Over the last few days I've been birding various locations throughout the
county to sample quantity and diversity. New warblers include Yellow-throated
and Prairie, typically scarce and local in Highland, along the lower Cowpasture
R (rt 614) 2 days ago. There were also 2 Golden-winged Warblers singing along
this road. All the expected warblers were found, in lower numbers than a week
ago, along the Laurel Fork Rd this morning. One highlight was finding 3 empid
flycatchers within a quarter mile of each other. An Alder was quite vocal in
the willows along Straight Fork, while a Least was "che-becking" in the
adjacent woods, and an Acadian was heard on the decent of Lantz Mtn as I
approached the Straight Fork valley. Tried hard elsewhere in the county but
could not find a Willow Flycatcher in all the usual spots!! Other curious
finds this morning were 14 Least Sandpipers, a Solitary and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs
in the sloppy farm pond next to the lower
portion of Laurel Fork Rd.
Yesterday before dawn I drove up Wimer Mtn Rd in hopes of hearing some owls.
This is where John Rowlett found a Long-eared Owl last June. No owls but I
heard 3 woodcocks. Later that same day in Bath County I lucked into 2
Bobwhites on 601. I had never seen or heard quail in either county before.
Three lists from successive days and various locations are below.
John Spahr
Route 642 - Laurel Fork Rd., Highland, US-VA
May 11, 2012 7:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
21.0 mile(s)
Comments: Temp between 32 & 36 on way up.
69 species
Ruffed Grouse 1 heard drumming
Turkey Vulture 4
Killdeer 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 14 pond along 642 near Bluegrass
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Alder Flycatcher 1 Heard & seen at Straight Fork; elev 2980ft
Least Flycatcher 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 5
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 2
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 14
Black-capped Chickadee 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
Veery 3
Hermit Thrush 5
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 3
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 10
Ovenbird 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
American Redstart 3
Northern Parula 2
Magnolia Warbler 8
Blackburnian Warbler 12
Yellow Warbler 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler 11
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 5
Eastern Towhee 6
Chipping Sparrow 6
Field Sparrow 24
Vesper Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 8
Scarlet Tanager 7
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Indigo Bunting 2
Bobolink 14
Red-winged Blackbird 18
Eastern Meadowlark 7
Common Grackle 13
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Baltimore Oriole 2
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 19
House Sparrow 3
Highland County, VA, US, Highland, US-VA
May 10, 2012 5:30 AM - 8:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
33.0 mile(s)
Comments: Pre-dawn Wimer Mtn Rd; after dawn 640, 84, 604 & 600 to Bath Co
Line
47 species
Turkey Vulture 4
Bald Eagle 1
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
American
Woodcock 3 calling by M O'Bryans predawn
Rock Pigeon 3
Mourning Dove 4
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 2
White-eyed Vireo 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 4
American Crow 1
Common Raven 3
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 20
European Starling 12
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Golden-winged Warbler 3
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 1
Yellow Warbler 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 4
Field Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Bobolink 6
Red-winged Blackbird 14
Eastern Meadowlark 12
Common Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 8
Highland County, VA, US, Highland, US-VA
May 9, 2012 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
67.0 mile(s)
Comments: Jack Mtn; Rt 619 & 614 t0 Headwaters; 614 to Williamsville;
Bullpasture Gorge 678 to McDowell; back to Blue Grass
75 species
Canada Goose 4
Mallard 1
Turkey Vulture 18
Bald
Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 2
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 9
Eastern Screech-Owl 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Acadian Flycatcher 5
Least Flycatcher 2
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 9
Eastern Kingbird 8
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 27
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 25
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6
Tree Swallow 36
Barn Swallow 18
Black-capped Chickadee 9
Tufted Titmouse 16
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Eastern Bluebird 14
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin 18
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 4
European
Starling 48
Cedar Waxwing 8
Ovenbird 11
Worm-eating Warbler 3
Louisiana Waterthrush 3
Golden-winged Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 4
American Redstart 5
Northern Parula 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 5
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 3
Eastern Towhee 12
Chipping Sparrow 21
Field Sparrow 12
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 15
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Scarlet Tanager 9
Northern Cardinal 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Indigo Bunting 19
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 58
Eastern Meadowlark 28
Common Grackle 29
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Orchard
Oriole 4
Baltimore Oriole 8
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 32
House Sparrow 5
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
