Birds of Timberline and Canaan Valley

For anyone interested in critters who enjoy the slopes in the summer, check out this list:

http://www.surfbirds.com/phorum/read.php?f=116&i=1054&t=1054

Corey Rucker, btw, is a truly a fantastic birder. I ran into him two weeks ago at the Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge. He wants me to help out with the Christmas bird count but I told him I could only do it if skiing was part of the game. I'll do all my counting on OFF THE WALL.

Where did the european starling & the canadian warbler come from? The wild turkey is my fav(yum)

All of the European Starlings found today in North America-and they number in the 200 million range-are descendants of approximately 100 birds introduced in New York City's Central Park in the early 1890s. A society dedicated to introducing into America all of the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare set these birds free. Previous attempts to introduce Starlings were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast as early as 1850, but all were unsuccessful. Today, European Starlings are seen from Alaska to Florida to northern Mexico.

They are kind of a pest because they often evict indigenous birds from their nests.

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4930id.html

The Canadian Warbler, on the other hand, is an uncommon Spring migrant. We saw one last weekend near White Grass, which is also a good birding area in the Canaan Valley:

http://www.aves.net/birds-of-ohio/birdcawa.htm

Wild Turkeys at SS too .. nearly creamed a large male coming down off the mountain this spring. Scared the stuffings out of us as we rounded a turn to see him right in the middle of the road. Slammed on the brakes so both the turkey and our xterra survived. Wondering .. if we had hit and killed the bird, how edible is it?

Snowcone, the meat's not too bad but the feathers are kind of hard to swallow.

I had too much wild turkey once at snowshoe as well

I had too much wild turkey once at snowshoe as well

didn' I just say that!

I guess it's dejavu all over again