Gleanings…from the Web

This edition's summary covers reports to the Virginia Birds listserv for the period from August 28 th to October 19 th. Individuals interested in subscribing to this listserv or reading its archives can find directions on the VSO web page (www.vabirds.org). Inclusion in this column does not imply that the sighting has been accepted by VARCOM (the VSO's Records Committee), or verified in any other way. Nor does omission of a sighting from this column imply that a particular sighting was not credible or noteworthy.

Best bird of the period would probably have to be the one that would establish a new state record. An immature Heerman's Gull, normally found on the west coast, was extensively documented at Craney Island in Virginia Beach City on 8/30-31. There are only a handful of records for the entire East. A White-winged Tern , a native of Europe and Asia , was seen by many at Chincoteague NWR between 9/6-9, and what could have been a Little Curlew as seen as a flyby at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) on 9/24. This species breeds in Siberia and winters in Australia .

Continuing with waterbirds, four Eared Grebes, a western resident, were at South Holston Lake in Washington Co. on 9/14, and a Common Moorhen was present at Dyke Marsh in Fairfax Co. from 9/18-21. A Great White Heron, a color phase of the Great Blue Heron normally found in south Florida, was vacationing in Prince Edward County at Briery Creek Lake Wildlife Management Area from 9/4 to at least mid October, and single Sandhill Cranes flew past the Kiptopeke Hawk Watch on 10/8 and 10/13. There were 15 White Ibises at the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR the weekend of 9/19-21, and two White Pelicans showed up inland a little at Belle Haven in Alexandria from 10/9-13. A Barnacle Goose was at Lake Anna in Orange Co. 8/30 and 9/1, and Eurasian Wigeons were found both at Chincoteague NWR on 10/7 and in Fauquier Co on 10/9. Also in Fauquier Co. on 10/9 was a Greater White-fronted Goose.

Among shorebirds, the most noteworthy were Upland Sandpipers; one was seen on 9/24 near Rural Retreat Lake in Wythe Co., followed by three on 9/28. Buff-breasted Sandpiper reports came mainly from Kiptopeke State Park in Northampton Co. and Chincoteague NWR in Accomack Co., spanning the period from 8/30-9/21, with a maximum of five at Kiptopeke on 9/8 and 9/11, and 11 at Chincoteague on 9/8. An additional individual, however, was in Culpeper Co. at a sod farm on 9/5. Also at this sod farm was a Wilson's Phalarope, nine Black-bellied Plovers, and 24 American Golden-Plovers on 8/31, all unusual inland. Smaller numbers of American Golden-Plovers were alsofound at other inland locations on the Piedmont: one on 8/29 at the Fauquier Co. portion of this sod farm and 17 at the same location on 8/30, one at a sod farm in Loudoun Co. both 8/28 and 8/29, two in Augusta Co. in the Swoope area on 8/29, seven also in Augusta Co. in the Stuarts Draft/Fishersville area, and one at the Roanoke Sewage Treatment Plant on 10/12 . Finally, Baird's Sandpipers were found at several locations: up to three at the Loudoun Co. sod farm 8/28-8/30 and two later on 9/11, one at Hunting Creek in Fairfax Co. 8/28-8/29, two at the Roanoke sewage treatment plant 8/31 and another on 10/12, and a single individual on the weekend of 10/12-13 at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach.

Turning to songbirds, a very good find was the Fork-tailed Flycatcher found the Augusta County Bird Club at the Coursey Springs Fish Hatchery in Bath County on 9/28. Unfortunately, it was not found subsequently. Three sightings of Western Kingbirds in the period were all in southern Northampton Co. on 9/6, 10/5, and 10/19. Other unusual migrants included single Mourning Warblers in Buchanan Co. on 9/19 and in Fairfax Co. on 9/29, and single Connecticut Warblers at Leesylvania State Park in Prince William Co. on 9/14, at Kiptopeke State Park 9/18, in Loudoun Co. on 9/20, and in Fairfax Co. on 9/26. Also, single Philadelphia Warblers were reported at several locations: Leesylvania State Park both 8/31 and 9/24, Kiptopeke State Park 9/12, Reston 9/14, Chincoteague NWR 9/19, Great Falls Park in Fairfax Co. 9/22, sourthern Northampton Co. 9/25, Manassas National Battlefield Park in Prince William Co. 9/28, and at Kiptopeke State Park, Northampton Co. on 10/6 (the last bird banded). Single Olive-sided Flycatchers were noted at Leesylvania State Park 8/30, Whitetop Mountain 9/1, Huntley Meadows in Fairfax Co. 9/2, Shenandoah National Park 9/7, and Northampton Co. the weekend of 9/19-21. Yellow-bellied Flycatchers made a number of appearances: one in southern Northampton Co. 8/30 and another two there 9/5, four banded at Kiptopeke State Park 9/3, two in Shenandoah National Park 9/7, one at Leesylvania State Park 9/24, and one at Huntley Meadows, also on that same day. Single Orange-crowned Warblers were seen both on 10/2 at Leesylvania State Park in Prince William Co. and on 10/10 in Buchanan Co., and unusual sparrow reports included included an immature Lark Sparrow at the CBBT 9/3, single Clay-colored Sparrows on the weekend of 10/12-13, both at False Cape State Park, Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), as well as on 10/19, again at the CBBT. Also at the CBBT the weekend of 10/12-13 was a Lincoln's Sparrow at the CBBT the weekend of 10/12-3, and a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow at the Inn at Afton near Waynesboro on 10/13. Finally, an out-of-season female Evening Grosbeak was reported on Hog Island in Surry Co. on 8/31.

Concluding with raptors, single Mississippi Kites were seen on 9/1 at Kiptopeke State Park, 9/2 at Rockfish Gap, both 9/16 and 9/23 at Candler Mountain here in Lynchburg, and 10/6 in southern Northampton Co. There were two sightings of light morph Swainson's Hawks at the Kiptopeke Hawk Watch on 10/7 and 10/12. A Golden Eagle at the Snickers Gap Hawk Watch on the Loudoun/Clarke Co line on 8/31 was unusually early, as were single Northern Goshawks on both 9/6 at Harvey 's Knob on the Bedford/Botetourt Co. line and on 9/9 at Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro . A rare dark phase Broad-winged Hawk was seen 9/7 in Fauquier Co., and the one-day high count of Broad-winged Hawks reported in the state was 3582 at Harvey's Knob on 9/23.

Gene Sattler