Barn Owl 2017

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.
The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. It can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab, or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the real world.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl
"Over a year of seaching by a resident of Burkes Garden resulted in finding the elusive bird. I was able see and photograph it."

Ross's Goose 2017

A tiny white goose with black wingtips, the Ross's Goose is like a miniature version of the more abundant Snow Goose.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rosss_Goose

"The Ross's Goose was located at Falls Mills Lake. This is the first recorded sighting at this location and Tazewell County."

American Coot 2016

Coots are dark-gray to black birds with a bright-white bill and forehead. The legs are yellow-green.
An awkward and often clumsy flier, the American Coot requires long running takeoffs to get airborne.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot
"Coots are seen at Falls Mills Lake (Tazewell Co., VA) in the fall and winter seasons. The numbers can be 300+ when migrating southward."

Purple Finch 2016

The Purple Finch is the bird that Roger Tory Peterson famously described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” For many of us, they’re irregular winter visitors to our feeders,
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Finch
"With a new feeder from a fellow bird watcher (Roger Mayhorn) and an early influx of Purple Finches this year, I had eleven at my feeder today. With a close look, nine can be seen in the following photo. -October 29, 2016-"

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blog/winter-finch-report-2015-2016-look-for-more-finches/

Burkes Garden Bird Species (September 2016)

Burkes Garden Bird Species (September 2016)
To view the list click the above link. Note: New species are added each year. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated. The entries are logged into eBird.org. You can contact Clancey Deel at clancey.deel@hotmail.com for any help that is needed.
The Map below shows the locations of "hotspots" for reporting birds in Burkes Garden.

Owl Pellets Identification 2016

Common Nighthawk

Common Nighthawks roam the skies over treetops and grasslands.
During the day, they roost motionless on a tree branch, fencepost, or the ground and are very difficult to see.
It is active at dawn and dusk—nor closely related to hawks They are sometimes called "goatsuckers", due to the ancient folk tale that they sucked the milk from goats.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Nighthawk
"Nighthawks were seen in Burkes Garden on August 31 (30), September 4 (6), September 5 (12), The Cove on September 6 (11) and Thompson Valley on September 7 (51)."