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Master Naturalist

John Smith

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Photo Courtesy of Doren Burrell

(at his feeder)

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Photo by Mike Bohl

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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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
WCHS-TV news recently aired another WV Wildlife segment featuring one of our Handlan members, Bev Wright, who did an excellent job describing the joys of feeding birds.  The video was shot at Bev and Chuck's home.
 
To see this video clip click here,  or go to wchstv.com.  - WV Wildlife

 

 
See some wonderful photos of Bald Eagles sent in by a member.
 
For birding reports for Russ Young's famous Spring Hill Cemetery birding walks check out the Cemetery walk page.
 
If you are intrigued by dragonflies, Jim Waggy wrote an article about them that's in the current (August) issue of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, the magazine that is beautifully edited by Master Naturalist near-grad Sheila McEntee.
 

Sandhill Cranes

See the great pictures of Sandhill Cranes by Matt Orsie. 

Some additional photos of the Hiwassee flock.

 
 

Peregrine Falcon

Photo Courtesy of Jim Triplett

Click picture to read about a pair of Peregrine Falcons which have been hanging out around the I 64 bridge with photos by Jim Triplett and Ron McLaughlin

 
   
 
Here are some Puffin photos taken on our trip to New Brunswick.

Here are the links to the YouTube videos referenced in the Puffin presentation at the October 20th meeting.

1)  Puffins on Machias Seal Island

2)  Puffins Swimming Underwater

3)  Rough Trip on the Grand Manan Ferry

 

ALICE KNIGHT

We miss Alice, but her photos give us something to remember her by.

 

Jason Scott Means has some wonderful bird photos at his flickr site.


 

Kite

Click above picture to read the story by Kevin Cade of the Charleston Daily Mail

Members who would like to contribute photos, sightings, or other information to be added to the web site, may send that information to allbeejs@yahoo.com

 

Red Shouldered Hawk

Click on picture for larger image.

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Mike Wright

 

 


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