Eastern Screech-Owl

If a mysterious trill catches your attention in the night, bear in mind the spooky sound may come from an owl no bigger than a pint glass. The Eastern Screech-Owl is a short, stocky bird, with a large head and almost no neck. Pointed ear tufts are often raised, lending its head a distinctive silhouette. Whatever the overall color, they are patterned with complex bands and spots that give the bird excellent camouflage against tree bark. Eyes are yellow.

Red and gray individuals occur across the range of the Eastern Screech-Owl, with about one-third of all individuals being red. The Eastern Screech-Owl is known to eat a variety of songbirds, including the European Starling.

"Both of these Eastern Screech-Owls were located in barns near Burkes Garden, VA."

Tundra Swan

On wintry days, flocks of North America’s most numerous swans gather on lakes and estuaries or descend out of gray skies. These elegant creatures—slightly smaller than our other native species, the Trumpeter Swan—nest on arctic tundra and visit the U.S. only on migration and in winter. Most have a smudge of yellow at the base of their black bill, but otherwise are pure white.
Lewis and Clark provided the first written description of the Tundra Swan during their expedition to the West, where the birds’ whistle-like calls prompted Meriwether Lewis to dub them “whistling swans.”
Swans have long been associated with ideals of romance. Added to their elegant outlines and all-white plumage is their tendency to form permanent pair bonds.

"Nine Tundra Swans were seen at Falls Mills Lake on December 2, 2015"

Bird Watching

Bird Watching (aka Birding)

Birding has many aspects and challenges. I began “Bird Watching” when my son saw articles about Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) with eBird.org. He knew my love for nature and that I fed birds each winter. My initial response: “I don’t know about this.”

I gave it a try. I set up an account with eBird and started entering birds. I quickly found out there was not a listing for “red bird, blue bird, yellow like bird, etc.” How many blue-like birds are there anyway? What in the world is a “supercilium”? Again, my response: “I don’t know about this.”

After a few entries on eBird, I received a call. The person on the other end of the line identified himself as a member of a bird club. Without taking a breath, he asked me, “Who are you?”   My reply, “I’m Clancey Deel of Home Electric. How can I help you?” I answered while wondering what a bird club was. He went on trying to explain why he made the phone call and that he wanted to meet with me.  “What electrical problem are you having?” I asked. After a chuckle, he explained he wanted to talk to me about the bird entries I had been making.

Meeting with him, he explained that he had been monitoring my entries and some were exciting and some were not so good with major errors. After an hour of talking about nothing but birds, I promised I would work on my bird watching and “my entries”.

A year passed with several entries and just as many corrections.  Not only did I receive corrections from my bird expert, but from people that I had never seen or heard of. Because I was posting photos with the species, they could see that I “needed help”.  Boy, some of those guys can be tough. “The little yellow feather is out place for the specie you posted. ” What feathers are you talking about?” I knew my photo was not that good. How can you see a YELLOW feather?”  And….. just “Who are you, anyway?”

I was ready to give up on this project. I wanted something that allowed me to relax and enjoy my love of nature. A little later a challenge was given to me to research owls in Burkes Garden. To the relief of my expert, I spent the next year looking and listening for my nocturnal feathered friends. I was hooked. This “birding” thing is fun.

Since Tazewell County does not have an active bird club, I joined Buchanan County Bird Club (BCBC). My new mentors are members of that club.  Members have nearly 50 years of experience, each in the field of bird watching. Roger Mayhorn, Ed Talbott III, Dave Raines and Don Carrier are often called upon to ID birds for me. Daryl Owens, who has less than 10 years of experience in the field but 50+ years of knowledge, is a regular on my “to call” list. When I find a bird I cannot ID, my “yellow” bird photo, along with my thoughts, is sent.

My ability to see and to hear worsens with age and often gets in the way of my birding in the field.  Therefore I rely on my camera and the computer for a bird’s correct identification. I have decided not to allow finding many bird species or getting all the birds ID correctly to keep me from enjoying nature. You see, one can get hung up on getting a “lifer” or getting 500+ species in one’s life time (lifers) and thus miss out on the important things: being with nature (the Lord’s gift), helping with data that checks the health of our ecosystem and helping one’s own health (relaxing, walking trails, etc).

Finally, I am able to answer my own first question, “I DO know about this”.

Comments:

Daryl Owens Thanks for the kind words Clancey! It is certainly been a pleasure to become friends with you over the past few years and, as usual, you are much too modest! Clancey failed to relate that when he shares his “thoughts” that 9+ times out of 10 he already has it right!

Clancey Deel - Thanks, As usual you are the modest expert (experienced amateur)

Judy Wells Vass Alltizer Enjoyed reading this , Clancy ! Mike and myself have always liked bird watching , but , you sparked our interest to do even more ! And what fun we have had ! What beautiful birds we have found because of you ! You have been a great friend to us and mentor with " birding " ! Looking forward to getting started again after Christmas beginning on the first of the year with a trip to find some Sandhill Cranes ! Hope your health improves and looking forward to doing some birding with you in the new year !!!!

Clancey Deel - I hope you get to see the Whooping Cranes.

Don Carrier Clancy you have duplicated my story into birding and I have to say you are one of my favorite birders. We've all made mistakes but we keep going and I believe you have added more data that a I have to SW Virginia records. It's a pleasure to bird with you and history will remember you as a great contributor.

Clancey Deel - Don Carrier I'm the fortunate person to meet members of BCBC in Burkes Garden while they were checking out Golden Eagles. They invite me to join the club. It has been great experience meeting and making friends. Hope we will have a great year in 2020.

David Raines Hey Clancey, thanks for sharing your journey into birding. It's a great story and I appreciate your kind words. Wish we could bird together more often. You are definitely making a tremendous contribution to the birding community. May you always enjoy taking time for your studies!

Clancey Deel - David Raines I wrote the article to encourage someone to start birding and hopefully someone would start a club for Tazewell County simliar to BCBC (as you can see by the comments - great people)

Glen Eller You are a natural Clancey, keep up the good work. We need more "birders" like you.

Clancey Deel - Glen Eller You are a great person who encourages others. Hope you have a great Christmas!

Roger Mayhorn Clancy, I have really enjoyed being a part of your birding journey. It has been a pleasure to watch, as you have not only become very proficient at identifying birds, despite your physical problems, but to watch as you carved out a birding niche for yourself by taking on the gathering of much needed birding data in Tazewell County, especially in Burkes Garden. You have made many valuable contributions for that area by by remaining a dedicated birder, and by finding many species formerly unknown there. I look forward to more birding with you,and to have you once again join me to enjoy the birding during the fall migration at my place. Good health and good birding in this coming year.

Clancey Deel - Roger Mayhorn Thanks. I have the photo book.

Linda Weatherly Shroyer I would love for there to be an interest in a bird club in Tazewell again! I'm a terrible organizer unfortunately, but I'd be "in."

Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. They are relatively uncommon denizens of wooded swamps, breeding in the boreal forest and wintering in the eastern U.S. In winter, they travel in small flocks and are identified by their distinctive rusty feather edges and pallid yellow eyes.
Rusty Blackbirds are often gather in small flocks in winter, sometimes mix with Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and European Starlings.
The Rusty Blackbird has undergone one of the sharpest and most mystifying recent declines of any North American songbird. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates that populations declined by 6.2 percent every year between 1966 and 2010—a cumulative decline of 94 percent.

"Only, three sightings in two years: (7) individuals in January 2014 at Burkes Garden, (2) individuals in October 2014 at Falls Mills and (15) individuals with Red-winged Black Birds in October 2015 at Burkes Garden".

Wilson’s Snipes

Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature.
Because a Wilson’s Snipe’s eyes are set far back on its head, it can see almost as well behind as in front and to the sides. This arrangement makes it difficult for a potential predator to sneak up on a feeding snipe—it almost literally has “eyes in the back of its head.”
The word “sniper” originated in the 1770s among British soldiers in India who hunted snipe as game. The birds are fast, erratic flight style means they are difficult targets.

House Finch

The House Finch is a recent introduction from western into eastern North America (and Hawaii), but it has received a warmer reception than other arrivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow.
The House Finch was originally a bird of the western United States and Mexico. In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds (“Hollywood finches”). They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.
The more pigment in the food, the redder the male are. Females (plain grayish-brown with thick, blurry streaks) prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find.

"The female (bottom/right) seems to be having a difficult time choosing from the suitors."

Killdeer

A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey.
The Killdeer’s broken-wing act leads predators away from a nest, but doesn’t keep cows or horses from stepping on eggs. To guard against large hoofed animals, the Killdeer uses a quite different display, fluffing itself up, displaying its tail over its head, and running at the beast to attempt to make it change its path.

"My largest count for the killdeer was made today (10/29/15) at 158. They congregate into large flocks during migration."

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Yellow-rumped Warblers are impressive in the sheer numbers with which they flood the continent each fall. Shrubs and trees fill with the streaky brown-and-yellow birds.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles. They are perhaps the most versatile foragers of all warblers. They're the warbler you're most likely to see fluttering out from a tree to catch a flying insect, and they're also quick to switch over to eating berries in fall. There are two separate races, "Audubon's" (western) and "Myrtle" (eastern).
"A large flock was encountered eating wax myrtle berries in Burkes Garden on October 17, 2015. The registered count was 24, but many were flying away that could not officially be counted."

  

Ruffed Grouse

The dappled, grayish or reddish Ruffed Grouse is hard to see, but its “drumming on air” display is a fixture of many spring forests. It can come as a surprise to learn this distant sound, like an engine trying to start, comes from a bird at all.
Ruffed Grouse can digest bitter, often toxic plants that many birds can’t handle. The toes of Ruffed Grouse grow projections off their sides in winter, making them look like combs. The projections are believed to act as snowshoes to help the grouse walk across snow.

"After three years of effort, I was able to photograph this Grouse in Burkes Garden on October 9, 2015. This is the first recorded Ruffed Grouse in Burkes Garden."

Loggerhead Shrike

The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird with a raptor’s habits. A denizen of grasslands and other open habitats throughout much of North America, this masked black, white, and gray predator hunts from utility poles, fence posts and other conspicuous perches, preying on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. Lacking a raptor’s talons, Loggerhead Shrikes skewer their kills on thorns or barbed wire or wedge them into tight places for easy eating. Their numbers have dropped sharply in the last half-century.

"Burkes Garden and surrounding areas still have Loggerhead Shrikes. This one was seen in Burkes Garden on October 7, 2015"

Northern Pintail

Slim and long-necked, the Northern Pintail has a distinctive silhouette. The male is easy to identify by his striking markings and long tail, but even the female can be recognized by her graceful, long-necked shape.
Northern Pintail populations have declined throughout most of their range at a rate of 2.6 percent per year between 1966 and 2010, resulting in a cumulative decline of 69 percent, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

"This pair of Pintails was seen in Burkes Garden on October 3, 2015. A very early occurrence for this location."

Forster's Tern

One of several medium-sized terns that are similar in appearance, the Forster's Tern breeds primarily in marshes and winters along the coasts. The comma-shaped black ear patch in winter plumage is distinctive, but some other plumages are very confusing. Forster's Tern is the only tern restricted almost entirely to North America throughout the year.

"Three Forster's visited Burkes Garden on September 25, 2015 when a high pressure in New England and a low pressure on South Carolina's Atlantic Coast produced eastward prevailing winds with 40 MPH gusts that was aimed directly at southwest Virginia. The terns were able to ride the winds to Burkes Garden. A rare occurrence".

American Golden-Plover

A large shorebird of pastures, open ground, and mudflats, the American Golden-Plover makes one of the longest migratory journeys of any shorebird. It breeds on the high Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada and winters in the grasslands of central and southern South America. The bird's migratory routes includes of over 25,000 miles. Of this, 2,400 miles are over open ocean where it cannot stop to feed or drink.
"This Golden-Plover was seen in Burkes Garden on September 21, 2015. A very rare occurrence."

Owls

"My pursuit of finding and photographing owls in Tazewell County has been slow. With help and permissions from land owners, I have a couple photos to share"

The Eastern Screech-Owl is a small, short, stocky bird, with a large head and almost no neck. Its wings are rounded; its tail is short and square. Pointed ear tufts are often raised, lending its head a distinctive silhouette.

Barred Owls are large, stocky owls with rounded heads, no ear tufts, and medium length, rounded tails.

Barred Owls are mottled brown and white overall, with dark brown, almost black, eyes. The underparts are mostly marked with vertical brown bars on a white background, while the upper breast is crossed with horizontal brown bars. The wings and tail are barred brown and white.

Great Horned Owls are mottled gray-brown, with reddish brown faces and a neat white patch on the throat. Their overall color tone varies regionally from sooty to pale.
These are large, thick-bodied owls with two prominent feathered tufts on the head. The wings are broad and rounded. In flight, the rounded head and short bill combine to create a blunt-headed silhouette.

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings
Bald meaning derived from Greek phalios having a white spot.
"Burkes Garden has an ongoing (years) nest that can be seen from Burkes Garden General Store parking area. It is located on James Hanes' property (Hanes Underwear)."

Proud Parent

Courtship (January 2015)

Nesting (February - June 2015)

Baby (July 2015)

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorants are large waterbirds with small heads on long, kinked necks. They have thin, strongly hooked bills, roughly the length of the head. Their heavy bodies sit low in the water.
Double-crested Cormorants float low on the surface of water and dive to catch small fish. After fishing, they stand on docks, rocks, and tree limbs with wings spread open to dry.

"This immature Cormorant was seen on the Clinch River (North Tazewell) in the latter part of July, 2015. It may be an early migrate from the breeding grounds near the Great Lakes"

Red-tailed Hawk

Most Red-tailed Hawks are rich brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the wing underside, a dark bar between shoulder and wrist. The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds it’s brown and banded. “Dark-morph” birds are all chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-morph” birds are reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly.

"The following Red-tails were seen scouting for escaping rodents while hay was being baled in Burkes Garden, Va. (July 25, 2015)"

Great Egret

The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds.

"The Great Egret's summer vagrant migration in Tazewell County usually begins the latter part of July. 'Vagrant Migration' refers to the northward movement of birds that were reared in the south (Gulf Coast in this case) of the current year. They are normally the young that were forced to find new feeding grounds. They will continue to move northward if the newly found food source will not support the numbers. As the temperatures drop, the return southward migration to the Gulf will begin (normally in October for Tazewell County)."

October 20, 2014 in North Tazewell (Clinch River)

Burkes Garden on July 22, 2015

Burkes Garden on July 22, 2015

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Wild Turkeys

Early settlers in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries were dependent on wild game for meat year round due to inadequate methods of food preservation. Wild turkey and other game were staple food items for settlers who explored and developed the Virginia countryside. But with increasing colonization, wild game was also hunted professionally and sold at markets to feed the growing human population in larger towns and cities. Wild game meats were sold in quantities comparable to domestic animals, and at a fraction of the cost of domestic meats.

Early settlers survived by taming the land with ax and plow. Forests were cut to make way for agricultural production and lumbering. By the turn of the 20th Century the landscape of Virginia had changed significantly from the days when settlers first arrived at Jamestown. The extensive forests that were havens for wild turkey and other wildlife were gone. Most forests had been cut for lumber or to developed as agricultural lands for crops or grazing domestic animals. These changes in habitat conditions, combined with market hunting, led to the disappearance of wild turkeys from 2/3 of Virginia and they had become rare in other sections. Populations of wild turkeys in Virginia were probably at their lowest during the period from 1880 to 1910.

These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight as flocks stride around woods and clearings like miniature dinosaurs. Courting males puff themselves into feathery balls and fill the air with exuberant gobbling.

"The turkeys were strutting their stuff on March 19, 2015 near Lincolnshire Park, North Tazewell"

Wood Ducks

The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches.The Wood Duck nests in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times over a mile away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of over 50 feet without injury.
When females begin incubation, the male abandons the female and clutch and forms flocks with other males. By mid-summer the molting process begins for the male. The male loses his flight feathers all at the same time. This means they cannot fly and are at high risk of predation. During this time they move into remote places that are full of tall reeds where they can hide. This molting process takes up to four weeks. The male will have a more drab appearance and look similar to the female but maintaining bill color.

"First photo was taken at North Tazewell (Clinch River) on March 14, 2015 (migration arrival). The second photo was taken at Burkes Garden (Gose Mill Pond) on June 27, 2015. Note: In the 2nd photo's lower row, the second duck from the left is an example of a male in full molt."

Barn Owl

 Ghostly pale and strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening for their eerie, raspy calls, quite unlike the hoots of other owls. Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss.
Most birds cannot chew their food and owls are no exception. Owls and other raptors usually swallow their prey whole. They do not have a crop, the bag like organ used to store food after it has been swallowed so that it can be digested later.The bones, skulls, claws, fur and feathers and other parts of prey which cannot be digested are formed into a pellet which is regurgitated and dropped beneath their roost sites. Barn Owl pellets are compact and do not break apart upon impact with limbs or the ground. They make a good study of the owl’s prey types by opening them and inspecting the bones and the bird had eaten before the pellet was formed.

"This Owl was photographed on May 11, 2015 by Clancey Deel"

regurgitated pellets

vole skull

mouse skull

Marbled Godwit

Now that the bird has left for higher grounds (Canada?), I can post the following message from my birding mentor (Wallace Coffey of Bristol, TN):

"A Marbled Godwit discovered and photographed (23 April, 2015) in Burke’s Garden of Tazewell County by Clancey Deel is one of the most rare spring shorebird records in Southwest Virginia’s history. Deel took the photo shown above at 10:16 a.m. along the shoreline of the MBC Ranch Pond located at the end of Litz Lane which is in the Southwest area of the valley. Marbled Godwits are extremely rare away from the Atlantic Coastal Plains of the state where they are mostly found. This very large shorebird prefer marshy grasslands and wet prairie habitats during the breeding season but spend winters on coastal mudflats, wetlands and beaches. In summer, they breed in central southern Canada from eastern Alberta to western Manitoba and as far south as central Montana and throughout South Dakota. An isolated breeding population is also found at the southern tip of Hudson Bay. In winter, Marbled Godwits migrate to both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts where they range from Virginia to Florida."

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

A flash of green and red, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird. These brilliant, tiny, precision-flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun.
The extremely short legs of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch. Nevertheless, it scratches its head and neck by raising its foot up and over its wing.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second.

"The first photo was taken at the Widener's home on the first week of June. The second was taken at the Deel's home on June 20th, 2015"

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