VA Birders:
The Northern Virginia Bird Club visited Highland and Augusta counties this last
weekend. We tallied a total of 62 species for the trip including 42 in
Highland county, 37 in Augusta county and 31 in Staunton.
Allen Larner graciously led us around Staunton and Augusta on Friday afternoon
to show us several local rarities. Highlights were a
fleeting and admittedly frustrating glimpse of the very skittish Clay-colored
Sparrow on the road up to the Days Inn off of Bell's Lane, an immature Snow
Goose on a pond at the corner of
Cattle Scales Road and Baynes Road, a male White-winged Scoter at
Eagle's Nest Pond, and a Red-necked Grebe and many Redheads at Fishersville
Quarry.
On Saturday in Highland county, we found an immature Golden Eagle in Blue Grass
Valley. This bird was spotted soaring north of Hardscrabble Road (644) between
routes 643 and 640. We found a very cooperative and photogenic Red-headed
Woodpecker on Hevener Road (643) across the street from the house that hosted
the Say's Phoebe last February, 2013. A Horned Lark was found in the feed lot
on 642. At sunset on Saturday, an Eastern Screech-Owl started calling in the
woods to the northeast of the cemetery in Monterey.
On Sunday, we had very long-distance scope views of an immature Golden Eagle
soaring over the ridge to the east of route 640 south of Hightown as viewed
from a spot 1/2 mile north of 638 where there is a farm pond and an unoccupied
Bald Eagle's nest to the east of 640. Finally, we found the American Tree
Sparrow at the feeders at the corner of Snyder Lane (639) and 640.
As we expected given the paucity of reports this year, we did not find any
Rough-legged Hawks nor any winter finches on this trip.
Elton Morel
Arlington, VA
