I'm in Arlington. Where are "the tower buildings" at Tyson's. I'd love to go
this weekend to see the Nighthawks!
Colt Gregory
Senior Consultant
Mobile: 703-967-8577
From: va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: va-bird Digest, Vol 52, Issue 19
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:50:30 -0400
Send va-bird mailing list submissions to
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of va-bird digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Black-and-white Warbler and Northern Parula in Norfolk
(Robert Ake)
2. Swallow-tailed Kites in Campbell County (jtdalmas@xxxxxxxx)
3. Let's be civil (from your Moderator) (David Spears)
4. Hunting Creek Swan Debate (ashley)
5. Swallow-tailed Kites (Campbell County 8/17) present in
afternoon too (Sattler, Gene)
6. Swallow-tailed Kites (Adam D'Onofrio)
7. TYSONS NIGHTHAWKS AGAIN (Donald Sweig)
8. Trip to Poquoson, VA. to search for Clapper Rails. Found
them and the bugs too. (Les Brooks)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:40:25 -0400
From: "Robert Ake" <rake@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Black-and-white Warbler and Northern Parula in
Norfolk
To: "va-bird" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <7CAF5EA3003A44B4A46C707858556276@Video>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
This morning a fall male Black-and-white Warbler visited my dripper and bird
bath for a drink and a bath. Crisply plumaged, ready for the flight south.
Later a bright male Northern Parula was gleaning without uttering a chip in
the crepe myrtle in my front yard. Lots of robins and my first large flock of
Fish Crows for the fall. During the winter a flock of about 200 crows
accumulates in the trees of the apartment complex to the south of our house.
This is probably the beginnings of that flock. Two days ago I watched a
female Coopers Hawk pulling the fur off of and then eating the innards of a
young rabbit. That's the first time I've actually observed an accipiter
eating a mammal.
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
I did an ABA Big Year in 2010 - If you'd like to review it, my blog is at
http://bobsbirds.blogspot.com/ ;
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:20:06 -0400
From: jtdalmas@xxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Swallow-tailed Kites in Campbell County
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <20110817.112105.989.1577313@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
An update on the Swallow-tailed Kites in Campbell County, the location of
which was described in an earlier posting this morning. The birds were
observed at 11:30 am today (August 17).
Thelma Dalmas
Evington, VA
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:21:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Spears <merlin2752@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Let's be civil (from your Moderator)
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
<1313616115.21686.YahooMailClassic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Va-Birders,
The?personal attack on Mr. Goddard for presenting his opinion was out of line
by any standard of decency.? Such attacks have no place in this community.?
The fact that the attack was made off-list does not make it OK.?
?
Having said that, this incident?should serve as a reminder to all of us that
the primary purpose of this list is to share reports of interesting bird
sightings.? Presenting?an?opinion on a controversial subject is?an invitation
to?confrontation.? We don't need that here.? There are other places for
that.?
?
Tell us about the birds you've seen, and keep it at that.
?
Please DO NOT start a debate about the purpose of this list.? If you wish to
comment on the purpose of the list server, write to me off-list and I will
share your opinion with the VSO Board.
?
Thank you.
?
David Spears
Va-bird List Administrator and Acting Moderator
(for the Virginia?Society of Ornithology)?
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:55:51 -0500
From: ashley <ashley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Hunting Creek Swan Debate
To: <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <52002.1313618151@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Hi folks, this is my first posting ever to a listserve so I apologize if it
happens incorrectly...
I just started subscribing to this listserve, and what good timing, as I was
the
person who reported the Mute Swan at Hunting Creek. I'm no pro at swans, so
I'm
willing to accept that the ID was wrong, though I looked for the yellow face
patches of a Tundra Swan and didn't see them, which was what made me think it
was
a Mute. This was backed up by the fact that, when I went to enter my
sightings in
eBird, the only swan possibility offered up there was a Mute.
It's been there the last couple times I've been, so I'll go back and check it
out
to see for myself, and if I'm lucky, get a photo, though my camera isn't the
best
for that. Thanks for the notice!
- Ashley Bradford
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:33:40 -0400
From: "Sattler, Gene" <edsattle@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Swallow-tailed Kites (Campbell County 8/17) present
in afternoon too
To: "VA-BIRD (va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
<17328617EA180D4AAEFC0852B21B61F434FD195A62@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The two Swallow-tailed Kites in Campbell County were still present this
afternoon. Dave Dawson, a local resident in the area, stopped by briefly at
11:30 AM today, as Thelma Dalmas noted, and found both birds present. He was
not able to stay long.
This afternoon he arrived at 1:45 PM and the birds were not present. I
arrived at 2:15 PM, and the first of the two birds showed up at 2:30 PM. It
foraged in the immediate vicinity continually, from a low to a moderate
height, and at 3:00 PM the second bird joined it. They stayed in pretty close
proximity to one another the entire time, twice moving off to a distance
briefly at 3:25 and 3:50, first to the west, then to the east, for about five
minutes each time before returning to the immediate vicinity of where we were
observing.
Shortly after the first bird showed up Dave Dawson noticed that it had an
antennae attached to its back, probably about a foot in length. The second
bird did not have one. The antennae was visible from a good distance away
with binoculars at the right angle.
Jim Elder arrived at about 3:30. A few minutes before 4 PM the two kites
started moving off a third time, this time to the south. Tim Hodge and Adam
D'Onofrio both arrived at 4:05, and we were able to get them on the birds,
which at this point were naked eye in visibility, but continuing to get more
distant. With their scopes Tim and Adam were still able to make out the
antennae on the one bird. The birds continued to drift to the south, and by
about 4:15 PM had disappeared from sight below the tree line to the south.
Jim, Tim, and I left by 4:35 PM, while Adam stayed on a little longer. Dave
Dawson had left earlier.
These are Thelma's directions again, and we were observing at the second gate
(red) that she notes.
Directions: The farm field is in Campbell County, off of Long Island Road
(Route 761) about 2 miles from Gladys. From Route 501 traveling south, turn
right on Long Island Road (Rt. 761). Drive 2.2 miles and turn left at the
driveway of a farm that has "For Sale" signs (Remax Real Estate) on each side
of the driveway. Continue on the driveway past the house, bearing to the
right on the farm road. Drive through the first gate (it is open) and follow
the road on across the field about a third of a mile to the next gate. Park
there. The Swallow-tailed Kites were seen feeding over the fields through
which you just drove. The farm belongs to the McKinney family and they have
given permission for people to come on to their property to look for the
kites.
The attached two kite pictures are not spectacular, but were taken with just
a point and shoot Canon PowerShot, which gives you an idea of how close the
birds were. I did not get a close picture with both birds in view
simultaneously. The second kite shot is included as you can make out the
antennae on the bird to some degree. The third picture shows where we stop
along the lane to make observations. This spot seems to be the focus of the
kites' foraging. (See following emails for other two pics).
I believe that Thelma got a number of pictures yesterday, some of which are
probably considerably better, and I understand that someone else was also
there yesterday with a good camera, although the birds were reportedly higher
then. This is a new record for the Lynchburg, Amherst, Bedford & Campbell
County area, and there are only a handful of piedmont records. Thanks to Dave
Dawson for recognizing and reporting the birds!
Gene Sattler
Lynchburg
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:58:05 +0000 (UTC)
From: Adam D'Onofrio <bigadfromlb@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Swallow-tailed Kites
To: Virginia Birds <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
<1907980181.611013.1313632685830.JavaMail.root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
To continue Gene's post, I remained at the site until 6:30, joined by Mike
Boatwright at 5:30 and Dave Dawson at 6:10. Unfortunately, the kites did not
make another appearance so the last official sighting today was 4:15. Dave
Dawson said he would check daily as long as the birds remain in the area.
Great record for Campbell Co.
Adam D'Onofrio
Dinwiddie Co.
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:06:49 -0400
From: Donald Sweig <skybirds.d@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] TYSONS NIGHTHAWKS AGAIN
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
<CAJHvBbUhpHcx2F4+jUbpEHm9C=CuLpH998rvFfM0SsaHR6X6ig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
A friend told me on Sunday that he had seen the lights on the tower
buildings at Tysons Corner on again, after a couple of years of being off.
So,I went over Monday evening and again tonight. The lights seem to be
back. I arrived at 8:45 tonight and they were off, but came on about 9:00
p.m. Soon after, I had several nighthawks feeding on the bugs in the
lights. There were about six birds tonight. I don't know if they are on
weekends or not, or how late they may be on. But, it is very nice to have
them back again at least some of the time. The building seems to have new
tenants and the parking lot now charges during the day. I saw no one there
either night I was there. If you go and see anything, please post it to
Va-Bird.
Thanks.
--
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:08:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Les Brooks <ubrooks@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Trip to Poquoson, VA. to search for Clapper Rails.
Found them and the bugs too.
To: "va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
<1313633288.28135.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Hello everyone!
I finally got back out, after what seemed like an eternity.? Not really that
bad but it's been a while.?
Left home at 4 A.M. this morning to arrive and wait on sunrise in Poquoson.?
I have tried this same adventure a couple of times, in the past, with zero
success.? On one similar trip, I got to talking with some watermen, left the
lights on my truck and ran the battery down.? The low battery was not
discovered until the watermen were already well on their way to their fishing
grounds.? On another trip, I was severely punished by every mosquito and
biting insect in the region.? Net results, of those trips, were one Clapper
Rail seen running across an opening in the marsh......and disappearing!
This morning was much better.? I still managed to attract every flying/biting
thing around but the Clapper Rails showed up just as the sun peeked over the
horizon. I have only edited one image as of this posting.? More images will
be finished by this Friday.?
If you care to have a look, here is the link:
http://natures-finest-photography.com/2/7e6c/3e8e2f3/#/gallery/crane-sora-limpkin-coot/clapper-rail-at-sunrise-nfp-s/
I had a Killdeer continuously perform a broken wing act in front of my truck,
a while back, during a visit to Hog Island WMA, in Surry County.? I drove
around in a circle for a while until it finally decided that all was well.?
Here is a link to this image if you care to have a look.
http://natures-finest-photography.com/2/7e6f/3bfb5e8/#/gallery/shore-birds/killdeer-broken-wing-act-nfp-s/
Best birding!
Les Brooks
Glen Allen
http://www.natures-finest-photography.com
------------------------------
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