I surveyed Smith Mt. Lake State Park in Bedford County, June 4 - 8 2007,
for this years Breeding Bird Foray. I managed to locate 63 species, nothing out
of the ordinary except a Ring-billed Gull that I was not entirely surprised to
see. At the visitor's center there is an Osprey nest on a pole, located at
the lake edge, which is monitored by a camera. Activity at the nest can be
watched on a screen inside the center, very interesting. Two chicks hatched on
May 19. This is a project co-sponsored by the VSO. A gentleman who volunteers
at the center, and lives nearby, said that he is aware of 3 other active
Osprey nests on the lake, all on channel markers. The list follows, mostly
singing
males represented several of the species recorded. The greatest diversity of
species was in and around several large clear-cuts that have been
regenerating for several years.
Canada Goose - 1 pair
Mallard - 6, 1 pair, 3 males together and a single female
Wild Turkey - 3
Great Blue Heron - 1
Black Vulture - 3
Turkey Vulture - 15
Osprey - 1 pair with 2 chicks in nest
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Mourning Dove - 18
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 10
Great Horned Owl - 1
Chuck-wills-widow - 4
Whip-poor-will - 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 11
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 3
Pileated Woodpecker - 9
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 6
Eastern Phoebe - 2
Great Crested Flycatcher - 9
Eastern Kingbird - 7
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 23
Blue Jay - 15, juvenile begging food
American Crow - 18
Purple Martin - 4
Tree Swallow - 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
Barn Swallow - 6
Carolina Chickadee - 18
Tufted Titmouse - 22
White-breasted Nuthatch - 5
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 6, 3 pairs
Carolina Wren - 12
House Wren - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1 pair
Eastern Bluebird - 5
Wood Thrush - 18
American Robin - 1
Gray Catbird - 2
Northern Mockingbird - 2
Brown Thrasher - 3
Cedar Waxwing - 17
Pine Warbler - 10
Prairie Warbler - 13
Ovenbird - 10
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Yellow-breasted Chat - 8
Summer Tanager - 10
Scarlet Tanager - 9
Eastern Towhee - 15
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Field Sparrow - 20
Northern Cardinal - 34
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 24
Common Grackle - 10
Brown-headed Cowbird - 6
Baltimore Oriole - 1, male carrying food
House Finch - 1
American Goldfinch - 22
Mike Purdy
Roanoke, VA.
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