Bird Club

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Photo Courtesy of Doren Burrell

(at his feeder)

Click picture to see larger imag

Photo by Mike Bohl

Click picture for a larger image

The Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club meets on the third Monday of each month, at 6:30 p.m. at the South Charleston Public Library .

Seventh Annual Eagle Count

On Saturday January 7, 2012, 38 people participated in the
Seventh Annual eagle count along the New, Bluestone, and Greenbrier Rivers.

They counted from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. People were positioned at Bluestone State Park, Mouth of Bluestone River, Rt. 20, Bellepoint park in Hinton, Bull Falls, Bertha campground (Bluestone WMA), Greenbrier River (from Talcott to Hinton), Brooks Island, Sandstone Falls, and Greenbrier County
(Ronceverte).

They totaled 19 bald eagles, (7 adult, 5 first year, 3 second
year, 2 third year, and 2 fourth year) and 1 adult golden eagle.

A second survey will be conducted on March 10, 2012. Anyone interested can contact Mindy Waldron or Jim Phillips.

Ross's Goose

Hullet Good found a Ross's Goose at Coonskin Park Monday morning (01/23/2012). This is a beautiful bird and an unusual one for our area. It is hanging out with a large group of Canadian Geese, making it easy to find. This morning they were on the golf course, not far from the pond, and this afternoon they were swimming on the pond, which allowed for terrific views.

The Ross's Goose is much smaller than the others - it's cute looking. It's an adult, so it's pure white, except for a little black on the tail feathers. The bill is short, wedge-shaped, pinkish, and doesn't have a grin patch.

As of 3:00 Tuesday the goose was still there.

Turkeys

Deborah K. Beutler reported the largest flock she had ever seen in West Virginia with 27 birds. They were looking for food in the litter on a mountainside, not a planted field. It was in the Morris Creek Watershed, on the Kanawha and Fayette County border, about 5 miles west of Montgomery.

However, according to Terry Bronson, The absolute record appears to be in Roane County near Spencer, where Bob Summers and Margaret Straley noted 220 birds in a neighbor's cornfield about 15 years ago. That must have been truly awesome, with the field looking like a moving carpet of big black birds. The neighbor deliberately left corn for the turkeys.

Bald eagles and red-headed woodpeckers

On Friday afternoon, there were two adult bald eagles sitting in the trees just below the Winfield locks.

On Saturday the red-headed woodpeckers found on Wildcat Ridge and Polly Hollow trails at Kanawha State Forest during
the Christmas Count were still on the ridge where the two trails meet.

Also got an excellent look at a yellow-bellied sapsucker. One can see the fresh holes it has made in a hemlock where the Polly Hollow Trail passes through a rock ledge.

Did you know that WV has 38% of the world's Cerulean Warblers?
WV has more Red-eyed Vireos than Robins.
Our state only has 20 Ospreys.

Terry Bronson brought to our attention that Partners in Flight maintains a database of population estimates of bird species in the US and Canada, including state estimates.
Many of these are very rough estimates, but they should give
good relative totals for most species. Data are derived primarily
from US government Breeding Bird Surveys.

The Partners in Flight web site is http://rmbo.org/pif_db/laped/default.aspx.

Click here for all the population estimate data for West Virginia.

Whooping Crane (10/17/11)

Click Picture for Larger Image

Click photo to see information about John Smith

The Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club participated in the 2010 Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 18.

Check out the Flora identified in Shrewsberry Hollow during the September, 2011 Fall Flora hike of the Margaret Denison Fall Nature Walk at Kanawha State Forest

The Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club participated in celebration of Earth Day at the Clay Center.

SEE THE REPORT ON THE NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL RIVER 2009 PEREGRINE FALCON RESTORATION PROJECT

Master Naturalist

The 2011 year

Check out all the activities

Some photos on the current Master Naturalist program in Kanawha county

Future information about Master Naturalists Classes, etc, will now be found at the new Master Naturalist website: mnofwv.org/home

Here is an article that had been published in a bird journal about the eminent WV birder, George Hall.

Indices listing all the bird photographs and flower photos on this website submitted by our members have been added for your convenience.

Here are the bird details of the 2009 Handlan Century Count

Learn about the Point Count Program in West Virginia

Check out some links about bird feeding.

Other Birding Events and News Items

The Alice Knight Memorial

Spring 2011 wildflower photos

June 22-24 Mountain Biodiversity Adventure:

An event that is great for the entire family. Join experienced and knowledgeable leaders on field trips to various locations in the surrounding area to explore biodiversity in the mountains of West Virginia. No subject is safe from the explorers of biodiversity in the ecosystem surrounding Blackwater Falls State Park. Be prepared to get educated, dirty and have fun. Flyer available at later date. $ call 304-259-5216

Paulita L. Cousin

Parks Activities Coordinator (Naturalist)

Blackwater Falls State Park

PO Box 490

Davis, WV 26260

304-259-5511 or 5216

Check out some fascinating Hummingbird photos.

Albino hummingbird.

The Brooks Bird Club held the 2009 Foray in Randolph County, June 13-21.

You can click on this link to see the newspaper article Carolyn Harmon wrote about Wendell Argabrite speaking to our bird club.

Check out some nice Red Tailed Hawk photos

by Ron McLaughlin

Check out some more great photos by

Doren Burrell

Leucistic Goldfinch

Photo by Mike Bohl