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April 25, 2016 Bird Material #2

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April 25, 2016 Bird Material #2 ROCKBRIDGE AREA CONSERVATION COUNCIL P.O. Box 564, Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 463-2330 [email protected] http://rockbridgeconservation.org April 25, 2016 Sarah Nystrom U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Field Office 6669 Short Lane Gloucester, VA 23061 Dear Sarah, As we discussed, I am sending records from the Rockbridge Bird Club for your use in reviewing the impacts and operating conditions of the proposed APEX Rocky Forge Wind Turbine Power Plant on North Mountain, Virginia, adjacent to the Botetourt County/Rockbridge County line. The reports are also posted online at: http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737428051 . Also included for your reference are the most recent ten years of Audubon Christmas Bird Counts for the Rockbridge area (Lexington (VALE)) documenting winter occurring species (http://netapp.audubon.org/CBCObservation/Historical/ResultsByCount.aspx ). The Rockbridge Bird Club, one of the oldest in Virginia, has a long and highly respected history. The Club’s website at http://www.rockbridgebirdclub.org/ has the most recent and continually updated local information. As your technical team will undoubtedly appreciate, the notations on expected occurrence in the enclosed records (e.g. “rare and should not be expected to be seen in the county”) are intended for the bird watching public to assist in observing, and are not an indication of the possibility of conflict with the proposed power plant. Rather, potential impacts may be more significant for those rarely-sighted species where infrequent sighting is also an indication of reduced populations, shrinkage of range, or dissection of habitat especially for a project of this large number of turbines on a ridgeline within largely intact forested habitat. In addition to the specific species of concern that the USFWS is evaluating, other migrating bird species along North Mountain are likely to be similar to those observed on the adjacent Blue Ridge and Allegheny ridge systems with movement along the mountains in the spring and fall. Many of these species are resident in the breeding season, for example, the forest dweller and most rapidly declining of the subtropical migrants, the Cerulean warbler (see also http://www.audubon.org/birds/priority ). For more information about the occurrence of birds in the local area, please contact Rockbridge Bird Club ornithologist, Dick Rowe, at [email protected]. You may also want to contact club member, Marek Smith, [email protected], who works for the Nature Conservancy and has knowledge of birds in the area from his work on their local projects including the Warm Springs Mountain Preserve project in the Allegheny highlands to the NW of the Rocky Forge site, in adjacent Bath County, VA. If RACC can be of additional assistance as you conduct your review, please let me know. Sincerely yours, Barbara L. Walsh, Executive Director The Birds of the Greater Rockbridge County, Virginia, Area Richard A. Rowe Department of Biology Virginia Military Institute Accidental – A bird outside of its normal range (breeding or winter) or outside of its normal migration route Rare – A bird that is within its normal breeding or over-wintering range or its normal migration route, but should not be expected to be seen in the area on a yearly basis Unusual – A bird that is within its normal breeding or over-wintering range but is not reported on a regular basis in the county (1-5 sightings per year) Common – A bird that is regularly seen within the area but may not be present in large numbers or may have a restricted distribution (Locally Common) Abundant – A bird that is found in large numbers within the county but may have a restricted distribution (Locally Abundant) Transient – A bird that is seen in the area during migration or as a wandering sub-adult Year-round – A bird that is present in the area throughout the entire year and is usually a breeder Summer breeder – A bird that migrates into the area and breeds during the summer Winter migrant/resident – A bird that migrates into the area and over-winters and then leaves in the spring Locations BB = Brownsburg and Bustleburg area including Route 252 BQ = Barger’s Quarry BRP 1 = Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 28 and 45 (Route 56 and Route 60) BRP 2 = Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 45 and 64 (Route 60 and the James River) BRP AO = Blue Ridge Parkway and Apple Orchard Mountain (mileposts 76 to 78) BS = Big Spring CT = Chessie Trail GP = Goshen Pass KD = Kendal Retirement community LEX = Lexington LM = Lake Merriweather at Goshen Pass LR = Lake Robertson LT = Locher Tract MF = McCormick’s Farm MR = Maury River NM = North Mountain OFRP = Old Farm Road Pond PQ = Quarry at the Ponds PH = Ponds Housing Development (former Womeldorf Farm) RB = Rockbridge Baths area RC = Rockbridge County in general SR = South River WL = Willow Lake Notes: Cameron’s Pond, which was located near the current Rockbridge County High School, drained naturally in 19??. Womeldorf Farm ponds are located just outside of Lexington in the new Pond’s housing development. Lake Robertson and Lake Merriweather were created after Murray published his account of the Birds of Rockbridge County. Anseriformes: Geese, Swans, Ducks (All photos: Geese, Swans, and Ducks ) Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens): Occurrence: Transient and winter migrant Dates: October through January Locations: MF, BS History: A lone Snow Goose was reported at the Ponds housing development near Lexington on 11 March 2011 by Dick Rowe. A pair of Snow geese was seen at McCormick’s Farm on 24 November 2010. A Snow Goose was reported in the county during the winter of 2008. Dick Rowe found it at McCormick’s Farm on 18 October 2008, Paul Cabe observed one on a farm pond in the northern portion of the county (most likely the same bird), and John Burleson reported a Snow Goose on Big Spring about one month later (again, probably the same individual). Snow/Blue Geese were reported on the1976, 1966, and 1958 CBCs. Murray reports white phase individuals on 18 November 1948 on Womeldorf Pond and flying individuals 14 October 1950 and 23 September 1953. Blue phase individuals were reported by Murray on 16 November 1948 on Womeldorf Pond and on the Maury River near Alone Mill from mid- December 1956 to 11 May 1957. Status: Rare and should not be expected to be seen in the county. Photo: Ponds housing development (old Womeldorf Farm) near Lexington, VA on 11 March 2011. For additional photos: Snow Geese Ross’ Goose (Chen rossii) Occurrence: Transient and winter migrant Location: MF, WL History: A single Ross’ Goose was located at McCormick’s Farm on 14 November 2010 by Dick Rowe. The bird appeared to be paired with a Ross’ Goose x Lesser Snow Goose hybrid. Allen Larner suggested that the two geese in the photograph were Ross’ Geese. After a discussion and review of photographs, Allen Larner, Barry Kinzie and I have agreed on the identification of the Ross’ Goose and the likelihood that the other bird is a hybrid. This is the first record of a Ross’ Goose in Rockbridge County. A second Ross’ Goose was found at Willow Lake on 27 and 28 March 2011. Both sightings were submitted to VARCOM and have been accepted as Category 1 records for the area. Status: Rare and not expected to be seen. Photo: McCormick’s Farm ponds, 14 November 2010. For additional photos: Ross’ Goose Ross’ Goose x Lesser Snow Goose Hybrid Occurrence: Transient and winter migrant Location: MF History: On 14 March 2010, a probable Ross’ Goose x Lesser Snow Goose hybrid was located at McCormick’s Farm by Dick Rowe. The bird appeared to be paired with a Ross’ Goose. In the photograph, the Ross’ Goose is on the left and the hybrid is on the right (note the distinct differences in head and bill shape). A good discussion of hybrids between Ross’ and Lesser Snow Geese can be found in: Trauger, D.L., A. Dzubin, and J.P. Ryder. 1971. White Geese Intermediate between Ross’ Geese and Lesser Snow Geese. Auk: 88 (4): 856-875. Hybrids are not recognized by VARCOM, and thus, no report was submitted. Status: Rare and not expected to be seen Photo: McCormick’s Farm ponds, 14 November 2010. For additional photos: Ross’ Goose x Lesser Snow Goose Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis): Occurrence: Accidental Dates: 8 March 2008 to mid April 2008 Location: WL History: A single individual was located at Willow Lake on 8 March 2008. The goose was mixed in with a flock of Canada Geese and it remained on Willow Lake through the spring. The sighting was submitted to VARCOM and accepted as a Category 3 record. Status: Accidental and not expected in the area. Photo: Willow Lake, 14 March 2008. For additional photos: Barnacle Goose Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): Occurrence: Year-round resident of the county Dates: Year-round Locations: MF, WL, LR, LM, MR, BS, and ponds throughout the county History: There are several resident flocks in the county – Lexington Country Club, the Maury River near the locks on the Chessie Trail, McCormick’s Farm, Willow Lake, and Big Spring and other individuals have been reported at Lake Robertson, on the James River at the Blue Ridge Parkway, Barger’s Quarry Pond and on many farm ponds throughout the county. Canada Geese have been reported in 21 of 85 CBC with no records prior to 1974. Murray considered that Canada geese were transients seen from February to April and October to December flying over the county with a few seen on local ponds. Obviously, their status has changed from Murray’s time to the present day. Status: Abundant and should be seen in the county.
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