[bristol-birds] Re: Warblers in Buch. Co. VA
- From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: 1-A Bristol-Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 00:57:37 -0300
Roger Mayhorn and Area Birders:
Roger may be quite correct that migrants (warblers, etc.)
reach the Breaks Interstate Park area before they do
some of the other areas of Southwest Virginia. I
would, however, think that such a theory applies only
to those birds whose migration patterns follow certain
geographical features.
I am not inclined to think that Pine Mountain is the
main feature for warblers and certain other
land birds. I bet, that when we finally learn what
is happening, it is because of the Russell Fork cutting
through the breaks at 980 feet elevation. When you
think about this think: "New River at Bluestone Lake
near Narrows flowing through a gap at 1,447 feet
as it crosses into West Virginia." Much of the lower
elevations in Southwest Virginia are in the "highlands"
at 2000 feet or more.
It appears that the New River birders get birds earlier
than we do and they are still further north. It clearly
seems that they get the bulk of Tree Swallows much
earlier. I realize that many swallows migrate near
or along waterways. I know that shorebirds and
waterfowl do also. We may not have a good handle
on which birds will follow what features in our region.
Several of us were attending a talk by Doug Ogle at
the Higher Education Center in Abingdon a couple
of weeks ago when he mentioned the influence of
the gorge and the Russell Fork on plant life. We
later talked that it is very possible that birdlife is
moving through these deep river gorges that cut
through the mountains. Another very similar
situation could possibly be the French Borad coming
throught the mountains of Northeast Tennessee from
North Carolina but there are doubts about the elevations
(2100 feet) involved here. That example is not as clear.
We at least know that warbler migration is generally
detected in the Ridge and Valley region of our area
before it is detected in the higher mountains during
spring. It may be a little different in the fall.
A few years ago, while watching the spring migration
of birds coming in over my computer from the weather
radar stations, I watched with many researchers
as a heavy migration was moving through from
the Gulf Coast, over Atlanta, towards Knoxville and
then it went east around the Great Smokey Mountains
throught the Piedmont of the Carolinas. To be more
certain, I got on the telephone with the weather service
at Morristown, Tenn. and they had Asheville, N.C. and
Spartsburg, S.C. (I think) to set their reflectivity so we
could get a better look. All of the radar people were
convinced the big movement, which was from just
before midnight well into the morning, was migrating
birds. It went right around the mountains! Not
through the mountains!
Dick Peake and others have observed and determined
that the Blue-winged Warblers have invaded Southwest
Virginia following the Big Sandy drainage along the
Pound River to push the Golden-winged Warblers east
and further out of Southwest Virginia. This was
detected since 1984. The Golden-wings have declined
over two decades, precipitously during the 1990's.
(see Peake's book, page 61). Of course there are
very large continental population centers of Blue-wings
in the areas west and northwest of Virginia.
This suggest the influence of these cross-cutting rivers
on the birdlife of the region. But that doesn't speak
to migration, just range expansion.
Let's go back to the birds moving around the Piedmont
in spring migration. It may be that many species or
individuals cut back through the New River and head
north along the river through Western Virginia. I am
not sure but I think it merits more thought and study
by you guys in your region as well.
The very low elevation along the Russell Fork alone
could explain why you get migrants earlier than the
rest of us, if that is in fact supported by more long-term
data rather than just watching a few seasons or less
of bird migration reports on these lists coming over
computers. Chattanooga (685 feet) and Knoxville
(890 feet) get earlier spring migrants and are also
at lower elevations and further south. Their spring
and vegetation is considerably more advanced than
we have at this time.
Elevation along cross-cutting rivers in those lowlands
may be more of a factor than we give credit. You
guys are closer to the axis of the Appalachians than
we are further south. Ogle points out that the axis
of the Appalachians is where the New River cuts
through.
I hope this didn't ramble too much.
Whatever.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol
*************************************************
BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee. It serves the Russell County
Bird Club, Herndon Chapter TOS, Greeneville TOS
Chapter, Blue Ridge Birders Club, Butternut Nature
Club, Buchanan County Bird Club, Bristol Bird Club,
Clinch Valley Bird Club and Cumberland Nature Club.
--------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
--------------------------------------------------
Wallace Coffey, Moderator
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx
(423)764-3958
Other related posts:
