2009 Club Activities

The BCBC (Buchanan County Bird Club) celebrated its 8th year in December of 2009. As usual the club had a busy and enjoyable year. In March of 2009 club members' hopes rose that Peregrine Falcons might once again nest in the Breaks Park. Peregrines disappeared from the area in the early 1960's, when DDT and other pesticides wiped out most of the raptors in the Eastern U.S. Several young Peregrines have been released in the park in the past few years, and members of the Buchanan County Bird club working with the Virginia Department of Fish and Game monitor the area to see if any of the birds released there return to nest. In March club member Ed Talbott III saw an adult Peregrine flying over the gorge in the park. In subsequent days David Raines and Roger and Lynda Mayhorn searched the park hoping to try to find a nesting pair. David Raines found a Peregrine pair sitting on a cliff on the side of the gorge and hopes rose, but the birds left the area and were not seen again.

On March 20th 2009 BCBC member Tom Hunter of Lebanon, VA observed a Great Blue Heron carrying sticks in the Elk Garden section of Russell County. Great Blue Herons are the large crane-like birds that are often seen along the rivers and streams in the area. On March 28th members Jerry and Jane Thornhill of Rosedale, VA found a nest in that same area with adult Great Blues on it. Great Blues usually nest in colonies, and a second nest was soon built near the first. The birds raised young there during the next few months. There are only a handful of Great Blue Heron nesting colonies in Southwest VA and none have yet been found in Buchanan County.

In March and again in May members of the BCBC participated along with the Russell County Bird Club in the Virginia Department of Game's "Getting To Know You" program, a program designed to introduce people of the area to the birding and wildlife trails in Virginia. Both clubs led bird walks in the two counties and handed out copies of the Dept of Game's Birding and Wildlife Trail guides.

In April a visiting birder to the area found the first Herring Gull ever recorded in Buchanan County. It was found on a foggy morning at Poplar Gap. Apparently, the heavy fog forced the migrating Herring Gull to drop down to the ground to wait for the lifting of the fog. Herring Gulls are normally found along the ocean shore and sometimes on large inland lakes.

Bobolinks are black and white birds a bit smaller than a robin. They prefer grasslands for their nesting sites, so they are rarely seen in Buchanan County. However, the spring of 2009 was different. On April 29th Roger and Lynda Mayhorn found one feeding in their backyard on Compton Mt. A few days later they found 10 feeding on Ronald Compton's Farm a couple of miles away. The birds were obviously just dropping down to feed during their spring migration northward.

The first Bald Eagle nest in many years was found in the spring of 2009 on South Holston Lake. Bald Eagles, along with other birds of prey, were wiped out in the Eastern U.S. during the 1940's and 50's due to the use of DDT. The nest was located early in the spring and was observed during the summer. The birds raised one chick, but are back at the nest in 2010 preparing to nest again.

On March 16th 2010 Faith Sutherland saw a Bald Eagle soaring overhead at the Buchanan General Hospital. Her husband, Dr. Clint Sutherland, saw a Bald Eagle in the same area in March of the previous year. Eagles are slowly making a comeback and should become more common to the area in the future.

Members of both the Buchanan County and Russell County Bird Clubs helped with the first Coalfield Folklife Festival that took place in and around Grundy the first week-end in June 2009. BCBC members Roger and Lynda Mayhorn of Compton Mt, Don Carrier of Bristol, Tom and Laverne Hunter of Lebanon, David Raines of the Breaks, Ed and Michelle Talbott of Grundy and Dave Worley of Rosedale led bird walks during the festival. David Raines with his exceptional ability to imitate a Barred owl called in Barred Owls in the evening much to the delight of about 20 observers in the Breaks Park. The club will once again lead bird walks at the 2010 Coalfield Folklife Festival on June 4th and 5th. The walks are open to everyone. The Buchanan County Bird Club will also have a booth set up at the festival to give out information about the club and about birds in the area.

Warblers are small colorful songbirds that are a delight for birders to get to see and hear. Roger and Lynda Mayhorn hosted their annual Warbler Day at their home on Compton Mt on September 12, 2009. The event is held so birders from all over Virginia can come and watch the migration of the warblers and other birds as they pass through the area on their way south for the winter. Twenty-eight birders from Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee came to watch the annual migration. Fifty different bird species were found throughout the day. Photos of the birds and the day's events can be found at http://www.pbase.com/mayhorn/warbler_day_2009

Most people in Buchanan County, especially if they feed birds, are familiar with the common Mourning Doves that are in the area. Well, a new dove is moving in. The Eurasian Collared-Dove normally found in the Western U.S. has in recent years been moving into the Eastern U.S. This dove is similar to the Mourning Dove except it is a bit larger, is lighter in color and it has a black ring on the back of its neck. These doves are now in Kentucky, Tennessee and parts of Virginia. On October 14th 2009 Roger Mayhorn photographed the first one to be found in Buchanan County when it appeared at the bird feeders in his yard. Within a few years these birds will probably be a common sight within the county. Photos of this bird can be found at http://www.pbase.com/mayhorn/eura_col_dove

A Double Crested Cormorant, a large, fish eating, water bird usually found along the coast, was discovered on the Levisa River by Ed Talbott II near his home at Big Rock, VA on October 20th. Even though this bird is normally found near the ocean, it is the only cormorant that may sometimes be found on inland lakes and waterways. This is the first one found on a Buchanan County stream, though they have been sighted a few times flying overhead within the county.

On October 24th nine members of the Buchanan County Bird Club were joined by four members of the Bibbee Nature Club of Bluefield to bird the Bluestone Dam and surrounding areas. The group found 52 species including several species of waterfowl and an immature Bald Eagle. After the birders ate lunch at the Hinton DQ, which offers great views of the New River, the group headed downstream to bird along the river as far as Sandstone Falls.

After having to reschedule because of a snowstorm the second Buchanan County Audubon Christmas Bird Count finally took place on Thursday, December 31 in spite of rain and and a few inches of snow. Thirty-five species with a total of 639 birds were counted for the day, the low number partly attributed to the weather conditions. The 2008 count had resulted in 56 species with 2903 birds counted. Tom Hunter is the official BCBC Compiler for the Buchanan County Christmas Bird Count. The Aububon Christmas Bird Count takes place each December all over North America when birders search for as many species as they can find within a 15 foot circle. This information allows scientists to determine the health of the bird population all over North America.

On Christmas Day a hummingbird came to a feeder that Johnnie and Betty Ratliff of Little Prater keep hanging in their yard even during winter. They keep the feeder out because in recent years some Western hummingbird species have started coming to the east to spend the winter instead of going to Central or South America. In December 2003 the Ratliffs had a Rufous Hummingbird, a Western species, that spent a month in their yard. Johnnie put up lights to keep the feeder and the hummer warm.

At the February 2010 meeting of the Buchanan County Bird Club David Raines was elected its new Vice-President. Roger Mayhorn remains as President and Lynda Mayhorn retains her office of Secretary/Treasurer of the club.

The Buchanan County Bird Club meets on the second Monday of each month at the Buchanan County Public Library at 6:00 p.m. Everyone interested is welcome to attend meetings or birding outings. More information about club scheduled events can be found at the club website at https://sites.google.com/site/buchananbirds/ or call Roger Mayhorn at 276-259-7636.

Roger Mayhorn