Gleanings off the Web

Birders are among those who have taken advantage of the advent of rapid communication on the Internet via discussion groups. In addition to general discussion forums such as BIRDCHAT, listservs have sprung up to allow the rapid dissemination of information on bird sightings, both rare and not so rare. These listservs range from those covering broad regions such as the eastern U.S. to those confined to a particular state or smaller area.

The value of such listservs is that they give a fairly comprehensive view of day by day changes to a region’s birdlife as they unfold. Not every birder is plugged into the Internet, however, and not everyone with such access has the time to take advantage of it. In this column I will provide a synopsis of some of the more significant bird reports off the VA-BIRDS listserv, spanning the approximately three-month period since the preceding newsletter. Inclusion in this column does not necessarily imply that the sighting has been accepted by VARCOM, the VSO's Records Committee, or verified in any other way. Nor does exclusion of a sighting from this column imply that a particular sighting was not a noteworthy one. I may have merely overlooked it, or its significance.

This month’s summary covers reports to VA-BIRDS for the period from May 24 th to August 23 rd. Individuals interested in information on how to subscribe to this listserv can contact Gene Sattler (edsattle@liberty.edu).

Ongoing range expansions accounted for some of the more unusual reports this summer. After last summer's confirmed nesting of the state's 218 th breeding species, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a male showed up again at the same Culpepper County site by May 5 th and was seen there through at least July 4 th. However, no female was ever seen at the site this year. A few additional sightings of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were also made over the summer. One was a third-hand report off Route 460 between Farmville and Amelia, while the other was along Route 24 in Campbell County (the latter not reported on VA-BIRDS).

Numerous sightings of Mississippi Kites were made this summer, also reflecting a range expansion (the first nesting in Virginia was confirmed in Woodbridge, Prince William County in 1996). Sightings made were of a pair at Huntley Meadows (Fairfax County) through at least the last week of May, one near the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge (ESVNWR) in Northampton County May 28 th, another the same day near the original nesting site in Woodbridge, one in Arlington on May 31 st, separate sightings on June 3 rd at Great Falls N. P. (Fairfax County) and in Buckingham County, 50 miles west of Richmond (possibly a county record there), one in Alexandria on July 14 th, another on the 15 th in Fairfax County along the George Washington Parkway, one in Hanover County north or Richmond on August 3 rd, and two in Chesapeake on August 15 th. Even more unusual were two reports of Swallow-tailed Kites, one on May 26 th in southern Northampton County on the Eastern Shore and the other on June 7 th in Lancaster County at the end of the Northern Neck.

A Eurasian Collared-Dove was seen in southern Northampton County on the Eastern Shore both August 7 th and 23 rd. At least one pair has been seen in this area, where the state's second sighting was made January 31 st. This species, also undergoing a range expansion, was first found in the state in Sterling, Loudoun County, in June of 2000, and was relocated there this March.

The Lynchburg Bird Club's annual Breeding Bird Count, held June 9 th, turned up a Least Bittern, and the Augusta Bird Club's Breeding Bird Count on June 16 th found several Yellow-rumped Warblers on Elliott Knob, where they are suspected of breeding. Two Lark Sparrows seen during the period, one in Appomattox County on June 2 nd and another at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Accomack County on August 21 st. Members of the Bristol Bird Club hiked the Appalachian Trail on Whitetop Mountain in Washington County on June 10 th, finding some unusual breeding species including a Hermit Thrush, a Saw-whet Owl, and unusually high numbers of Black-capped Chickadees. And on June 25 th five Anhingas were seen soaring over the southern Eastern Shore, while one was seen on Stumpy Lake in Virginia Beach June 19 th and August 15 th.

The remaining sightings of interest are of species wandering outside their breeding range. A White-faced Ibis was at the ESVNWR May 28 th, and an immature Northern Gannet was on Onanock Creek in Accomack County July 5 th. Among unusual shorebirds were a Curlew Sandpiper seen at Chincoteague NWR August 16-21 and a very early (or late?) Purple Sandpiper(s) on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnels August 20 th and 23 rd. Finally, a Cave Swallow visited Cape Charles in Northampton County on June 5 th.

- Gene Sattler