[bcbirdclub] Compton Mt Birding
- From: roger mayhorn <rmayhorn@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bcbirdclub <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2014 14:07:33 -0400 (EDT)
Yesterday Daryl Owens and I birded three areas on Compton Mt. We started at my
place just below the mountain top, then drove a mile or so to the Mountain Top
Golf Course where we found some interesting species, then we birded east back
along the ridge on Rt 639 headed in the general direction of Tazewell County.
At my place we got to watch the pair of Baltimore Orioles feeding their young
in the yard maple, as I said before, a first for the mountain that I am aware
of, and definitely a first for our yard. Also nesting in or near the yard were
Eastern Bluebirds, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers,
Purple Martins, Tree Swallows, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Yellow-throated
Warblers, American Redstarts, Hooded Warblers, Ovenbirds, Cedar Waxwings,
Scarlet Tanagers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and a pair of Blue Jays.
Earlier that morning just before Daryl arrived a pair of Yellow-throated Vireos
were feeding in the tree tops in the backyard. They may be nesting somewhere
nearby.
At the golf course we were treated to the songs of Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Wood
Thrushes, Yellow-breasted Chats, Indigo Buntings and at least two Kentucky
Warblers. At the edge of the golf course we found a Blue winged Warbler.
As we drove around the ridge on Rt 639 we had two good surprises. The first was
an adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER that flew across the road and perched in a tree.
If my memory and my database serve me correctly, this is the first time I have
ever seen one on the mountain during breeding season. Sometimes we get them as
they pass through during fall migration, but not in June. Does this mean we
have a nesting pair here on the mountain? I don't know, but I certainly hope so.
The second surprise was seeing a BLACK VULTURE soaring overhead not far from a
circling Red-shouldered Hawk. This is only the 3rd recorded sighting of this
species here on the mountain, and all three of these sightings have taken place
since May of last year. The species may be moving into this part of Buchanan
County.
Also along Rt 639 we found Eastern Kingbirds, a White-eyed Vireo and a singing
Cerulean Warbler.
The complete list is below.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
56 speciesWild Turkey 3 (2m, 1f)Black Vulture 1Turkey Vulture 4Red-shouldered
Hawk 1Red-tailed Hawk 2Mourning Dove 9Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3Ruby-throated
Hummingbird 4Belted Kingfisher 1Red-headed Woodpecker 1 ad.Red-bellied
Woodpecker 3 (1m, 1f)Downy Woodpecker 4 (1m, 2f)Northern Flicker 7Eastern Wood
Pewee 1Eastern Kingbird 2White-eyed Vireo 1Yellow-throated Vireo 2Red-eyed
Vireo 6Blue Jay 2American Crow 6Purple Martin 6 (3m, 3f)Tree Swallow 4 (1m,
3f,) one pair feeding youngBarn Swallow 2Carolina Chickadee 3White-breasted
Nuthatch 2Carolina Wren 7Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2Eastern Bluebird 20 (18 ad, 2
juveniles)Wood Thrush 4American Robin 9Gray Catbird 4Brown Thrasher 6European
Starling 10Cedar Waxwing 7Blue-winged Warbler 1Black-throated Green Warbler
2Yellow-throated Warbler 7Cerulean Warbler 1Black-and-white Warbler 2American
Redstart 2mOvenbird 7Kentucky Warbler 2Hooded Warbler 6Yellow-breasted Chat
3Scarlet Tanager 2mEastern Towhee 7 (1f)Chipping Sparrow 7Field Sparrow 1Song
Sparrow 3Northern Cardinal 10 (7m,3f)Indigo Bunting 11 (9m, 2f)Brown-headed
Cowbird 3Baltimore Oriole 2 (1m, 1f) feeding young in nestHouse Finch 5 (3m,
2f)American Goldfinch 9House Sparrow 6
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