VA Birders,
Today was a great day for birding here in Buchanan County. Five members of
the Buchanan County Bird Club, David Raines, Ed and Michelle Talbott,
Shirley Justus and myself, Roger Mayhorn, birded a reclaimed strip site on
Guesses Fork in the north end of the county. We found a total of 44 species.
We were looking for sparrows and we weren't disappointed. We found 9 species
which included Chipping, Field, Fox, Lincoln's, Savannah, Song,
White-crowned and White-throated. The biggest surprise was when a Henslow's
Sparrow flew from the grass and perched in an Autumn Olive bush. We got good
looks at it for a few minutes and determined that indeed it was a Henlow's.
It then disappeared into the thick cover and we were not able to see it
again. White-throated Sparrows were definitely the most numerous. They were
everywhere.
Hawks were also on the move with 8 Red-tails, 1 Red-shouldered, 2 Cooper's
and 2 Sharp-shinned being sighted.
Another surprise was a Blue-headed Vireo that gave us great looks and a
couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets that were busy working the trees for
insects.
A Woodcock flushing from the grass was another unexpected but pleasant
surprise.
Robins and Cardinals were in constant traffic going to the vines of wild
grapes and Virginia Creeper berries.
Wrens seen were 4 Carolinas and one Winter. We were hoping for a Sedge Wren,
but he didn't show. One Brown Creeper was seen and the first Golden-crowned
Kinglets of the season made an appearance. It was the right time to be out
in the cool air with the trees being in their striking fall foliage.
Following is the complete list.
Roger Mayhorn
Grundy, VA
American Crow 44
American Goldfinch 30+
American Robin 25
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 18
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 4
Cedar Waxwing 85
Chipping Sparrow 3
Common Grackle 1
Coopers Hawk 2
Dark-eyed Junco 4
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Bluebird 4
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Eastern Phoebe 4
Eastern Towhee 3
European Starling 55
Field Sparrow 3
Fox Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Henslows Sparrow 1
House Finch 1
Lincolns Sparrow 3
Mourning Dove 3
Northern Bobwhite 15
Northern Cardinal 12
Northern Flicker 4
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Savannah Sparrow 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Song Sparrow 25
Tufted Titmouse 2
Turkey Vulture 9
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-crowned Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 70 +
Winter Wren 1
Woodcock 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
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