over Brushy Mountain to the east.
11:35- 11:50 am (Newlon) immature GE in hickory tree at Newlon house site on
eastern side of Hardscrabble Rd (Rt. 644). When harassed by Red-tailed Hawk,
eagle flies west to area on west side of Rt. 644.
11:40 am 1 mature BE and 1 fourth-year GE seen on ground near Royal house
on Rt. 644
12:25 pm 1 mature B.E. and 1 GE immature on ground near Royal House (same
birds as 11:40 above?)
12:35 pm (Newlon) adult BE in tree west side of Rt. 644 (same as mature BE
above?)
12:53 pm (Newlon) adult BE in tree on west side of Rt. 644 near western flank
of Snowy Mt.
3:30 pm (Tekin) 1 mature BE and 1 nestling in Forks of Water area
4:20 pm (Tekin) 1 mature BE south of Mustoe along Jackson River
Also of interest were the number of migratory raptors observed, flying very low
over the ridges of Snowy, Lanz and Jack Mountains:
+15 Broad-winged hawks over Brushy Mt.
1 Sharp Shinned-hawk
1 unidentified accipter
3+ Osprey
3 American Kestrel
1 Northern Harrier
To quote Clark Hill of Roanoke, who frequently birds in Highland County at
all times of the year: "I've never been to Highland County that I didn't see a
Golden Eagle" (April 21, 2007).
Patti Reum
Bear Mountain Farm and Wilderness Retreat
2599 Bear Mountain Rd.
Monterey, VA. 24465
www.mountain-retreat.com
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