McCormick’s Farm, Nov 6, 2024 – Twelve members of the Augusta Bird Club met this morning to conduct a bird walk on the Marl Creek Tail of McCormick’s Farm in Raphine. A new club member JJ (JoJo) Kell was warmly welcomed and was most enthusiastic to enjoy a pleasantly warm morning to identify 33 species. Of special note were three Gadwall, Great Blue Heron, several woodpecker species, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Flicker, an awesome Rusty Blackbird, many Common Grackles, Fish Crows, and six Raptors engaging in an aerial display to delight one’s senses. The Painted Turtles sunning on a log was a lovely sight. Many thanks to all the participants. I welcome your continued loyalty and camaraderie on these walks. My wish to you is to continue to enjoy the love of nature in all its complexities. – Jo King

Bells Lane, Staunton, Nov 4, 2024 – Thirteen members, including some new faces, came out for the morning bird walk on Bells. In addition to a bjillion Robins, we logged in 31 species. It was a beautiful day but overall, it was pretty quiet in the bird world. The pond had a few Canadas and there was a small group of ducks that flew overhead… maybe Mallards. We had a ‘vortex’ of Black Vultures, Sapsuckers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and not only a good showing of Cedar Waxwings but great looks, Purple Finches and lots of White-throated Sparrows. When we went up to the top of the hill, we had one Northern Harrier, a Red-tailed and a group of meadowlarks singing for us! It was great to meet new people and I appreciated all of the great birders who attended and their contributions to the bird tally!! Thank you!!! Here’s to more birding!  – Penny Warren

Chimney Hollow Farm, Nov 2, 2024 – We had a great day of birding at Chimney Hollow trail, with clear skies and mild temperatures. I tabulated 17 species here, including two Brown Creepers that Antonio Martinez found. We came upon one of our target birds – two Winter Wrens – soon after we began, but they were very difficult to view. Later on we came upon a cluster of yellowish birds high in the trees: American Goldfinches, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Golden-crowned Kinglets. On the return leg of our hike we were delighted to find a Purple Finch perched in a nice exposed position among some American Goldfinches. At Braley Pond we saw a Pileated Woodpecker and had wonderful closeup views of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and an Eastern Phoebe spotted by Scott Priebe! That marked a fitting end to a very enjoyable and invigorating day. We had 11 birders in our group including new members Dianne Adrian Byrer and Liz Benbow. Thanks to everyone who came along! – Andrew Clem

McCormick’s Farm, Oct 16, 2024 – Our field trip to McCormick’s Farm today was well attended with seventeen Augusta Bird Club members and guests. Our guests were two young home schoolers, with their mothers and two birders from Charlottesville. On this chilly morning 47 species were observed. Many Yellow-rumped Warblers, Kinglets, Goldfinches, a Brown Creeper, Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons delighted our hearts. Other highlights included 3 Wood Duck, 16 Mallard, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 11 Tree Swallow, a Swamp Sparrow, and 6 Meadowlarks. Many thanks to all the participants. Your knowledge, good spirits and generosity is much appreciated. – Jo King

McCormick Farm, Aug 28, 2024 – Eleven hardy birders braved the heat to conduct a field trip to McCormick’s Farm this morning. Forty-nine species were recorded. The varied habitat of open fields, ponds and woods afforded the group great views of hawks, woodpeckers, shorebirds, ducks and Geese. Of special interest were three species of Vireos (Warbling, Yellow-throated and Red Eyed) flitting among the trees. Eastern Kingbirds, Wood Pewees, and Phoebes were much enjoyed. The Blue gray Gnatcatcher spotted by Bill Benish was a delight, as were the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Other highlights included Solitary Sandpiper, American Kestrel, Green Heron, and Scarlet Tanager. Many thanks to all the participants. Always a pleasure to spend a few hours in your presence to pursue this worthy endeavor of looking for birds. My love and best birding to all of you.   –Jo King

McCormick Farm, Jun 12, 2024 – Hello everyone. Our field trip this morning was attended by nine members of the Augusta Bird Club. Forty one species were recorded. Highlights were the Green Herons, Baltimore Oriole, Warbling Vireo and the injured Gadwall. Always a delight to see the many brightly colored Goldfinch, Barn Swallows and Bluebirds. My thanks to my fellow birders who always make the trips so enjoyable. Many Painted Turtles and one awesome Bullfrog with those huge eyeballs completed the nature picture. The list of 41 species also included Canada Goose, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingisher, Eastern Kingbird, Redstart, and Eastern Phoebe. My thanks to all the participants. Hope to see you again in August for the Fall Migration. Have a wonderful Summer. Hugs.   –Jo King

Bells Lane, May 22, 2024 – Nine Club members gathered for a beautiful summery morning for a bird walk on Bells Lane and ended with 43 species. We headed to the private pond and found Canada Geese with goslings, Wood Duck, Mallards, Chimney Swifts, Green Herons, Great Blue Heron, Kingbird, Barn Swallows, etc. As we were leaving, the group caught sight of the two Green Herons in a tree and realized they were on a nest! Back on Bells Lane, we had Red-bellied, Downy, Flicker, Phoebe, Wood Pewee, Great Crested, Red-eyed Vireo, Meadowlarks, Yellow Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Catbirds, Thrashers, etc.; adding up to a very melodious morning! However, before my arrival Sue saw a Bald Eagle and Andrew kept birding further up past Carolyn’s and had another Yellow Warbler, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, and a Willow Flycatcher. As always, it was a wonderful morning with a fun group of birders and I appreciate everyone who attended. I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend.   –Penny Warren

Blue Ridge Parkway and Rt 610, May 10, 2024 – We had a slow start at the east-side overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning, with the usual Indigo Buntings and a nice White-eyed Vireo. We had better luck at the telephone tower, however, where multiple American Redstarts, Cerulean Warblers, Hooded Warblers, and Red-eyed Vireos all made appearances. We also heard a couple Ovenbirds there, but for some reason we didn’t actually SEE an Ovenbird all day! We really hit pay dirt at the Pioneer Village adjacent to the Humpback Rocks visitor center: An Eastern Wood Pewee, more Redstarts and Ceruleans, a Scarlet Tanager, and the twin highlights of the day: a Least Flycatcher only about 15 feet away, and a Kentucky Warbler! The latter was identified by Scott Priebe, who just moved to this area.  Jo King tallied 42 species overall, and I’m going to take a look at her eBird lists to confirm it in a little while. Thanks again to all those who came to share the avian excitement today!  – Andrew Clem

Augusta Springs Wetlands, May 5, 2024 –  The weather obliged us this morning. It stopped raining as we started and only started again when we finished. We had 54 species today, not bad. It was definitley a Northern Waterthrush day with at least two, and maybe three. One was singing from under the boardwalk, which created an interesting sound effect. We had good looks at Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow Warbler, and more. A Worm-eating Warbler posed briefly. We all had our FOY Magnolia Warbler. Fun times!    –Lynne Parks

Piney Grove, Wakefield, VA, Apr 14, 2024 – Three members of the Augusta Bird Club (Eric, Kathy, and Linda) joined me on an adventure to Piney Grove in search of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. We tallied a total of 30 species of birds while there. Before going I let the group know that we had a 50/50 chance in seeing the target bird. Linda stated that she had tried 3 times to see the bird in Florida but was unsuccessful. My thinking was “are we going to be jinxed”? Well it turned out that we saw 5 Red-cockaded Woodpecker: 2 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Life birds for Eric, Kathy, and Linda!! Our first sighting was just a little before 11 am which was perfect timing because we had lunch reservations at the Virginia Diner for 11:30. Also, on one of the stops, we had a Yellow-throated Warbler that came down and started to check out my vehicle; first landing on the open window, then hopping into the vehicle for a closer look!! After a great lunch we headed back to the Piney Grove area where we walked the Nature Conservancy’s Darden Trail (the whole trail is about 3/10 of a mile). Here we had a few birds including the Brown-headed Nuthatch, White-eyed Vireo. However, the biggest surprise was not a bird but Pink Lady’s Slipper wildflowers (an orchid) in various stages of bloom. After that we went back into Piney Grove and had another look at 3 Red Cockaded Woodpeckers!  I would say that our 50/50 chance turned out to be 100%!!  Some other highlight birds included: Wild Turkey, Bald Eagle, Red -tailed Hawk, Yellow- bellied sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Warblers (everywhere), Palm Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.  Good  friends, good food, good birds and a very fun day in Piney Grove!   – Allen Larner

McCormick’s Farm, Apr 10, 2024 – A most enriching field trip this morning to McCormick’s Farm in Raphine was attended by fourteen bird enthusiasts. A guest from the Piedmont Virginia Bird Club, Ana Maria, joined us. Thirty-nine species were recorded. We were in awe of the numerous Ruby-crowned Kinglets displaying their “ruby” crowns. American Goldfinches accompanied us as we trod the trail. Two Wilson’s Snipe, nine Blue-winged Teal and five Gadwall were just a special treat. Other highlights included: Gadwall, Wilson’s Snipe, Red-tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Tree and Barn Swallows, Swamp Sparrow, Brown Thrasher. Thank you to all the participants. It is always an honor and a joy to spend time with you in this worthy pursuit. Hope to see you next month. – Jo King

Bells Lane, April 2, 2024 –  In spite of the dire weather predictions, 11 members of the Augusta Bird Club showed up ready to do some birding on Bells Lane. We tallied 50 species with quite a few waterfowl on the private pond … Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Hooded Merganser. We also had Tree, Rough-winged and Barn Swallows. The first stretch of Bells was active with lots of sparrows, Chipping, Field, White-throated, and Song and lots of other birds (Towhees, Meadowlarks, and Red-winged Blackbirds) adding to the spring chorus. Great morning, great group of birders! I thank everyone for coming out and sharing their birding skills, birding ears and turning an otherwise gloomy morning into a fun day! Good birding to everyone as we anticipate warbler season!  –Penny Warren

McCormick’s Farm, Mar 20, 2024 – The powerful winds this morning did not deter ten members of the Augusta Bird Club to conduct a field trip to McCormick’s Farm. Despite the difficult weather conditions, we persevered to note 27 species. Of note only one Gadwall and four Canada Geese were seen on the ponds. We were consoled by the sweet song of the Meadowlark and the relentless calling of the Tufted Titmouse. Many thanks to all the participants. The comradery was excellent, regardless of the numbers of our feather friends. April 10 is our next McCormick’s field trip. We will be welcoming many returning species and maybe a warbler or two.  – Jo King

Bells Lane, Dec 28, 2023 – Nine members of the Augusta Bird Club turned out for the walk this morning; a foggy start but it started to lift soon after and eventually we had sun and blue skies and we tallied 40 species. The private pond gave us a large raft of Ring-necked Ducks, one Hooded Merg, one Greater Scaup, few Gadwalls, handful of Ruddies, Canadas and Mallards. Back on the lane, we were past the first wetlands area and Mr. Peeler’s house on the left and we heard something and we were not quite sure what it was. Merlin suggested a Cooper’s Hawk but we were not totally sold on this identification. Not too long after, we saw something flying low, a few feet above ground level and when it landed it was a big, gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful Barred Owl!! He was perfectly perched in a tree and gave us really long looks for close to 10 minutes! He eventually took off. All of us were elated to see this owl. Allen said that he has never seen a Barred Owl on Bell’s prior to today. After the owl left, we were discussing the calls and sounds of a Barred and nothing matched with what we heard and we listened to the alarm call of a Coopers and that is exactly what it was. So, the speculation is that the Coopers was giving his alarm call due to the owl and the owl finally took off. We never did see the Coopers. Everyone agreed that we could go home after that experience! We picked up a few more waterfowl at the upper pond… Common Mergs, more Hooded and there was one Great Blue. Across the lane, we had Red-tailed and Kestrel. Further up toward the beaver ponds, we picked up YR warblers. It was a great group of birders and I thank all of them for participating!  – Penny Warren

Chimney Hollow Trail, Nov 18, 2023 – Four club members headed out to Chimney Hollow Trail on Saturday, Nov 18. It was a pleasant, invigorating walk in a beautiful setting, thanks in part to an overnight rain that washed the skies of smoke, butoverall, the birds were scarcer than usual. Highlights were seeing Winter Wrens in two separate locations, along with a probable Brown Creeper, and a fleeting glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker. Things were no better at nearby Braley Pond, so we called it a day. Many thanks to Joel Thompson, Jim Hill, and Wendy Hill for joining me!  – Andrew Clem

McCormick’s Farm, Nov 15, 2023 – A group of 10 members conducted a field trip to McCormick Farm in Raphine. A total of 32 species were recorded. Highlights of the walk were trees filled with over 100 Red-winged Blackbirds and Rusty Blackbirds fluttering around. In another location, a flock of over 90 Mourning Doves lifting from the ground flying from tree to tree were fun to watch. Two Red-shouldered Hawks in an aerial display delighted us as well. Many thanks to all the participants. It was a time well spent in the field. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the ABC Christmas Party and the two Christmas Bird Counts.  – Jo King

Bells Lane, Nov 6, 2023 – To quote Jo King, we had a “bonanza day” of birding on Bell’s Lane today with 42 species!!! The remarkable highlight was a White-winged Scoter on the private pond. Per Allen, this is the county’s 5th fall record. We also had a smattering of other duck species; a couple WoodDucks, Shovelers, American Wigeon, and Ring-necked Ducks. Other highlights were 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Bald Eagle, 1 Peregrine, and a Blue-headed Vireo! All in all,it was a beautiful morning to be out and about birding, a great day, greatgroup of birders (13 of us, plus 2 more that we caught up with a bit later). My thanks to everyone!  – Penny Warren

Augusta Springs Wetlands, Sep 16, 2023 – We couldn’t have asked for a prettier sunny day at the Augusta Springs Wetlands walk on Sept. 16. Thirteen of us walked around the pond twice, but our biggest treat was along the power line cut, where we found a flock of warblers seen at eye level. We had 45 species of birds altogether, including 12 species of warblers and 4 of vireos:  Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, White- and Red-eyed. There were 14 first-year Wood Ducks huddled together in the pond. Cedar Waxwings gathered in the snags, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks chipped in the pines. The goldenrod, great blue lobelia, and asters were gorgeous! – Lynne Parks

McCormick’s Farm, Jun 14, 2023 –  Eight hardy, windblown birders conducted a field trip to McCormick Farm on Wednesday, June 14 . A total of43 species were recorded. Most noteworthy was observing a pair of Belted Kingfishers feeding their young, andIndigo Buntings, newly born baby Bluebirds, swarming Tree and Barn Swallows, along with Cedar Waxwingsand American Goldfinches delighting the landscape. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful energy and camaraderie. Have a great summer. See you in August. – Jo King

McCormick’s Farm, May 17, 2023 – On May 17, 12 members of the ABC enjoyed a field trip to McCormick’s Farm. A total of 64 species were recorded.The weather was so pleasant. Everyone enjoyed each other’s company and spotted some good birds and wildflowers.Bill Benish spotted 4 Cliff Swallows and Blue Grosbeak, to my delight.  – Jo King

Middle River, May 17, 2023 – The weather was absolutely perfect as 12 members of the ABC leisurely paddled a short section of the Middle River on May 17. An adult Bald Eagle welcomed us just after we put in, and we saw/heard many birds, including lots of Warbling Vireos and Baltimore Orioles singing from the tall Sycamores, and Louisiana Waterthrushes near the water’s edge. We ended with an awesome riverside picnic lunch with delicious grilled hot dogs (thanks, Mike!). Great People ~ Great Birds ~ Great Paddling ~ oh, and a Great Lunch! A big THANKS to Ann Cline for coordinating this!

Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve, May 6, 2023 – On May 6, 22 ABC members showed up at Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve. Ryan Lepsch from the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) was there to open the gate, so we had plenty of parking. I think a lot of us have been curious about Cowbane but didn’t know how to access it. For future reference, individuals can park at the white gate just past Ply Gem Siding and walk in. It’s good to check in with Ryan in case there are any ecological managements scheduled for the day. We walked for 3 hours covering 1.5 miles. We had 56 species—we had a lot of good eyes and ears! There were at least 5 Orchard Orioles, and they put on quite a show, especially a first-year and an adult male chasing each other. Baltimore Orioles were in the same trees, so it was colorful. Grasshopper and Field Sparrows buzzed and trilled. Some attendees saw both Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers. A Black-billed Cuckoo chortled. We repaid the nicety by coming out and pulling Garlic Mustard 2 weeks later.  – Lynne Parks

Chincoteague Island, VA, Apr 29, 2023 – Four members (Jim and Wendy Hill, Elaine Carwile, and I) embarked on an adventure to Chincoteague Island for a fun weekend of birding. On Friday, my travel day consisted of rain, rain, and more rain for the entire trip to the Eastern Shore. Fortunately, by the time I arrived at my hotel, the rain had stopped. I met up there with Elaine andher husband, Tim (Jim and Wendy would join us on Saturday), and the three of us went out to the refuge to scout for Saturday’s birding, where we found several birds that we would not find the next day, including Red-necked Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Common Tern.

Saturday, we started at 8:00am in the McDonald’s parking lot, which overlooks a marsh full of Clapper Rails, and saw a flyby Laughing Gull. We headed to a local nature trail on the island, where we found several warblers, includingYellow-throated, Black-throated Blue, Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Northern Waterthrush, and Black-and-white. In addition,we added both Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-headed Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, and White-throated Sparrow.

We then went out on the Causeway, where we had Great and Snowy Egrets, Tri-colored Heron, as well as Herring, Laughing, and Great Black-backed Gulls. We also added Forster’s, Caspian, and Royal Terns, Black-necked Stilt, and White Ibis. Our next stop was Saxis Marsh, where we had more Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, and Marsh Wren (the latter two were target birds). We also added Boat-tailed Grackle, Orchard Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Gray Catbird (they were everywhere we went), and Barn Swallow.

We finally entered Chincoteague NWR at 3:30pm, where our first stop was Tom’s Cove area. Our highlights here were Willet, Least Tern, Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, and 5 Piping Plovers. We also watched large flocks of Double-crested Cormorants flying north (estimate of 300–400). We then hit the Wildlife Loop around 4:30pm, where we spotted several waterfowl: Mallard, Black Duck, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, and Canada Goose. We also saw more Gulls, Terns, Egrets, and Herons. But the big highlight was seeing more than 258 Glossy Ibis! The weather was great, the birding was great, and, most of all, the fellowship was great – and new friendships were formed! Our species total for the trip was 105.  – Allen Larner

McCormick’s Mill Farm, Apr 19, 2023 – Eight members of the Augusta Bird Club met on Wednesday, April 19th to conduct a bird walk at McCormick’s Mill Farm in Raphine, Va. Thirty seven species were recorded. The weather was clear and warm with no wind. We had great views of six Blue-winged Teal, along with a Solitary Sandpiper, several Woodpecker species and a Cooper’s Hawk. Also it is good to mention the return of the Eastern Towhee and Brown Thrasher. Other highlights included: Tree and Barn Swallows, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chipping, Song, White-throated, Whitecrowned and Field Sparrows.  – Jo King

Piney Grove, VA, Mar 18, 2023 – On March 18, five early-rising birders went on an expedition to the pine forests near Waverly, Virginia, in search of the fabled Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Allen Larner was our guide. We saw many birds, but at least 95% of them were just two species: Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers. As we got started  (9am), it was overcast, damp, and chilly, with lingering drizzle. After lunch the sun came out, and the temperature rose a little. We saw a few Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, and Eastern Phoebes as well as a Red-shouldered Hawk and Bald Eagle. We also heard a few Eastern Towhees and a White-breasted Nuthatch.  Around 3pm we drove west and stopped in an open field along Summerfield Road, where several sparrows were scurrying about, as well as Eastern Bluebirds and a Red-tailed Hawk. We came across a guy who had just seen the elusive Red-cockaded Woodpecker, on his fifth visit to that forest, but we never did find it in the area he indicated, or anywhere else. Next time maybe? Anyway, many thanks to Allen Larner for driving and for showing us around this unique ecological habitat in the southeastern part of the Old Dominion!

Boy Scout Camp, Jan 28, 2023 – On January 28, 13 members of the Augusta Bird Club went hiking up the woodland road at the Boy Scout camp in Swoope. There were several woodpeckers, including a distant Red-headed, as well as many White-throated Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Carolina and/or Black-capped Chickadees, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Later we all stopped at Cattleman Road, and Bill Benish eventually spotted our main target bird, the Loggerhead Shrike. It was very cooperative as it gradually got closer to us in the course of its hunting routine. Finally, we headed east on Livick Road where, to our amazement, we saw a SECOND Loggerhead Shrike! One day later, Bill Benish and Robyn Puffenberger returned and determined that they were in fact two separate birds. Thanks to Jo King for keeping track of all the species we saw, including several Northern Harriers and American Kestrels, but no Bald Eagles, unfortunately. On the way back to Staunton we saw several Red-tailed Hawks, some of which were being harassed by American Crows. Thanks to all the participants, including three new members: Jeff and Jeanie Roberts, and Eric Pritchett.  – Andrew Clem