On Saturday, April 18, David Raines of the Buchanan County Bird Club led a bird
walk in the Breaks Interstate Park that started at 8:00 a.m. Nine birders
participated some of which were Breaks Park guests. Early in the day when the
number of warbler species began to mount, it became apparent it was going to be
a great birding day. The count was eleven warbler species by the end of the
walk including a brilliant male Blackburnian Warbler singing on territory just
outside the Visitors Center where the first recorded Blackburnian nest in the
park was found in 2013 by David Raines. This gave us hope that a pair might
nest there again this year. Another great find was a FOS male Swainson's
Warbler singing near a picnic area not far from the entrance to the Nature
Drive. The other warbler species and numbers were 5 Northern Parulas, 8
Black-throated Greens, 10 Yellow-throated Warblers, 3 Pines, 9
Black-and-whites, a FOS Worm-eating Warbler, 11 Ovenbirds, 2 Louisiana
Waterthrushes and 11 Hooded Warblers.
The birders also found Yellow-throated, Blue-headed and FOS Red-eyed Vireos
The FOS Scarlet Tanagers were singing from the treetops and later their
signature call of "chick burr" could be heard from time to time. While scanning
the treetops near the lodge for passerines the group was treated to a flyover
by a Common Merganser and later on the Russell Fork River Wood Ducks and
Mallards flew by.
After the bird walk Don Carrier, Daryl Owens, David Raines and I, Roger
Mayhorn, with some difficulty made our way to a spot where we could observe the
nesting Peregrine Falcons in the park. Just as we reached a point where the
eyrie came into sight across the gorge an adult Peregrine flew downriver away
from the nesting sight. With the help of Daryl Owens trusty scope we watched an
adult Peregrine inside a shadowed stone nesting cavity on a cliff face where
the pair nested in 2013. Their nesting site in 2014 wasn't found, though they
were seen with a juvenile Peregrine later in the season. The falcon remained on
the nest for the hour or so that we observed. It sometimes would rise and shift
its position but never left the nest. It could also often be seen bending or
dipping its head downward, though we saw no obvious signs of feeding and saw no
chicks; however, the cavity was a bit dark.
While watching the Peregrine we saw an Osprey flying downriver, and it was soon
followed by another. A Broad-winged Hawk also circled overhead. We ended the
day with 53 species.
It was one of those magical spring days when the weather is beautiful, the
birds are plentiful and cooperative, and the fellow birders are fun to be with.
Below is the day's complete list.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
Buchanan County
53 species
Canada Goose 1
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 4
Common Merganser 1 (flyover)
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 2 (over Russell Fork River)
Broad-winged Hawk 2
Peregrine Falcon 2 (1 on nest on cliff face)
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Downy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Eastern Phoebe 4
Yellow-throated Vireo 3
Blue-headed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1 FOS
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
American Robin 4
European Starling 2
Scarlet Tanager 3 (2m, 1f)
Northern Parula 5
Black-throated Green Warbler 8
Blackburnian Warbler 1m
Yellow-throated Warbler 10
Pine Warbler 3
Black-and_white Warbler 9
Worm-eating Warbler 1 (FOS)
Swainson's Warbler 1 FOS - near Nature Drive entrance
Ovenbird 11
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Hooded Warbler 11
Eastern Towhee 3
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
American Goldfinch 3
