Shenandoah River Highlights - 4/23/03

A quick tour of the Shenandoah River, Jefferson County, West Virginia, on the evening of April 23 from 5:30 to 6:15 revealed a few good birds (despite the gusty wind conditions) along John Rissler and Bloomery roads:

Common Loon - 1 (winter-plumaged)
Red-necked Grebe - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 16
Turkey Vulture - 5
Canada Goose - 30
"Graylag" Goose - 2 (see comments below)
Wood Duck - 2
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Purple Martin - 5+
Barn Swallow - 2
Tree Swallow - many
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - a few
Louisiana Waterthrush - 1

The two "Graylags" were feeding with a small flock of Canada Geese along John Rissler Road. They had many of the classic features of Greater White-fronted Geese (e.g., dark, chocolate-colored head and neck, with white flecking on the hind-neck; white on forehead and behind the bill; gray back; pinkish-orange bill, legs, and feet), but the lower breast and belly were light gray, more closely resembling those of a Canada Goose. The birds also appeared too bulky for typical wild Greater White-fronts, especially in the belly, but were not nearly as bulky as the bird featured in Sibley's guide (p. 89)

Invasive Species in West Virginia

The impact of invasive species on West Virginia's natural resources and economy is the focus of a paper prepared by WVU professor James T. Anderson and others, and released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

From the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette: Invasive species harming state economy

From the Union of Concerned Scientists: Invasive species degrade West Virginia ecosystems (this site includes a link to a 16-page report)

According to the report, 3.5% of West Virginia's birds (6 of 172 species) are non-native. I'm not quite sure where these figures come from. By my calculations 170 species have been confirmed breeding in West Virginia during or since the Breeding Bird Atlas project, and 8 species have been introduced with self-sustaining populations now more or less established. The are:
Canada Goose (breeding population), Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Ring-necked Pheasant, Rock Dove, European Starling, House Finch, and House Sparrow. Wild populations of 3 native species have been supplemented with introductions: Osprey (breeding population), Peregrine Falcon (breeding population), and Wild Turkey.

Forster's Tern on Shenandoah River--Again!

This afternoon was overcast and drizzly, so I decided to make a quick check of the Shenandoah River, Jefferson County, on the way home from work. Imagine my surprise when one of the first birds I spotted was a Forster's Tern perched on a log with three Double-crested Cormorants--my second observation of this species in the Eastern Panhandle in 10 days. This was just south of the Route 9 bridge along John Rissler Road. I noted a total of 8 waterbird species south and north of the Route 9 bridge, as follows:

Red-necked Grebe 1 (1 south of Route 9 / 0 north of Route 9)
Double-crested Cormorant 22 (7 / 15)
Canada Goose 16 (10 / 6) - including 3 apparent Canada x White-fronted hybrids
Wood Duck 4 (3 / 1)
Green-winged Teal 1 (0 / 1) adult male
Ruddy Duck 10 (0 / 10) about 50:50 males (in full breeding plumage) and females
Forster's Tern 1 (1 / 0)
Belted Kingfisher 1 (1 / 0)

Belated Bird Notes from the Shenandoah River

At mid-morning on Sunday, April 13th, I made a quick visit to the Shenandoah River in Jefferson County, West Virginia. I started at the Shannondale Springs Wildlife Management Area, but with the river at or above flood stage, the River Trail was inaccessible. Crossing back to the other side of the river via the Route 9 bridge, I checked the river from John Rissler and Bloomery roads. Here's what I saw:

Red-necked Grebe 5
Double-crested Cormorant 7
Canada Goose 15
Wood Duck 7
Mallard 1
Bonaparte's Gull 85
Belted Kingfisher 1

The Bonaparte's Gulls exhibited a behavior in which they would fly upstream (singly and in small groups), land on the surface of the water, and float downstream in the rapidly moving current, all the while picking at the surface of the water for food items caught in the floating detritus. The grebes, geese, and ducks were all very close to shore (and the road) among the flooded trees and bushes, where the current was least strong.

Altona Marsh Morning

On Sunday morning, April 13th, I spent 2 hours and 20 minutes (from 6:10 to 8:30 AM) hiking the old railroad tracks at Altona Marsh, Jefferson County, West Virginia. A cool morning (starting with temperatures in the 40's) with little wind and clear skies. Highlights included BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN FLICKER, BROWN THRASHER, and FIELD SPARROW, with a total of 510 individuals of 31 species. In addition to the birds, Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) were in full bloom.

Great Blue Heron 2
Canada Goose 127 (including several pairs on territory)
Wood Duck 7
Mallard 3
BLUE-WINGED TEAL 5 (rare in spring in the Eastern Panhandle)
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Mourning Dove 19
Rock Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
NORTHERN FLICKER 12 (appeared to be a small movement of birds into the area)
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 2
Tree Swallow 8
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 3
American Robin 12
Northern Mockingbird 4
BROWN THRASHER 2 (my first sightings of the spring)
European Starling 49
Northern Cardinal 12
FIELD SPARROW 1 (singing)
White-throated Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 18 (much territorial singing)
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Red-winged Blackbird 154 (I observed fair numbers of females for the first time this spring)
Common Grackle 25
American Goldfinch 27

A Murder of Fish Crows

On Thursday evening, April 10th, I saw a huge flock of Fish Crows in a pasture beside Paynes Ford Road about one-half mile wast of the Leetown Pike and the National Fisheries Research Center. The pasture is located on the left-hand side of the road (if headed west) just before the road makes a 90 degree left-hand turn. I lost count at 180 birds, and estimated that there were at least 200 and possibly as many as 250 birds. Most of the birds were packed tightly together into a single group that was loafing on the ground, with a couple other small groups of birds perched on power lines adjacent to the road. The birds were identified as Fish Crows primarily by their nasal "caw" notes. I heard no calls of the Common Crow. This was the same location where I reported a flock of at least 155 Fish Crows on April 3, 2001, but inexplicably placed them at a different (and, as I have now discovered, wrong) spot on the map.

Cormorants for Sale on eBay

Cormorants have been one of my favorite groups of birds since the early 1970’s when I became acquainted with Pelagic and Red-faced cormorants in the western Aleutian Islands. So, I am occasionally tempted to check eBay to see what kind of cormorant item are being offerred for sale. On Saturday, April 12, 2003, the following 32 items were being advertised (these seeming to be fairly representative of the range of items that one can expect to find on any given day):

Antiques:Asian Antiques:Chinese (Pre-1900):Other Items (3 items) - Three paintings, all depicting white herons and/or egrets, NOT cormorants (see example). I don’t know why, but this practice of referring to herons and/or egrets as cormorants seems prevalent in several Asian cultures, as I’ve witnessed it before on eBay; maybe it’s a translation thing. All of these items are being offerred by dealers located in China. Starting bids: $9.50-15.00

Antiques:Ethnographic (Pre-1900):Native American (1 item) - This 12” x 18” artists proof of a cormorant print by Haida artist Jim Gilbert is very nice, but falsely advertised as a pre-1900 antique. The artist lived from 1932-2000, and this print wasn’t commissioned until 1979! Starting bid: $49.95.

Antiques & Art:Art Paintings:General (1 item) - An original painting, “Cormorant on Rock,” signed by artist R. Williamson. Starting bird: $7.84.

Art Paintings:Contemporary (1950-Now):Other (9 items) - Again, all nine nine of these paintings depict white herons, egrets, or ibises, NOT cormorants (see example). All of these items are being offerred by dealers located in China. Starting bids: $9.20-9.99.

Art Prints:Antique (Pre-1900):Natural History (6 items) - Antique art prints, nearly all of them torn from old books, are among the more popular cormorant items offered on eBay, but a category that I shun. I despise the practice of destroying valuable old books for the purpose of selling individual prints. Starting bids: $3.95-9.95.

Books:Magazines & Catalogs:Magazine Back Issues:Automotive & Motorcycle (1 item) - The summer 1978 issue of the Packard Cormorant, a magazine that was published for owners of Packard automobiles. These are a popular item on eBay. Starting bid (Buy it Now): $3.

Collectibles:Cultures, Ethnicities:Native Americana (1 item) - A walrus ivory sculpture carved and signed by King Island Inupiaq Eskimo artist Brian Kulik. A very nice piece of authentic Native Americana. Starting bid: $62.00.

Collectibles:Militaria:Other Militaria (1 item) - A cast plaque replica ship’s crest from the HMCS Cormorant. Starting bid: $7.99.

Collectibles:Transportation:Autumobile:Hood Ornaments, Emblems (1 item) - A hood ornament from the Packard automobile. These are popular items on eBay. Starting bid: $49.99.

Collectibles:Vintage Sewing:Thimbles (1 item) - One of the more unique cormorant items I’ve ever ever encountered on eBay. From the Sutherland England “Birds of Britain” thimble series, which featured birds native to the United Kingdom. Originally manufactured in the late 80’s (notice it doesn’t specify 1880’s or 1980’s). Starting bid: $6.27.

Jewelry & Watches: Costume Jewelry:Vintage:Bakelite, Plastics (1 item) - This pin, described as a “Lea Stein Vintage Lacy Cormorant Bird,” is tacky and way overpriced, in my humble opinion. Starting bid: $52.00.

Stamps:United States:Covers, Events (6 items) - Cancellations and first-day covers from the USS Cormorant are routinely available on eBay (see example). Starting bids: $2.00-5.75.

Dreary Weather Yields Excitement On Shenandoah River

Monday, April 7th, seemed like an interminably long day at the office–the combination of a one-hour time change the day before, too little sleep the previous night, a lingering cold, and crappy weather. On the long drive from work, all I could think about was getting home so I could lie down and take a nap. But a voice in the back of my mind told me that the ground-soaking steady rain, overcast skies, and fog might act to "ground" migrants along the Shenandoah River corridor in Jefferson County, West Virginia.

As it turned out, the river provided almost more excitement than this old man's heart could stand, resulting in the sighting of four super birds for the Eastern Panhandle: COMMON LOON, CANVASBACK, BONAPARTE'S GULL, FORSTER'S TERN.

While crossing the Route 9 bridge, a TERN-like (!) bird flew across the road in front of me. Much to my chagrin, I lost sight of this bird when I made the turn onto Bloomery Road, thinking I would never see it again. I parked at Moulton Park, where I noted at least 2 Red-necked Grebes and several Double-crested Cormorants. I then noted what appeared to be a major passage of Tree and Northern Rough-winged swallows northward along the river. The birds seemed to be purposely moving downstream just above the surface of the water; there was very little of the milling, swarming, and twisting flight more typical of foraging flocks. I then determined to try to make a timed count of passing swallows. Almost immediately, the TERN appeared again right in front of me. It passed by my advantage point several times and even made a couple of plunge-dives. It was finally determined to be a FORSTER'S TERN by the combination of medium size, overall white appearance, bill orange-red at the base and dark at the tip, black cap (except for a white forehead), very light forewings on dorsal surface, and relatively long deeply-forked tail. While watching the FORSTER'S, two BONAPARTE'S GULLS flew by and landed on the river (a nice bonus).

At this point, Matt Orsie (who had arrived just in time to see the FORSTER'S) and I exchanged greetings and reflected on our uncommonly good luck. I then proceeded north on Bloomery Road toward the spillway. A half-mile from Moulton Park, a FORSTER'S TERN (presumably the same bird) was noted resting on a log with two BONAPARTE'S GULLS, making a nice comparison. A few seconds later, a COMMON LOON in full breeding plumage was sighted near the road, offering a very brief but unmistakable glimpse as it plunged into the water. This is a species I have been looking for on the Shenandoah for the better part of 10 years; perseverance pays off. And finally, a female-plumaged CANVASBACK was hidden in a large raft of Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads, and Ring-necked Ducks located about a half-mile further down-river, just above the rapids.

To the comprehensive list of 20 species of waterbirds posted to the West Virginia bird listserv last evening by Matt Orsie, I can add two more: Red-breasted Merganser (4) and Belted Kingfisher (1 heard). I left too early to witness the incredible raft of 142 BONAPARTE'S GULLS that Matt reported, but I did enjoy watching the Double-crested Cormorants fly in to their night-time tree roosts; I had a minimum count of 48 birds.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. While watching the swallows skim the surface of the water, a larger, darker bird whizzed by heading north, also right on the deck. I at first thought that it was some species of shorebird, but soon determined that it was a Merlin. At one point it nearly collided (quite by accident, I believe) with a surprised swallow, but the swallow lived to fly another day.

In less than a half-hour, I had experienced perhaps my most exciting day of birding in West Virginia. Wow!

Bruno and the Bird Feeder

This week’s Puzzler on Car Talk (the NPR weekly radio program) asks, “Why didn’t the birds fly into the feeder from the same direction?” To listen to or read the puzzler question, place your cursor over Our Lousy Radio Show, then click on Puzzler. If you think you know the answer, don’t share it with a soul! Instead, email your answer to the Car Talk Web site, and you may win a prize, even have your name read on the air! The correct answer will be revealed on Monday, April 14th, at noon Eastern time.