Observations

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Here are some recent observations reported by members and on the WV Bird List Serve

WV-BIRD@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG

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From: "Cynthia Ellis"
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:54 PM
Subject: Pelican

There's something about April 15 and pelicans...

This morning I approached the third pond at the Winfield Locks, sometime after 9:30.  My eyes slid over the Canada Geese to see a large white bird in the middle of the shallow area to the far right of the center island.  I raised binoculars, thinking to double check on a Great Egret.  But the bird turned in profile and revealed itself to be an American White Pelican!  I grabbed the camera and made several quick shots and then settled back in the car to call some other birders and to watch.  But soon after I'd called, the pelican lifted off from the water and rose up over the blacktop parking area of the National Guard  complex.  It then circled, very slowly, from 9:58 to 10:12, while my hands froze and my arms ached.  Finally it left, heading north.

 A breeding knob was present on the bill, and its singular black and white plumage was striking as it soared.  (One of my photos, although fuzzy, is definitively acceptable, I believe.)

Six years ago I saw 4 American White Pelicans on the Kanawha River at the Red House backwater, about two miles upriver from the locks. It was April 15!

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From: "Doren Burrell" Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:22 PM Subject: grouse photo

Click on photo for larger image.

While driving through Monroe County today (April 13), I spotted this Roughed Grouse hen sitting in a tree, almost at eye level, some 20-30 feet from the road. 

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From: Cynthia Ellis
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:22 PM
Subject: osprey, harriers

 Birded with Bev Wright today, at two locks and nearby in Ohio [Winfield  Locks-Putnam County, Robert C. Byrd Locks-Mason County, Crown City Wildlife Area-Gallia County Ohio].

At the Winfield Locks we saw an Osprey catch a fish in the waters below the dam. Tree Swallows were at the nest box, and Ring-Necked Ducks, Gadwall[7], and Northern Shoveler[2] were on the ponds.

Near Hurricane Creek, Bev spotted a Crow carrying nesting material.

At the Heron rookery beyond Buffalo, 20 nests were occupied; Myrtle  Warblers were seen nearby Close to Scottown, Ohio we saw Turkey Vultures eating the fresh carcass of a good-sized Bobcat. Just beyond them we noted 8 turkeys

At Crown City W.A. there were 4 Northern Harriers.  Despite beautiful sunny weather, the wind was quite pronounced all day, and was especially stiff at the Byrd Locks.  It was difficult to keep a scope and tripod steady.  Ring-billed Gulls were there; also 30 Greater Scaup and a pair of Bufflehead. The resident Osprey at this locks landed on its nest and a flurry of smaller birds, mostly Starlings, flushed out from the lower regions of that large mass of sticks.

A great day to be out!                                           ~Cindy

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From: "Cynthia Ellis"
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 5:06 PM
Subject: peregrines, Charleston

Today at 12:40 pm, I saw a Peregrine Falcon strafing pigeons at the Patrick Street Bridge in Charleston!  A second falcon joined the first. The pursuit seemed rather leisurely... I lost track of the second bird, and the first one drifted away from the bridge and then rode up some thermals over the Patrick Street Plaza.
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From: "allen waldron"
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 10:32 PM
Subject: Beckley crow roost

Over the past several years there has been a sizable roost (10,000 +) of crows around the Harper Road exit off of I77 in Beckley.  They moved during the last 3 weeks.  We went out searching last Monday (what better way to spend New Year's Eve) and found them across town.  I really feel there are even more at this new roost than at the Harper Road roost.  They kept flying even after dark and had the roof of a large warehouse covered and the surrounding trees loaded.Last year while they were roosting behind the Days Inn, I drove through the parking lot and the birds were flying all around the car.  It had a very "The Birds Movie" feeling about it.  If I were an ordinary customer with a room at the Days Inn, I would not want to stay on that side of  the motel.
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From: "annmcrae"
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 5:43 PM
Subject: Re: bird flocks
 
To Greg Eddy and others interested in bird flocks ;

In Bluefield, WV (Mercer County), there is a flock of Common Crows , which numbers from several hundred up to 2,000 plus this winter.  About 30 minutes before dusk each evening the crows begin gathering over and around the Kroger Plaza area on Cumberland Road which includes residential areas, wooded areas particularly along and above Rte 460 , up  the woods on East River Mountain. As they gather they all seem to be calling--all at once and that is some terrific sound effects. I haven't discovered just where they settle in for the night because they still can be seen flying along Cumberland Road and nearby streets in the street lights after dark sometimes.

These crows have been winter roosting in this general area for the past 4 to 5 years.  One year my husband and I estimated there must be over 5,000 crows.  At that time we could sit on one of the parking lots at the Blfld High School and watch the crows gather on the mountain side and just at dusk , they would rise up and over the crest to settle down on the Virginia side of the mountain.  This year , I've not be able to determine just where they settle in for the night.

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Bird fans have to see this one for themselves

Kevin Cade
Daily Mail staff



Tuesday August 28, 2007

Sunday before last, the phone rang at my parents' house and my father answered it.

"It's your brother," he said. "He wants to know what kind of hawk or large bird has a forked tail like a swallow."

I laughed and said a kite, knowing it fit that description, but he was not going to find one flying around in West Virginia.

My father looked in his bird book and read the entry on swallow-tailed kites to my brother -- black and white markings, 4-foot wingspan, very distinct and unique forked tail.

"Your brother said that describes what he just saw circling around his house. He has a video recording of it on his camera."

"He has it on video?" I asked.

I wanted to see that.

After he looked it up on the Internet, my brother, Shawn, was convinced that he had indeed seen a swallow-tailed kite, and the fact that they are normally found only in Florida and along the Gulf Coast did not dissuade him.

My father also noted in his book that the birds are occasionally seen farther north, wandering during the late summer.

After seeing the video for myself, I was also convinced. Convinced enough to post it on a Web site where bird watchers can report their findings in West Virginia.

I was a little bit apprehensive. I'm not an expert birder. What if I was wrong?

That would be embarrassing, and now it was on the Internet for the whole world to see.

But what if I was right?

That would certainly be quite a find. From what I could learn, swallow-tailed kites had been reported in the state only three other times.

Other questions arose, such as was it just passing through, or would it be around for a while?

Elmwood, where my brother lives, is one of those small Wayne County communities that has a name and not much more. It's located about a mile and a half from the town of Wayne, on the way to East Lynn. Early last week, three bird watchers from the area drove out to the cemetery at Elmwood and saw the kite. They posted their sightings on the Web site. A few more bird watchers drove there on Tuesday and they, too, saw it.

But so far all I had seen was the video.

Who knew how much longer the kite would stay around? This was too good of a birding opportunity for me to miss.

I left right after work on Wednesday and drove from Charleston to Wayne.

As I pulled into the cemetery, I noticed a friend's vehicle parked at the top of the hill. I had alerted her about the bird, and she was there to see it.

We hadn't been there but about 10 minutes when we spotted the kite soaring across the sky.

It circled around and went directly over our heads, not too high above the trees -- a large bird, gracefully gliding through the air without a single flap of its wings. It disappeared past the trees. We waited, and it returned and flew off again.

Kites will usually just soar through the air, catching and feeding on flying insects. They are related to hawks and eagles, and there are five kinds of kites found in North America. Only the swallow-tailed kite has the long, forked tail.

It was certainly a wonderful thing to see.

My friend couldn't stay, but she was soon replaced by Steve Gillispie from Teays Valley. Steve had photographed a bird called a great knot near the ponds at the Winfield locks just a few days ago.

Great knots are shore birds normally found off the coasts of Asia and Alaska -- not in a West Virginia mud flat.

This one was far, far from home.

While sitting in the cemetery, I watched several vehicles going by. They may have wondered why all those people were up there on the hill. They probably drove on, and will never know that an unusual bird sighting was just above their heads.

I'm learning to keep my eyes and ears open. You never know what might be flying around out there.

Read about West Virginia bird sightings at birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/WVBD.html.

 

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Cliff Swallows

If anyone is interested in looking at some Cliff Swallows, there are several dozen nesting under the interstate bridge on the West Side of Charleston.  I spent a couple of hours today observing them coming and going, feeding their
babies, and watching their acrobatic behavior.

It's easy to access their location.  Just park near Magic Island on one of the side streets or in the parking area under the bridge.  Cross the Boulevard and go down the steps as if you're going to Magic Island.  Turn toward downtown and walk along the lower sidewalk until you're under the bridge.  The nests are up on the concrete piers of the bridge, and you'll hear them immediately.  It's easy to see them with your binoculars.  Good luck!

Alice Knight

 

Myrtle Warblers

Bill Mills here, the White Fronted Goose guy. Yesterday while working at my desk at home, I looked up to see a pair of migrating Myrtle Warblers, a variant of the Yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata). It was easy to ID them as they were in there breeding plumage. My Sibley Guide shows them traveling to our northern neighbor, Canada for the breeding season. This is the first time I have seen this species. what a thrill on the first day of May.

 

Red-headed Woodpecker at Kanawha State Forest

     Jim Waggy observed a Red-headed Woodpecker on the Overlook Rock Trail at Kanawha State Forest (KSF) on Thursday, January 12th.  The bird cooperated by flying back and forth at fairly close range, offering long looks as it foraged in its acrobatic style.  The light was good, showing off the striking, deep scarlet plumage on the head and the bold black-and-white patterns on the body of this adult bird.  There have been reports of this species at feeders near KSF, but this is the first Red-headed Jim has seen at KSF.

     Jim began his walk about 2:30, and things seemed quiet at first.  But it was such a pleasant day (60 degrees and sunny) that he lingered, and when he got in a good spot and stayed still, the woods began to come to life.  The Red-headed was the star of the show, but Overlook Rock Trail is an excellent area to observe woodpeckers in general, especially on the ridgetop at the far end of this loop trail.  Within the 2-1/2 hours of his walk, Jim was able to visually identify all seven species of woodpeckers that are possible in West Virginia.

     When Jim stopped at the pond on his way out of KSF, the light was getting dusky.  He watched two bats foraging energetically over the pond, darting and diving in a respectable imitation of swallows.
 

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Greater White-fronted Goose,                                                        Narrative and photos by Jim Waggy

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A Merlin at Charleston's Spring Hill Cemetery          by Jim Waggy     

Jim Waggy observed a Merlin at Charleston's Spring Hill Cemetery on November 20th.  It flew into the bare upper branches of a tree and perched.  Even though the light was beginning to fade into dusk, the bird was so preoccupied with methodically dismembering and consuming the prey grasped in its talons that Jim was able to approach close enough to sort out the field marks and identify it.
	Merlins only slightly exceed their fellow falcon, the American Kestrel, in length and wingspan, but they are about 60% heavier.  They are fast and very aggressive, and small to medium-sized birds are their primary food source.  They discard the head, legs, wings, and feathers of their prey before dining.
While the Kestrel is present in our area all year, we only see Merlins during migration and sightings are uncommon.  November 20th is a slightly late date for them to be passing through our area for fall migration.  During migration, they will fly at higher altitudes for much of the day and then come down low to hunt toward the end of the day.  They are known for being active at later hours than most other migrating raptors.

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Northern Waterthrush

Jim Waggy observed a Northern Waterthrush at Kanawha State Forest in a mostly dry streambed on September 14, 2005.  While the Louisiana Waterthrush nests in abundance at KSF, the Northern Waterthrush only passes through during migration, and this is Jim's first observation of the Northern at KSF.  The Northern shows a preference during migration for the same types of habitats that it uses for nesting -- bogs, and the edges of ponds and slow-moving streams -- which explains why there are more migratory observations of the Northern in our area at sites such as Greenbottom WMA and McClintic WMA.  However, Mike Griffith reports that on birding trips near his Huntington home he occasionally finds them on ridgetops in the trees as part of the mixed-species feeding flocks that form during migration periods.

The two waterthrush species look very similar.  The Northern has both a yellow form and a whitish form, and fortunately the one Jim observed was the yellow version, showing a yellow stripe above the eye and a yellow wash on the underparts, which helps to distinguish it from the Louisiana, which is white in those areas.  Another helpful difference is that, while they are both tail bobbers, the Northern simply raises and lowers its tail while the Louisiana is much more demonstrative, throwing a good portion of its body into its tail bobbing, making it unquestionably the Elvis of avian tail bobbers.  The Louisiana is also somewhat heavier and bulkier than the Northern (which enhances the Elvis effect), a noticeable difference that becomes more obvious as you see more of the two species.

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Byrd Locks & Dam

Jim Waggy observed a group of approximately 15 shorebirds at the edge of one of the ponds at the Byrd Locks and Dam on August 23rd, 2005.  The weather had been dry and the ponds were unusually low, which created mudflats around the perimeter of the ponds.  His attention was drawn to one bird that stood out from the small sandpipers that composed the rest of the group.  This bird was larger and stouter, with a formidable bill and a faded rosy glow across its breast (it was in transition between breeding and non-breeding plumage).

This was a Dowitcher.  It waded into the shallow water and used its long bill to probe for food, using the vertical "sewing machine" motion that characterizes the Dowitchers.  Unfortunately, it's very difficult to tell the difference between a Long-billed Dowitcher and a Short-billed Dowitcher. Despite their names, there is enough overlap in the size of their bills that this isn't considered a reliable way to distinguish between them.  The "prarie" subspecies of the Short-billed Dowitcher, which is the type we get most often in our area, is particularly similar to the Long-billed. The most certain way to sort out these look-alike birds is by their different alarm calls, yet they are not frequent vocalizers.  Mike Griffith says that the most helpful key he has found is to look at the tail when the bird is in flight.  Both species have white and black horizontal bars across the tail, but the black bars are thicker on the tail of the Long-billed Dowitcher, making its tail look predominantly black, while the tail of the Short-billed Dowitcher looks predominantly white.  Since Jim didn't know all these things when he was looking at the bird, he could not say with confidence which species of Dowitcher he observed.  Next time, though, he will be better prepared!

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Little Blue Heron

 

April 16, 2006

April 23, 2006

April 30, 2006

May 07, 2006

April 22, 2007

April 29, 2007

May 6, 2007

May 13, 2007

June 10, 2007

September 2, 2007

September 23, 2007

October 14, 2007