The Augusta Bird Club was founded in 1966 and currently includes about 190 members from Augusta County, Staunton, and Waynesboro, Virginia, as well as nearby areas. It holds meetings on the second Monday of each month (September - April) at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton, and organizes frequent field trips as well as other events throughout the year. It is also active in a variety of educational and conservation endeavors in the local community. People who are interested in joining are welcome to attend one of our meetings!
The next Augusta Bird Club monthly meeting will be held at 7:00 on Monday, April 8, at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
SPEAKER: Robyn Puffenbarger
PROGRAM: Robins to Raptors
Date | Destination / Name of event | Meeting Place * | Time | Coordinator(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, March 20 | McCormick Farm | Mill parking lot | 9:00 AM | Jo King |
Tuesday, April 2 | Bells Lane | Bird club kiosk | 8:30 AM | Penny Warren |
Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Tree Swallows, and Eastern Phoebes are among the birds that are suddenly becoming conspicuous thanks to spring migration. Actually, the first two of those species can sometimes be found around this area during the winter months, usually clustered in very large flocks. If you're lucky, you might also see Fox Sparrows or Pine Warblers, returning from wintering grounds in the southern states.
Earlier this month, a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (or possibly two) was spotted at the summit of Mount Pleasant in Amherst County. Ever since then, birders from the Augusta Bird Club and from all around Virginia have been driving to the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area and making a challenging hike to the top in hopes of seeing the bird. One of our own members who succeeded was Mark Kosiewski, who saw it on Valentine's Day -- very appropriate for a species with "Rosy" as part of its name! All three species of Rosy Finches breed in the Rocky Mountains, and this appears to be the first-ever sighting of this species in Virginia.