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MEETING DATES:
(this month and next)
Jan 14, Feb 11
Generally, the second Monday of each month. For more information, see the Meetings page.
MEETING DATES:
(this month and next)
Jan 14, Feb 11
Generally, the second Monday of each month. For more information, see the Meetings page.
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RECENT BIRD ALERT:
Since late December, a Loggerhead Shrike has been seen in the upland portion of Bell's Lane, hunting from small trees near the ponds.
Blue Ridge Young Birders
www.blueridgeyoungbirders.org
Please support and/or spread the word!
Just click on the image above. The 4th edition (2016), edited by Dan Perkuchin, replaces the 3rd (2008) edition Birds of Augusta County, which was edited by YuLee Larner.
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| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
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Last news update: 14 Jan 2019
PROGRAM FOR JANUARY 14 MEETING:
Invasive Plant Species / Habitat Improvement for Wildlife
presented by Bruce Ingram.
Our next "Birds & Brews, Wings & Wine" social hour will be: TBA
It's time to renew your membership for 2019. While you're at it, please consider making an additional donation to assist with our club's mission of conservation and education. Information on dues, etc. can be found on our Membership page. You can download the ABC Membership Form, print it, and mail it to the address indicated, along with your check. Thank you!
Crista Cabe, Membership Chair
On January 6th four members of the Augusta Bird Club made their annual winter trek to Highland County to seek out the Golden Eagle as well as wintering Finches. The temps started out at 30 degrees but quickly warmed up to 54 with sunshine. Our first stop was the feeders in McDowell which was a bust: only Goldfinch, Junco, White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Savannah Sparrow. Next we went to the town of Bluegrass, and on the west side of Snowy Mountain we had three Golden Eagle flying high. In the lowlands just south of Snowy Mountain we had a great view of a juvenile Golden Eagle flying low with two Red-tailed Hawks dive-bombing it. Our search for the Loggerhead Shrike on Dug Bank Road did not pan out, probably because it was a bit windy. Most of the birds were hunkered down yesterday, and we missed several target species in Highland County.
Next we headed south on Route 220, and once in Bath County we had a few ducks on the farm pond to the left: Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, and 44 Common Merganser, Kingfisher, and Bald Eagle. On the way to Lake Moomaw, we had Black-capped Chickadee, Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Junco, and Song Sparrow. The biggest treat was seeing at least eight Eastern Reddish Bats flying around. At Lake Moomaw we had Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Mallard, and Bufflehead. All in all we ended the trip with about 40 species of birds.
by Allen Larner
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Golden Eagle (imm.), Hooded Merganser (M), American Kestrel (F), Horned Grebe, Common Merganser (M), Golden-crowned Kinglet, and in center, Bald Eagle (imm.). (January 6, 2018)
Eastern Red Bats, near Lake Moomaw. (January 6, 2018)
Once again, the Augusta Bird Club is soliciting applications for scholarships to Nature Camp this coming summer. Simply download the Nature Camp Scholarship form, type in the information in the spaces indicated, save it and then send it as an e-mail attachment to: anncline1443_AT_yahoo.com. (The "@" symbol was changed to "_AT_" so as to thwart spammers.) There is no need to print it! Completed applications and recommendations are due no later than February 4, 2019.
On Saturday, December 15, birders in the Augusta County count circle observed a total of 86 bird species, plus 3 more during the count week (defined as three days before and three days after the count day). Final tabulations are still in process, but in the mean time, here are the totals for the main groups:
by Allen Larner
Some highlights of what was seen on the count day, December 15. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: E. Bluebird, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Mallard, American Robin, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, and near the center, Brown Creeper and Field Sparrow.
And you think YOU had a bad day?? The tiny Rufous Hummingbird in Stuarts Draft somehow survived the blizzard on Dec. 9, but ten days later he was gone. Can you blame him for heading south? (Photo courtesy of Bonnie Hughes)
On Saturday December 8, six members of the Augusta Bird Club braved freezing temperatures on a field trip to the new trail at the Mill Place industrial park in Verona, just north of Staunton. It is a very scenic nature spot that seems to have been developed with great care in planning, featuring a sheltered picnic area, multiple benches for resting along the way, and a wooden foot bridge. The trail is all asphalt. Even better, it is an excellent habitat for a variety of sparrows and other songbirds. Highlights of the day were a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Hermit Thrush, and a Swamp Sparrow. In the reeds, two members spotted a very small brown bird that was most likely a Marsh Wren or a Winter Wren, and some of us saw what was either a Yellow-rumped or a Palm Warbler. The list of 21 species is not yet final, pending confirmation from others who were there.
by Andrew Clem
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Red-shouldered Hawk, American Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, and White-crowned Sparrows (adult and juvenile). (December 8, 2018)
Download the latest Newsletter,
edited by Andrew Clem (as of April 2016).
Last update:
15 Jan 2019
(Sample image on the right is the January 2013 issue.)
(Portable Document Format / PDF; may require Adobe Acrobat Reader software.)
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