Hi all,
I led a trip for the Blue Ridge Young Birders Club over to Highland County
yesterday, and we found all of our target birds with the exception of
Black-billed Cuckoo which we just missed at Margaret O'Bryan's. Other notable
misses included some raptors, Rock Pigeon, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Northern
Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, and House Finch. Some more highlights, along
with the target birds, included all 4 Empidonax Flycatchers (other than
Yellow-bellied), and 14 Warbler species.
A special thanks to Margaret O'Bryan for welcoming us to her property always,
and to everyone who attended for contributing to finding birds! Also congrats
to everyone from the young birders that got Life Birds yesterday. Good Birding
to all,
Gabriel Mapel
New Hope, VA
Complete Highland County list:
Turkey Vulture 15
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Mourning Dove 6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 1 - Laurel Fork Rd at the stream crossing (Canada Warbler
spot).
Red-headed Woodpecker 1 - Along Rte 250 at Hightown.
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Acadian Flycatcher 1
Alder Flycatcher 1 - Straight Fork Beaver Ponds
Willow Flycatcher 3 - 2 across the road from Margaret O'Bryan's and 1 on
Hardscrabble Rd.
Least Flycatcher 4 - 3 at Margaret O'Bryan's and 1 at Straight Fork.
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 12
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 3
Common Raven 4
Tree Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 12
Black-capped Chickadee 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 3
Veery 4
Hermit Thrush 2
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 10
Gray Catbird 5
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 81
Cedar Waxwing 13
Ovenbird 4
Golden-winged Warbler 3 - Margaret O'Bryan's
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Mourning Warbler 1 - Regular clearing along Allegheny Rd. singing and seen
right near road in understory.
Common Yellowthroat 4
American Redstart 1
Magnolia Warbler 3
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Black-throated Green Warbler 7
Canada Warbler 1 - Regular location along Laurel Fork Rd at stream crossing.
Yellow-breasted Chat 1 - Margaret O'Bryan's.
Eastern Towhee 6
Chipping Sparrow 10
Field Sparrow 9
Vesper Sparrow 2 - Both along Heavner Lane.
Savannah Sparrow 2 - One at Margaret O'Bryan's and one along Heavner Lane.
Song Sparrow 9
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Scarlet Tanager 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 5
Bobolink 6
Red-winged Blackbird 26
Eastern Meadowlark 8
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Orchard Oriole 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 11
House Sparrow 7
