Postings and observations
The Bath and Highland area is a field trip destination for expert birders from across the state, who often post their observations on two Virginia listserves, VA-Bird and Shenandoah Valley Birding (shenvalbirds).
VA-Bird archives - a searchable database of VA-Bird postings.
Subscribe to VA-Bird or Shenandoah Valley Birding..
Submit Reports
The Bath-Highland Bird Club monitors VA-Bird and Shenandoah Valley Birding for postings related to Bath and Highland Counties.
We are also interested in field trip reports and observations that are not posted on the listserves. Please send reports to the Records Chair.
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Links
Virginia Society of Ornithology
The Bath-Highland Bird Club is a member chapter of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. The VSO website includes links to other chapters in the state.
The Virginia Bluebird Society
The Virginia Bluebird Society promotes bluebird conservation through a statewide network of bluebird trails, including a number of trails in Highland and Bath Counties.
The Nature Conservancy Allegheny Highlands Program
Among six regional programs managed by The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, the Allegheny Highlands Program includes Bath and Highland Counties.
Virginia Important Bird Areas
The Important Bird Areas Program is a National Audabon Society bird conservation initiative focused on identification of sites or areas that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds.
The Virginia Natural Heritage Program
The Natural Heritage Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation represents a comprehensive effort to identify and preserve the animal, plant, and natural community resources of Virginia.
Bird Source
A partnership between citizens and scientists managed by the National Audobon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. A connection for information and involvement in the Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count, and Project Feeder Watch.
Rescuing Injured and Abandoned Wildlife
Guidance from the Wildlife Center of Virginia on responding to injured or abandoned birds and other wildlife. The Wildlife Center operates a veterinary hospital for wildlife in Waynesboro, Virginia.
The Center for Conservation Biology
A research and education organization within the Department of Biology at the College of William and Mary. A significant provider of information on birds in the mid-Atlantic region.
Feeding Calcium to Birds
The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has determined we should offer calcium on the ground and on platform feeders.
About the Area
ROAD MAPS:
Detailed (1" = 2 miles) County Highway Maps for Bath and Highland Counties are available from the Virginia Department of Transportation for 50¢ each. Order or obtain at the Staunton District Headquarters.
BIRDING TRAILS:
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has developed a Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail comprised of 65 loops distributed in three regions covering the state. Bath and Highland Counties are included in the Mountain region, with the Alleghany Highlands and the Headwaters of the James loops in Bath and the Little Switzerland loop in Highland. The webpage for each loop provides maps and detailed descriptions of both the loop and the sites located along the loop. Printed copies of the regional trail guides are free and can be ordered online or by phone.
Birding Destinations:
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Watchable Wildlife Areas in the Warm Springs Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest in Bath and Highland Counties include Hidden Valley, Lake Moomaw, and Northwestern Highland County.
Laurel Fork - a U.S. Forest Service Special Managment Area in the high-elevation red spruce country of the northwestern corner of Highland County.
Highland Wildlife Management Area - 14,283 acres in three Highland County tracts managed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, including areas in the Bullpasture River gorge, as well as forest and former mountain pasture.
T.M. Gathright Wildlife Management Area - 13,428 acres in Bath County managed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, including forested ridges and areas around Lake Moomaw.
Warm Springs Mountain Preserve - a 9,200-acre forest area managed by The Nature Conservancy. A schedule of guided birding and other field trips is offered.
Bear Mountain Farm and Wilderness Retreat - above 4,200 feet on Allegheny Mountain in Highland County.
Siltlington Hill - a pristine civil war battlefield overlooking the Bullpasture Valley and the town of McDowell is preserved in pristine condition and accessible by a marked trail.
Lodging and Restaurants:
Information can be found on the Chamber of Commerce websites for Bath County and Highland County.
Information can also be found on The Virginia Tourism Corporation website for both Bath County and Highland County.
Eagle Watch
Results Summary
Observers reported 124 eagle sightings on 91 occasions
January 13 to April 15, 2006
Of 124 eagles reported:
68 were Bald Eagles
54 adults (79.4%) and 14 immature (20.6%)
53 were Golden Eagles
23 adults (43%) and 30 immature (57%)
3 were eagles, species unidentified
(Golden Eagle adult or Bald Eagle immature)
Surveyors documented two Bald Eagle nests with eaglets.
Return to Eagle Watch
Table of Contents
Golden Eagle Photo by Larry Lynch
Eagle Watch
Bald Eagles
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
&
Golden Eagles
(Aquila chrysaetos)
Observations in Highland County, VA
2006 - 2007
Compiled by:
Sandy Hevener, Blue Grass, VA
Patti Reum, Hightown, VA
Highland Map (0.9 mb)
(with observation clusters referenced in following documents)
2006-2007 Observation Location Statistics
2006-2007 Monthly Observation Statistics
2006 Sighting Details (2 mb)
2007 Sighting Details (2 mb)
Bald Eagle Photo by Brenda Tekin
records
Recent Observations and Trip Reports for Bath and Highland Counties
Birds of Bath and Highland Counties
The Bath and Highland County Foray of 2003
The Raven (Archive)
Conservation
Bear Mountain Hawk Watch Initial Fall 2007 Report
2007 Hawk Watch Report
2008 Whip-poor-will study -
The Bath-Highland Bird Club is asking residents and visitors to collect data on this declining species. See location maps for 2005 and 2006.
Allegheny Highlands Important Bird Area This area is a population stronghold for the Golden-winged Warber, a species that is declining by over 10% per year in Virginia.
Bird species in decline - Partners in Flight has identified bird species that are in decline in the region.
The Wildlife Center of Virginia
A hospital for native wild animals.
Hemlock loss
The loss of our native hemlock trees due to infestation by the hemlock wooly adelgid does not bode well for birds and wildlife.
Bath County photos (425 kb)
Informative sites: NC and GA
Wind energy - Potentially rapid development of wind energy projects on Bath and Highland County ridges raises concerns about impacts to wildlife.
Virginia Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy - Identification of species and habitats that are most in need of conservation and strategies for managing and protecting them.
About the Club
The Bath-Highland Bird Club
will meet Monday, February 18th, at 6:30
Bolar Ruritan Club Building
ALL ARE WELCOME
This will be our Annual Potluck Evening.
Minutes of the November 19, 2007 meeting
Minutes Archive
The Bath-Highland Bird Club is a member chapter of the Virginia Society of Ornithology.
Board of Directors
President, Keith Carson
Vice President/ Program Chair, Patti Reum
Secretary, Susan Webb
Treasurer, Dan Perkuchin
Records Chair/Website Manager, Rick Webb
Field Trip Leaders and Speakers are Needed
Please contact the Program Chair
The Highland Eagle Survey
Documenting Bald and Golden Eagles in Highland County
Data Reports for 2006 and 2007
January 2008 Program Update
(Includes info on reporting procedures)
Eagle Survey Still in Need of Watchers - 011708
Eagle Survey Documents Eagles and Nests - 060206
Photos of Eagles in Highland County
Club Events
The Golden Chase - May 19, 2007
Eagle Advocate Speaks to Club - May 22, 2006
Important Bird Areas - November 21, 2005
Sheltering Wings - April 23, 2005
Eagle Watch
Data Center
location in relation to
county roads or other landmarks
type of eagle(s)
and observed behavior
name(s) and contact info
for observers
photographs if available
.
To subscribe
To VA-Bird
1) Send an email message to: va-bird-request@freelists.org
2) In the subject field, type: Subscribe
3) Leave the text field blank
You will get a message back. Follow the instructions.
If you have any questions, contact Paul Mocko
To Shenandoah Valley Birding
Go to Shenandoah Valley Birding Yahoo Groups website.
or
Send a request to John Spahr or Clair Mellinger.
The Raven
The Raven is published twice a year by the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO) to provide an outlet for original articles reporting research on Virginia’s birds and significant sightings of birds in the state. The Raven also publishes the results of studies by VSO members such as the annual breeding bird forays and Christmas Bird Counts, as well as reports of the state bird records committee (VARCOM), book reviews, and other items. The Raven was first published in 1930, the year after the VSO was founded. It was edited by Dr. J.J. Murray of Lexington, Virginia from its origins until the June 1969 issue. Through 1961 it was a mimeographed bulletin appearing monthly or every other month. In 1962 it became a quarterly publication and appeared in a new, more compact format, similar to its appearance today. From the beginning The Raven included reports on significant observations of birds in Virginia, and early issues also included news items and announcements of the kind that would now be found in the VSO Newsletter. - from the VSO website
Back issues of The Raven, with articles and reports concerning Bath and Highland County, have been assembled and scanned for inclusion on this website. We thank YuLee Larner for providing copies of the originals.
1935 - Maurice Brooks: Notes From Highland County
1935 - Ruskin S. Freer: Untitled trip report (Highland and Bath Counties)
1938 - Maurice Brooks: Some Notes on the Birds of Highland County, Virginia
1938 - J.J. Murray: Summer Birds of Middle Mountain, Highland County, Virginia
1939_1 - J.J. Murray: Notes from Middle Mountain, Highland County, Virginia
1939_2 - J.J. Murray: Bath County, Virginia
1947 - Fred R. Scott: Highland County Notes
1948 - W.F. Minor, F.R. Scott, C.E. Stevens, Jr.: Highland County Notes
1952 - F.R. Scott: Notes on the Birds of Highland County, Virginia
1954 - J.J. Murray: Notes From Highland County, Virginia
1971 - Maurice Brooks: Hawk Migration Along Monterey Mountain
Approximately 20 addtional Raven articles, including reports on VSO Forays conducted in 1975 (Highland), 1982 (Bath), and 1985 (Highland), are also available. A report on the VSO Bath and Highland Foray of 2003 is in a recent issue of The Raven and is provided on this website under "Records" in the left-hand column.
A Digital Library of The Raven, including all past issues, has been posted online by the Virginia Society of Ornithology and the Center For Conservation Biology.
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