2010 Club Activities

The club continues to provide nest boxes for Eastern Bluebirds throughout the county with over 70 boxes on Compton Mountain, Keen Mountain and the Breaks community. The boxes are monitored each week and the information about the number of eggs and young is recorded. At the end of the nesting season the data is sent to the Virginia Bluebird Society. By looking at the information for each nesting season the VBS can determine how the bluebird population is doing. Two-hundred forty-five young bluebirds were fledged from the nest boxes in 2010 with seventy-six young birds from other species that also nested in some of the boxes. David Raines has monitored the nest boxes in the Breaks area for several years. Rosemarie Miller joined as a trail monitor last year and did an excellent job of monitoring the nest boxes at Keen Mountain Park. Roger and Lynda Mayhorn monitor the nest boxes on Compton Mountain. Roger is also the Buchanan County coordinator for the Virginia Bluebird Society and each year submits a report with all of the information from all of the trails to the Society. Since the nest boxes were first erected in 2003, 2,028 young birds have fledged from the boxes. Club members have seen an increase in the number of Eastern Bluebirds in the area since the bluebird program first began.

In the spring of 2010 club members received information from different sources that a pair of Bald Eagles were nesting on the Levisa River in Kentucky. This was important news since no eagles in recent history had been found nesting anywhere in the area. Club president Roger Mayhorn and Vice President David Raines went to check it out, but by that time the foliage was too thick to see the nest, but the two adult eagles were found in the area. In April 2011 the two returned to try again, accompanied by club member Don Carrier of Bristol. The nest was found, and both adult eagles were observed on and near the nest. One young eaglet could be seen above the edge of the nest. This is the first eagle nest discovered on the Big Sandy watershed. Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles are becoming more common in the area. In January 2011 club member David Raines saw a Golden Eagle fly over the Breaks Interstate Park. Club member Tom Hunter of Lebanon, VA saw eight Golden Eagles in Russell County on February 13. Both Bald and Golden Eagles spend the winter in Burkes Garden in Tazewell County

In May 2010 several club members went on the club's annual trip to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ottawa County, Ohio on Lake Erie. The birders went to see the birds migrating northward, as they stop in the woods and marshes near the lake to feed and wait for favorable winds to help them get across the lake into Canada. The group was able to see one hundred thirty-seven species of beautiful song birds in their bright spring plumage.

On June 5th 2010 Buchanan County resident Garret Dales found a baby American Kestrel near Harman. The American Kestrel is one of the smallest falcons in North America. They are routinely seen in Tazewell, Russell and Washington Counties, but are not often found within Buchanan County. This young bird was the first proof that the species nests here. When no help could be found for the bird through the proper channels it was successfully raised by Roger Mayhorn and released into the wild.

Roger and Lynda Mayhorn hosted their eighth annual Warbler Day on September 11, 2010 when birders from several different states were invited to their home to watch the migration of fall warblers, small colorful songbirds, making their way southward to escape the cold of winter. Thirty-one birders were on hand to watch and marvel at these strikingly beautiful jewels of the bird world. The birders also received a free lunch with some desserts being brought by those attending. Fifty-one different species of birds were counted for the day. The number was down somewhat from previous years, probably due to off and on rainy conditions.

While boating on John Flannagan Reservoir on October 19 Roger and Lynda Mayhorn found a Sora Rail, a baseball sized, brown marsh bird with large feet, feeding along the shore. This was the first reported sighting of that species on the lake. The bird was probably migrating through the area and dropped down to feed.

A few days before on October 14 club members Roger Mayhorn and Sheldon Woods were very surprised to find a school of nickel sized, freshwater jellyfish in a quiet cove of the lake. These jellyfish, also known as Appalachian Jellyfish, appear from time to time in quiet lakes and ponds, but disappear within a couple of months.

On October 23, 2010 David and Susan Raines hosted their annual Sparrow Day at their house in Breaks, VA. October is the month when many sparrows migrate through the area, and the Raines home place has great habitat for them. A month earlier in September a very rare Le Conte's Sparrow had suddenly appeared at the Raines home place. Twelve birders showed up on this frosty morning to participate in the search for sparrows. Hot cider and hot coffee were provided by the Raines, and Susan later served Hot Sante Fe soup for lunch. The day was a great success. Club members were happy to have former club vice president Ed Talbott III join them for the day. Ed and his wife Michelle had moved to Richmond, Kentucky and were not usually available to attend the club's outings.

The members of the Buchanan County Bird Club went on a birding outing on November 20th to the New River and Bluestone Dam near Hinton, West Virginia. There they were joined by members of the Bibbee Nature Club of Bluefield, WV. The group spent the day looking for Bald Eagles and waterfowl.

Eagles are becoming almost common in that area, and the group was not disappointed when upon arrival in the area an adult Bald Eagle went flying by overhead.

The Buchanan County Bird Club conducted its third Christmas Bird Count on January 3, 2011. Christmas bird counts are conducted all over the U.S. and Canada at that time of year sponsored by Cornell University and the Audubon Society to gather information as to which species of birds are wintering in an area. The club found 44 bird species and 1,251 individual birds. Club members also participate in the Russell County Christmas Bird Count and the Breaks Park Christmas Bird Count when dates do not conflict.

On December 28, 2010 David Raines found an unusual bird at his feeder in the Breaks community. A Harris's Sparrow, a sparrow sized bird normally found in the mid-western U.S. was here in Buchanan County. The bird remained around the Raines yard until February then disappeared only to reappear again in April. This is the first time this species has ever been recorded in Buchanan County.

This spring club members have been working with the Virginia Department of Game to monitor the Breaks Park for Peregrine Falcons. The Peregrine Falcon, a bird of prey capable of diving at 200 miles per hour, has not nested in the park since the early 1960's. In recent years the Virginia Department of Game has released nineteen young Peregrines into the park in the hope that some might return to nest in the area. Club members are monitoring the park on a weekly basis to see if any Peregrines have returned, and if so to find where they are nesting.

The Buchanan County Bird Club welcomes anyone who is interested in birds. Many of the club's activities can be found online at the club's web site at http://www.bcbirdclub.org/ The club meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Buchanan County Public Library. Anyone is welcome to attend its meetings or outings.

Roger Mayhorn