136 species of birds were encountered in the Bath/Highland breeding bird
foray (124 in Bath/123 in Highland), June 6-15. Except for the first day
when it rained all day, the rest of the week afforded daily rain free hours
and reasonable birding by foot or car.
Highlights include the first breeding record of Hooded Merganser in Bath
County (Douthat State Park - J. Drummond), Northern Saw-whet Owl calling on
two successive nights at Locust Springs (HC - M. and R. Smith), Loggerhead
Shrike on nest in southern HC (J. King, et al), recently fledged Winter
Wrens near Bearcamp Knob (HC), life Mourning Warblers for a number of
participants, a pair of Dickcissels near Vanderpool (HC - Y. Larner), and
the continued presence of some northern breeders in the higher elevations
(Y-b Sapsucker, Least Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper,
Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush <including a nest>; Magnolia, Yellow-rumped,
Blackburnian, Canada and Mourning Warblers; Purple Finch). Magnolia and
Blackburnian Warblers seemed especially numerous, probably because we had
access to more high elevation spruce stands than in prior forays. The few
Brown Creepers that were found were all at high elevations (> 3700 ft) in
Highland County but curiously at middle levels (2200-2700 ft)in Bath County.
Some hoped for species that were not encountered include Woodcock, Common
Nighthawk, Golden Eagle, Long-eared Owl, Swainson's Thrush, Northern
Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler, Summer Tanager, Red Crossbill...all birds
that were found during prior forays (1975, 1982, 1985).
The data is still being reviewed and analyzed. A detailed summary will be
published in the VSO's journal The Raven and perhaps the VSO website.
The complete list....
<< B = Bath County Only / H = Highland County Only >>
Great Blue Heron -- B
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler -- B
Lesser Scaup -- B
Hooded Merganser -- B (Female with young)
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite -- B
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech Owl -- H
Great-horned Owl -- B
Barred Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl -- H
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker -- H
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- H
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo -- B
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow -- B
Common Raven
Horned Lark -- H
Tree Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee -- B
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren -- H
Golden-crowned Kinglet -- H
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler -- B
Golden-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler -- H
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumper Warbler -- H
Black-throated Green warbler
Blackburnian Warbler -- H
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler -- B
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow -- H
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak -- B
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel -- H
Bobolink -- H
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch -- H
House Finch
Pine Siskin -- B
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
And the folks who found these birds: R. Rieger, Y. Larner, M. Vermuelen, J.
Spahr, N. Spahr, R. Ake, W. Foster, B. Foster, L. Teuber, G. Harris, R.
Harris, T. Dalmas, J. Dalmas, G. McCrowel, J. Lanier, G. Barger, R. Riggs,
R. Bruno, J. Drummond, S. Baron, K. Gaskill, L. Millington, L. Fields, A.
Schreck, P. VanAcker, A. Dolby, Charlie, L. Lynch, F. Day, L. Scott, A.
Esmas, M. O'Bryan, J. Coe, C. Coe, B. Kinzie, B. Opengari, K. Summers, J.
Pancake, B. Keith, M. Keith, D. Hogg, J. King, M. Beverage, T. Pendleton, J.
Bazuin, T. Brody, P. Reum, L. Hamilton, G. Sattler, R. Ferrell, G. Simmons,
R. Rieger, R. Klarquist, M. Smith, R. Smith, A. Merrit, W. Williams, P.
Bedell, B. Taber, C. Stevens, R. Webb, S. Webb, S. Bratton, S. Bratton, P.
Adams.
My apologies if I missed anyone. Thank you all for a job well done.
Also, thanks to the following for their help in planning, scouting and
providing access to special sites: C. Mellinger, J. Rowlett, W. & P.
Goodall, M. Lovelady, T. Flaherty, S. Davis, VDGIF, USFS (Warm Springs
Ranger District).
John
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