View Full Version : Virginia A.T. birds
Today I'm launching the 3rd thread in the A.T. bird series, Virginia, in an attempt to not fall behind leaf-out and some of the earlier northbound A.T. through hikers walking with spring, one of whom expressed interest in ATBC early on.
http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/birds.htm (http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/birds.htm)
SNP bird list (http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/upload/Birds_of_Shenandoah_National_Park.pdf)
johnnybgood
04-19-2010, 20:18
Veery, (Catharus Fuscescens) and their flute like song commonly heard in SNP.
One reason I wanted to get this thread underway now is to call attention to the fact that Scarlet Tanagers (http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/scarlet-tanager.htm) will be arriving soon and before leaf-out is the best time to see them. A direct link to an SNP page is linked to my last sentence for those who missed it earlier.
I see many of the links provided by SNP are no longer good. Pennsylvania Game Commission's Wildlife Note 56 Tanagers (http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:2YC1HddQnjkJ:www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/706658/tanagers_pdf+Pennsylvania+Game+Commission+tanager&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESipDSbTJ4QeX0vnTCucPCl871oxtgEwyMw8fxNt RAR_-hGS_cIxLCVy-xoOnNhX34D_wHqKnl_TcQ8PVHXeHcG6Y7JLZjS2dDmPHk5gnsu k4LNHDjGfrCXh8QK9Y8xmBbNK-mcy&sig=AHIEtbRFmA6GsdyjrRnnnnzKvvadSyn8vw) by Chuck Fergus is worth reading.
Scarlet Tanagers are to be expected where I post the first week of May. April 25 is the earliest date on record.
berkshirebirder
04-19-2010, 21:19
Here's a weird (but interesting) piece of bird trivia: in fall, adult male Scarlet Tanagers change plumage before migrating. They turn olive-yellow and look much like the adult female, except their wings remain black (darker than females' wings).
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/579/overview/Scarlet_Tanager.aspx
Yesterday the 1st Scarlet Tanager sightings of 2010 were posted to Pennsylvania eBird. I would think them in SNP now. Anyone know how to access this information for Virginia and can link it for us?
I've been monitoring hits and posts to A.T. bird threads and expect to devote my efforts to those threads where I observe the most active participation in the form of questions and comments. Right now, it appears to be where the most long distance hikers are likely to be found too.
NPS lists Northern Parula (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Parula/lifehistory) as a common warbler of Shenandoah National Park. An outstanding gallery (http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/northern_parula) devoted to this species has been posted to PBase by Greg Lavaty.
Audubon in its State of the Birds report (2007) recognized Northern Bobwhite as #1 common bird in decline (http://stateofthebirds.audubon.org/CBID/profile.php?id=1) due to its population decrease of 82 percent in 40 years. Virginia is one of the states where A.T. hikers might hear or see bobwhite also known as quail.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whip-poor-will/lifehistory (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whip-poor-will/lifehistory)
I spoke recently with an A.T. through hiker who reported having heard a whip-poor-will in Shenandoah National Park. Since Virginia may afford the best opportunity to hear them, I thought I would call attention to the possibility.