May 2014

THE SISKIN
Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Bird Club
Vol. 59, No. 2
May 2014
Inside
Calendar of NVBC field trips, May 14- July 12, 2014
Changes to the NVBC eMail Exchange
Space Coast Festival
Off to See Whooping Cranes
Butterflies
Reports and photos from NVBC’s 2014 winter weekend trips



UPCOMING WEEKEND TRIPS
Spring Chincoteague Weekend
The Northern Virginia Bird Club’s Chincoteague Spring Weekend trip is scheduled for May 16-18 (Friday-Sunday). Mid-May is an excellent time to visit the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR); spring shorebird migration is in full swing with most birds in breeding plumage. Last year’s trip tallied 112 species including such Eastern Shore specialties as Black-necked Stilts, American Oystercatchers, Piping Plovers, Whimbrels, Marbled Godwits, Red Knots, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, Cattle Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Gull-billed, Least, Royal and Common Terns, Black Skimmers, Clapper Rails, Seaside Sparrows, Chuck-will’s-widows, Brown-headed Nuthatches and Boat-tailed Grackles.

Plans for the weekend include birding the Chincoteague NWR on Friday afternoon starting at 3:15 p.m. (optional) and on Saturday starting at 7:30 a.m. Activities on Saturday morning include birding along Beach Road, Swan Cove and Tom’s Cove and a walk along the Woodland Trail looking for land bird migrants. We have reserved the Chincoteague Natural History Association’s bus for a 90 minute trip to the Washflats on Saturday afternoon, providing a look at territory otherwise inaccessible by vehicle. Time and tides permitting, we will also visit the Queens Sound Flats and the Chincoteague City mudflats. On Sunday morning, we will visit Saxis Marsh. The trip concludes at noon on Sunday.

NVBC membership is required for this trip. To sign up for this trip, call or email Elton Morel (703-553-4860 or eltonlmorel@verizon.net). The trip is limited to 28 people and usually fills up, so please contact Elton Morel first to ensure that space is available before making hotel reservations. When signing up, please indicate whether you are interested in the Washflats bus trip (fee) on Saturday afternoon and a Saturday evening group dinner. If the trip is full, your name can be put on a waiting list.

We have obtained a special rate of $94 per night on twenty rooms for Friday and Saturday nights at the Best Western Chincoteague Island Hotel on Maddox Boulevard. A two-night stay is usually required. Hotel reservations must be made by April 18 to get this special group rate. Participants should make your own reservations by calling 800-553-6117 and be sure to say you are with the Northern Virginia Bird Club. Check-in time is 3 p.m. on Friday, May 16, and a 72-hour cancellation notice is required. Chincoteague NWR is a U.S. fee area.
— Elton Morel

Highland County Weekend
Our summer trip to Highland County in the mountains of western Virginia, led by Marv Rubin, is scheduled for the weekend of June 6-8 (Friday-Sunday). The trip limit is 16 people. We will stay at the Highland Inn in Monterey. We will start the trip at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon with a drive around the Blue Grass Valley to look for Bobolinks and Vesper Sparrows. On Saturday morning, we will go to Paddy’s Knob to look for Mourning Warblers and Least Flycatchers. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, we will bird other areas of the county. We will arrange a group dinner at the Highland Inn’s dining room on both evenings. The trip will end in Monterey at about noon on Sunday. Call or email Marv Rubin (703-915-7545 or mbrubin@verizon.net) to sign up and get information to make your reservations. NVBC membership is required for this trip.
— Marv Rubin


Changes to the NVBC eMail Exchange
As announced at the April club meeting, the NVBC eMail Exchange has been moved to Google Groups. To join the list, send an email to: nvbc-exchange-subscribe@googlegroups.com. You will receive a confirmation email to which you must respond to complete the process. This is the best way to keep up with the latest club news, trip updates and rare bird alerts. The list is for the use of NVBC members only.

Space Coast Festival
If you want to experience birding in Florida, the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville is a great place to start. This past January, I attended the 17th annual festival. The event is held at the Eastern Florida State College and offers five days of field trips, workshops, and presentations.
The field trips take you to some of the best birding spots in the area, including Merritt Island NWR, Viera Wetlands, and Canaveral National Seashore. One of the highlights was a trip to see the Florida Scrub-Jays at Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary. These endemic birds are very friendly and often land on your head!
Other great sightings during the week included Snail Kites, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, and many species of waterfowl and shorebirds. The festival also features a large exhibit hall where you can see the latest birding gear and talk to representatives from various conservation organizations. It’s a well-organized event and highly recommended.
— Joanna Taylor

Off to See Whooping Cranes
In late February, several club members traveled to Rockport, Texas, to see the wintering Whooping Cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. This is the only natural wild population of Whooping Cranes in the world. We took a boat trip with Captain Ted’s Whooping Crane Tours and were not disappointed. We saw several family groups of cranes feeding in the marshes along the shoreline.
In addition to the cranes, we saw many other interesting birds, including Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, Long-billed Curlews, and Crested Caracaras. We also visited local hotspots like Goose Island State Park and the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center in Port Aransas. It was a fantastic trip and a great way to see one of the rarest birds in North America.
— Larry Meade

Butterflies
While our primary focus is on birds, many club members also enjoy observing other forms of wildlife, particularly butterflies. The summer months are a great time to see a variety of species in our area. Common sightings include Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Monarchs, and various types of hairstreaks and skippers.
A good place to see butterflies is in your own backyard if you plant native nectar sources and host plants. We will be including some butterfly information on our club walks this summer, so keep an eye out for these colorful insects!

Winter Weekend Trip Reports
Chincoteague Winter Weekend
Twenty-three club members visited Chincoteague NWR on February 7-9. Despite some cold and windy weather, we had a very productive weekend, tallying 98 species. Highlights included a Ross’s Goose found near the causeway, several American Bitterns, and a Snowy Owl that had been frequenting the beach area. We also had excellent looks at many species of ducks and geese. On Sunday, we visited the CBBT islands and found all three scoter species, Long-tailed Ducks, and Purple Sandpipers.
Highland County Winter Weekend
Our February 28 – March 2 trip to Highland County was enjoyed by 16 members. Highland County is a beautiful place in the winter, and we were fortunate to find several of our target species. Highlights included Golden Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks, and a Northern Shrike. We also saw many Horned Larks and American Tree Sparrows. The group enjoyed the hospitality and fine dining at the Highland Inn.
— Elton Morel

Club Announcements
Website: Check the club website for updated information on trips and events.
Mailing Crew: Many thanks to the volunteers who helped mail out the February Siskin.
Next Board Meeting: Wednesday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. at Diane Marton’s home.
CLUB CONTACTS
President: Larry Meade, 703-206-9030
Vice President, Programs: Joanna Taylor, 703-243-5989
Vice President, Field Activities: Elton Morel, 703-553-4860
Secretary: Diane Marton, 703-527-7360
Treasurer: Jean Tatalias, 703-281-6099
Immediate Past President: Paul Mocko, 703-243-4987

Directors: Steve Bruck, 703-425-8584; Catherine Kubo, 703-352-1238