All,
I did a fair amount of birding this past Fri-Sun in Augusta and Rockingham
Counties, ending up with 60 species total. The highlight of the weekend was a
group of 6 Sandhill Cranes over Nazarene Wetlands in Rockingham County spotted
this afternoon with William Leigh. Photos from the weekend, including the
Cranes, can be found at:
http://vehawk.smugmug.com/BirdingPhotos/Swoope-11112012/26446637_7HJ7ZJ
Summary and highlights:
Cowbane Preserve (Fri, Augusta Co) - 22 species including 1 Kestrel, 1 Fish
Crow, 9 American Pipits, 1 Palm Warbler
Augusta Springs Wetlands (Sat, Augusta Co) - 24 species including 1
Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 Sapsucker, 1 Raven, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 Hermit
Thrush, 3 Purple Finch, 15 Pine Siskins
Swoope (Sat, Augusta Co) - 41 species including 5 Ring-necked Duck, 1 Harrier,
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 11 Ret-tailed Hawk, 3 Kingfisher, 2
Phoebe, 2 Raven, 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 Fox Sparrow, 2 Swamp Sparrow, 4 Meadowlark, 1 Purple
Finch, and 1 Red-winged Blackbird foraging on pine cone seeds up in tree (very
strange to see!).
Hall School Rd (Sat, Augusta Co) - 7 species including a group of around 100
American Pipits.
Reddish/Bother Knob & Briery Branch Rd (Sun, Augusta & Rockingham Counties &
West Virginia, with William Leigh) - 18 Species including 2 Ruffed Grouse, 1
Sapsucker, 5 Black-capped Chickadee, 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5 Fox Sparrow, 1
Pine Siskin, and 1 Red Crossbill (heard only).
Hone Quarry Reservoir (Sun, Rockingham Co, with William Leigh) - 12 species
including 2 Sapsucker, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2
Field Sparrow, and 4 Fox Sparrow.
Nazarene Wetlands (Sun, Rockingham Co, with William Leigh) - 9 species
including 30 Canada Goose, 3 Killdeer, 15 Wilson's Snipe, 5 White-crowned
Sparrow, and a group of 6 Sandhill Cranes that flew over, circled back and
looked like they were going to land in the wetlands. But they changed their
minds and headed south and seemed to have landed somewhere in a nearby farmer's
field. We chased after them in vehicle and finally spotted them in the air
slowly flying west toward the mountains and then north along base of mountain.
We did hear several calls from them while flying.
Good birding,
Vic Laubach
