Spent all day Friday and Saturday (April 22 & 23) birding parts of Highland
Co.-- part of the Allegheny Ridge and Blue Grass Valley. Friday was miserable
with dense fog in the highlands and episodic wind and rain everywhere.
Saturday was cool, breezy but generally clear. The forecast for snow on
Sunday, which did arrive I'm told, cut short my visit and sent be home Saturday
night. The highland forest was largely leafless with some budding and blooming
shadbush. The valley was spectacularly green and lush. The early breeders
have arrived with many yet to come. May and early June should be great for
birding this splendid county.
Special thanks to Tom and Patti, owners and operators of Bear Mountain Farm for
their gracious hospitality http://www.mountain-retreat.com/. After attending ;
the public hearing in the county courthouse on Thursday night, I want to extend
continued encouragement to the many Highland County residents who are bravely
contesting the proposed 400 ft wind turbines that entrepreneurs (not
environmentalists) hope to erect on the presently unspoiled ridge tops.
Judging from local government in action that night, this will be an uphill
battle.
Now the birds.
BGV = Blue Grass Valley; AR = Allegheny Ridge; AC = Augusta Co.
Canada Goose -- several nests, BGV
Mallard
Wood Duck -- several pairs, several locations
Hooded Merganser -- 1 pair in pond BGV
Wild Turkey -- several hens AR
Grouse -- none seen or heard
Great Blue Heron -- AR & BGV
Great Egret -- BGV
Black-capped Night Heron -- AC
Turkey Vulture
Osprey -- 3 in BGV; one with a fish
Bald Eagle -- 1 subadult, BGV
Red-shouldered Hawk -- AH
Broad-winged Hawk -- AH
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel -- BGV
Killdeer -- BGV
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl -- on nest, AC
The weather was too nasty (fog, wind and rain) to go owling either night.
Belted Kingfisher -- BGV & AH
Red-headed Woodpecker -- BGV
Red-bellied Woodpecker -- BGV
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- many, calling and drumming, AH
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker -- AH
Northern Flicker -- AH & BGV
Eastern Phoebe -- BGV
No other flycatchers to my surprise, not even Great-rested or kingbird. The
empids should soon be here.
Red-eyed Vireo -- 1 in lower elevations of forest
Blue-headed Vireo -- many in higher elevations of AH; the dominant, and
occasionally the only, calling bird.
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow -- AC
Common Raven -- AH & BGV
Horned Lark -- AH & BGV
Purple Martin -- AC
Tree Swallow -- BGV
N. R-w Swallow -- BGV
Cliff Swallow -- BGV (1 at M. O'Bryan's farm)
Barn Swallow -- BGV
Carolina Chickadee -- AC
Black-capped Chickadee -- BGV & AH
White-breasted Nuthatch -- AC
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren -- 1 singing on territory, Friday afternoon in the fog and Saturday
morning, AH
G-c Kinglet -- singing on territory in the spruces, AH
R-c Kinglet -- singing en route north in mixed woods, AH
Eastern Bluebird -- BGV
Hermit Thrush -- 5 or 6 singing on territory, AH
No Veerys or other Catharus thrushes; no Wood Thrush!
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
E. Starling -- too damn many in BGV
Warblers were few; no migrants and only some of the early residents.
Golden-wings and Magnolias have not arrived. Not even an Ovenbird.
Yellow Warbler -- lots of spots in BGV
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- on territory, singing atop spruce trees, AH
Black-throated Green Warbler -- the dominant warbler AH, almost as many as B-h
Vireo
Blackburnian Warbler -- a few singing in the spruce groves, AH
American Redstart -- one 1 male seen, never heard, AH
Louisiana Waterthrush -- several along Laurel Fork, AH
Scarlet Tanager -- 1 call, AH
Eastern Towhee -- multiple locations at all elevations
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow -- lots everywhere
Vesper Sparrow -- 1 singing in fog, AH; several in BGV
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow -- 2 near Stuart's Draft, AC
White-throated Sparrow -- BGV & AC
White-crowned Sparrow -- AC
Dark-eyed Junco -- common AH
Northern Cardinal
No grosbeaks or buntings
Bobolinks? Not yet, but should be in later this week.
Red-winged Blackbirds -- everywhere in BGV, maybe even outnumbering starlings!
Eastern Meadowlark -- BGV
Common Grackle -- BGV
Brown-headed Cowbird -- AH (waiting for the warblers to arrive)
Purple Finch -- at several feeders in BGV; also 1 singing male in Norway Spruce
House Finch -- BGV
Pine Siskin -- at feeders, Bear Mtn Farm (AH) and McDowell
Am. Goldfinch -- all over
No luck with crossbills
House Sparrow
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