Rare MacGillivray’s Warbler graces DWR’s Lake Shenandoah Pollinator Trail!
We think of pollinator plantings as hosting, well, pollinators: bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects. Some birds, such as hummingbirds, do of course serve as pollinators though we generally don’t connect pollinator plantings with birds. But wait!
By late fall, with their elegant flowering days in the seasonal rear-view mirror, the Lake’s pollinator beds were a mass of dry, brown, shoulder-high remains. While perhaps not very attractive to the unknowing eye, a birds-eye-view (from a different angle than above!) tells an ENTIRELY different story! In fall and winter, these plants offer cover and much-need food (seeds and some insects) to sparrows, finches and more.
By late November, the plantings hosted our expected wintering birds including White-throated, Song, Swamp, and Field Sparrows; American Goldfinches; and House Finches. But on November 27, a sharp-eyed birder spotted a colorful bird – bright yellow below, greenish above, gray hood, and with the distinctive bold, white eye-arcs that suggested the extremely rare and MOST unexpected MacGillivray’s Warbler!
The MacGillivray’s Warbler is a western species; it breeds through the Rocky Mountains and other western mountain ranges and winters in Central and South America. A skulker, it typically forages on the ground and low in dense growth, seeking insects, and is difficult to find in plain view. On November 28, the bird was relocated and photographed, confirming its ID. News of the rarity spread quickly, and birders from all corners of Virginia and beyond traveled to find the bird, many making multiple trips until finally seeing it.
The pollinator plantings hosted a couple of other rarities during this time, including an American Tree Sparrow and late-migrating Cape May Warblers. But this was the FIRST EVER record of a MacGillivray’s Warbler in western Virginia and only the third accepted record in the State. The warbler was last reported on December 21, winter’s first day. The winter storm and single-digit temperatures that followed may have been difficult for the little guy; we hope that he found his way south!
– Diane Lepkowski, Cohort VII, December 2022
Lake Shenandoah is becoming quite the hot spot. … eBird (indicates) the lake is the most diverse birding spot in the valley.
Jason Hallacher, District Fisheries Biologist, VA Department of Wildlife Resources
eBird has an option to print a checklist for every hotspot. The eBird Field Checklist for Lake Shenandoah as of the end of 2022 is HERE.
Photo at right shows now Chapter advisor Jason Hallacher leading our Cohort VI training class along the pollinator trail in October 2018. Lisa Klein wrote about it HERE. Photo by Sandy Greene, Cohort I.
August 2018 photo of the Bird and Wildlife Trail sign at Silver Lake. Since then the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been renamed the VA Department of Wildlife Resources and the Birding and Wildlife Trail program has dropped the “ing” in Birding to become the Bird and Wildlife Trail.
A big “Thank You” to all HMN BWT volunteers and an appeal for new monitors for 2022
From project coordinatorSandy Greene
Our chapter responded to the request to adopt all three the Bird and Wildlife Trails in Augusta and Rockingham Counties, and YOU rose to the site monitoring challenge. YOU found your places, explored and learned more about what grew and moved there, took other visitors, picked up trash, mended trails, photographed and sent in love notes about them to Cheryl and Sandy. We in turn compiled your notes and photos and reported to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), and the North River Ranger District of the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest.
Thank you for your commitment, your diligence and study, and your creativity as we searched for the most beneficial way to highlight and care for these special natural areas. Your visits were more important than you may have thought, when looked at in composite:
We began including eBird data in our reports, which prompted the DWR to add eBird hotspot links on their website to each of the Bird and Wildlife Trail sites.
These sites have been the logical destinations for Wildflower Walks for many years, for Wildflowers and Warblers, Dragonfly study, Butterfly and bird counts, and a Frog-Calling Workshop. Advertising to the public, and becoming more confident about hosting and leading events has elevated the beauty, ecological value and comfortable accessibility of our public lands.
Having reports on file at our agencies insures more accurate website information.
Learning to navigate to our sites, knowing where to park, where the trails really go, where and when the wildflowers are blooming, and birds are migrating, has enriched our Master Naturalist skills, events and training.
Monitoring has prompted us to learn to use eBird and iNaturalist – even as we struggle with our phones and connectivity. We’re at least on the learning curve.
Thank you for becoming the students, stewards and advocates for your sites.
We are excited about the direct and real-time reporting changes coming this year to the Bird and Wildlife Trail programs through CitSci. At the chapter level, we will also change to an annual commitment for monitors. If you love your sites, wonderful! Sign back up. If you’re worn out, or need a break, that’s ok too. We sure do understand!
If you would like to become a monitor for a particular site (or sites) for this year, call or text one of us. We will be actively recruiting for all of our sites soon. All of us will need some orientation to CitSci, to the new online format for reporting. We are also recruiting experts in using eBird and iNaturalist, and will be hosting virtual training and supporting every monitors’ skills in these programs. The VMN already has wonderful training videos ready for us.
We have so enjoyed partnering and learning with you in this project! – Sandy and Cheryl
Here is a listing of all our sites with the names of HMNs who have helped monitor them over the past six years. Pick a site (or two or more) and contact Sandy or Cheryl to sign up for this year: 2022!
Bird and Wildlife Trail Monitoring Project Background and Update for Headwaters Master Naturalists 2022
From project coordinator Sandy Greene
What’s Not To Like?
It’s an approved project statewide, with our HMN chapter an early adopter of our three loops in Augusta and Rockingham Counties. The goals of the 2004 project, the first statewide program of its kind in the U.S., “celebrates our diverse natural habitat, with 400 species of birds, 250 species of fish, 150 species of terrestrial and marine mammals, 150 species of amphibians and reptiles and a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates”. Then-Governor Mark Warner introduced the project by saying it “will truly open the door to the Commonwealth’s exquisite natural wonders.”
Our overall charge: “to update, maintain and improve the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail”
Monitoring one or more sites on the VA Bird and Wildlife Trail is a Covid-proof project, with plenty of volunteer hours possible, but only a suggested minimum 10 minute visit each quarter.
It’s one click to report your volunteer hours on Better Impact.
Even if you are already a monitor, and you want to stay with your site, you can sign up for a year at a time, so you can do different sites each year.
You can go out when it suits you within each seasonal quarter.
We will provide the training and patient support (as we are learning ourselves!) for learning how to use eBird and iNaturalist, and the new CitSci reporting tool.
One Website has all the info we need:
The VMN Website has all the Scoop, the training videos, and all the links. Here is the path:
It’s easy to discover Virginia’s wild side with The Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT), an organized network of outdoor sites highlighting the best places to see birds and wildlife in the Commonwealth. Walk a nature trail, paddle a river, or enjoy a scenic overlook to experience Virginia’s wealth of natural diversity, ranging from brown pelicans and bottlenose dolphins along our Atlantic Coast to bald eagles and black bear in the Appalachian Mountains. With 400 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 150 species of amphibians and reptiles, 250 species of fish, plus hundreds of butterfly, dragonfly, and other invertebrate species, you’ll soon see why Virginia is a premier destination for birding and wildlife viewing.
As of January 2022, you can also find theblog post by Meg Raynes about her visits to the Lost Shoe and North River Loops. This is the first of her posts about all of Virginia’s BWT sites.
If you click on Mountain Region, and then North River Loop:
North River Loop Description
Heading west out of the Shenandoah Valley into the Allegheny Mountains reveals the towering white pines and hemlocks of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. As the mountains rise to meet West Virginia, the visitor encounters a series of reservoirs created from several tributaries of the Shenandoah River, where the North River eventually ends. These small lakes add to the diversity of habitats found along the loop and make for excellent wildlife watching. Traveling these quiet back roads could expose wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and perhaps black bear as they cross roads or come to lakes for a drink. The hills host numerous nesting wood warblers in spring while fall brings raptors cruising south along the ridgelines high above the Shenandoah Valley. The numerous small lakes require extra special attention during migration when a number of unusual species of waterfowl may appear.
COVID-19 & the VBWT: Be Safe While OutdoorsDWR encourages you to be safe while outdoors. Before heading out, first check with individual sites on the Virginia Bird & Wildlife Trail for any COVID-19 policies or closures. This information is typically posted on a site’s own website. Remember to maintain CDC social distancing guidelines while enjoying the outdoors.
Description
Elevation: 1968 ft.
Todd Lake Recreation Area has a few more facilities than most of the sites along this loop, making it an ideal spot to pitch a tent or park the trailer. The park has a bathhouse and a beach where visitors can take a refreshing dip in the lake or just relax on the beach and watch the clouds pass by overhead. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound around the lake, which hosts a variety of waterfowl and wading birds. Be on the look out for great blue heron, wood duck, blue-winged teal, spotted sandpiper and belted kingfisher. Bald eagle and osprey may also drop in from time to time. The neighboring woodland is worth searching for Appalachian songbirds such as eastern wood-pewee, blue-headed and red-eyed vireos, wood thrush and the exquisite scarlet tanager. Check the lakeshore for dragonflies, especially eastern amberwing, widow skimmer and common green darner. Butterflies are more widespread and may include pipevine and eastern tiger swallowtails, silver-spotted skipper, red-spotted purple and great spangled fritillary.
Directions
Location: Leading Ridge Rd, West Augusta, VA 24485
Coordinates: 38.3653900, -79.2086799
From Harrisonburg, VA: Travel south on State Route (SR) 42 passing through the town of Bridgewater. Continue for 3.2 miles to the intersection of SR 42 and 809/747 (at sharp left-hand turn). Turn right onto SR 809/747 and continue for 3.4 miles to a four-way stop sign in the town of Mt. Solon. Continue straight on SR 747 (Freemason Run Road) for 2.3 miles to a three-way stop sign. Continue straight on SR 747 (Freemason Run Road) for 1.0 miles to the intersection with SR 730 (Stokesville Road). Continue straight on SR 730 (Stokesville Road) for 1.3 miles to the intersection with SR 730 (North River Road. Continue straight on Route SR 718 (Stokesville Road) for 1.1 miles to the intersection of FR 95 and FR 101. Turn left onto FR 95 and travel 3.1 miles to Todd Lake Recreation Area on the right.
How About That? On the real eBird site, all the observation data is live and searchable.
Now you go click on a site that interests you! Then sign up to monitor, and really go there!
Extra Credit for a Snow Day
If you are ready to sign up to monitor for 2022, then you can also click on CitSci.org for an advanced taste of our new reporting model. There are two video links at the original VMN website to start off our training. But don’t worry, all in due time!
We are a global citizen science support platform. We streamline citizen science so you can focus on designing and implementing projects for greater impact.
On CitSci, thousands of people engage in science through projects created by folks just like you. New projects are created all the time. Many gain insight and inspiration from your work and others. Have an idea for a new citizen science project? At CitSci, you’ll find tools to support your entire research process, from creating projects to managing participants; building custom data sheets; collecting data; sharing and analyzing data; and gathering feedback. We don’t just host citizen science projects; we transform citizen science into action.
– Sandy Greene, Cohort I, Bird and Wildlife Trails Monitoring project coordinator, January 2022
Take a Sampler Tour of our Bird and Wildlife Trail sites here:
Click on the image for part 1 of this slide show. Part 2 is HERE. Part 3 is HERE.
It is split into three parts to accommodate Google slides file limit.
Thanks to Sandy Greene for creating this slide show!
Project history and overview from the VMN website:
About the Project
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail signs mark trail sites.
The Adopt-A-Trail (AAT) project is a way for the Virginia Master Naturalists to partner with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to update, maintain and improve the Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT). The VBWT is a statewide driving trail composed of 65 loops connecting the best sites in Virginia for watching birds and other wildlife. It was established in three phases between 1999 -2004, with the goal of increasing awareness, appreciation and conservation of Virginia’s wildlife and native habitats. When it was completed in 2004, it was the first statewide trail of its kind in the country! All sites are marked with signage and a guide to the trail is available in print and electronically on DWR’s website at http://www.dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/.
The last major update to the trail guide was completed in 2007, which means it is time for another update, but with 637 trail sites located throughout the Commonwealth, DWR could sure use some help! DWR is inviting chapters of Virginia Master Naturalists to “adopt” loops of the VBWT through the Adopt-A-Trail project.
Sandy initiates Cohort V to the VA Adopt-a-Trail Project, March 2017, at Braley Pond.Photo by Deb Pugh, Cohort V.
Sandy Greene on Being Good Enough!
An appeal for Bird & Wildlife Trail site monitors for 2022
From the first project I took on at Headwaters Master Naturalists, I have been capitalizing on everyone else’s good energy and ideas: piggybacking on water monitoring projects, adding on to school field trips, grafting on to park plantings. This was our chapter project strategy in the beginning. My job was to establish our first chapter project list, write up the project proposals and hustle them. It wasn’t very well organized, but it was good enough!
In my first new project attempt, I tried to turn wildflower watching into a competitive tournament – not a big success. I also called off one year’s hikes because of an “iffy” weather forecast. It didn’t rain at all, and I had to hide out the whole day. Fortunately, Chip stepped up to do a fabulous job of our signature wildflower walks for years thereafter. And we sent lovely photographs and invitations of our wildflowers to elected officials and the media, sometimes even put up posters. Last year, our gamble on the Mothers Day Warblers and Wildflowers day for the public paid off. So, good enough!
Sandy with Ginny Hoffman, Cohort III, at the beginnings of the pollinator garden at Natural Chimneys, April 2015.
Then I tried a chapter project in support of dwindling monarch populations, and somehow we had four energetic teams of “Matty Nats” establishing pollinator waystations on public lands, and maintaining them for three years. We even had a bus tour to go visit all of them. They were fabulous, with original interpretive signs. Two of these waystations still exist. And many more pollinator gardens sprang up, including Harrisonburg’s Pollinator Trail, with HMN’s helping. Good enough!
Sometimes, projects had active HMN participation and the blessing of the Project Committee, but just needed a project description and coordinator name in order to fit into our website for recording those hours. I didn’t do anything except type and post on the website. But that was good enough.
When I began to do Outreach, I signed up to participate in all the local fairs and events, and created some crowd-friendly (I thought) displays. Were they all successful? Not so much. Like the fake scat display. The Do-It-Yourself Biodiversity display? I loved it! But not great in cooler weather or wind. The puppets? Too popular, as they somehow walked away, with the Identiflyer cards. That was mysterious. But still friendly and welcoming enough, with many wonderful HMN volunteers.
Finally, along came the request from VMN and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (then Game and Inland Fisheries). Could we adopt our Bird and Wildlife Trails, and monitor them every quarter? All Master Naturalist Chapters were encouraged to do this, but we have three loops, and 26 sites. Maybe we could try one loop? The biggest one, North River, with 10 sites. A good enough start, with eager site volunteers, if we just had a coordinator name. Could I do just a good enough job? I would try.
Did I call monitors to remind them to go out to their sites? Nope, but I enjoyed every chat and e-mail from monitors, and kept lots of notes. Did I get my reports in exactly on time? No. But when I did send them, they were accurate and full of monitor details. Did I visit every site that monitors missed? Yes, but not right away. Did I learn how to use eBird? Yes, finally. Now I search eBird before I go out to visit sites, so I know what species to look for. Did I learn how to use iNaturalist? Yes, and I have sent one whole post. I learn so much when I explore the website. Good enough, but just barely.
And then along came Cheryl, who took on a second and a third loop of the Bird and Wildlife Trail, and who elevated our mission. She took wonderful photos and hustled new monitors. We strategized, joined the local bird clubs, met with the North River Ranger District staff. Suddenly, together, we could do a really good job.
Now we are undertaking the switch to direct, real-time monitor’s reports, as well as recruiting for a year at a time for each site. We talked on the phone this week about filling out the 26 initial CitSci forms before the spring quarter, calling and thanking each monitor, signing (or re-signing) up people for this year. We agreed to try to do a good enough job, but to be kind to ourselves and our monitors.
I hope these confessions give you the confidence to sign up as a monitor, or even to coordinate a loop. If you have worried that you wouldn’t be able to do a good enough job, or that other people must already know about eBird, or that you wouldn’t want to get stuck forever with a site, don’t fret. Just call! You are good enough, and we need your help!
– Sandy Greene, Cohort I, January 2022 540-487-1224 greenes104 [at] aol.com
Warblers & Wildflowers organizer Sandy Greene gives us the numbers, collaborations and take-aways from our May 2021 event celebrating spring on Shenandoah Mountain:
N&Ns (Names and Numbers)
Temperatures were only in the 50s on May 8th for our Mother’s Day Weekend Warblers and Wildflowers Event – a down (for the birds) or down-coat (for the people) day, sunny and windy on Shenandoah Mountain in the George Washington National Forest. It was finally spring, though, so no one minded at all! We human volunteers and visitors had a great time surrounded by wildflowers and wildlife.
Here are some statistics for the day:
3 Sites: Braley Pond, Hone Quarry and Shenandoah Mountain crest at the Confederate Breastworks
~24 Volunteers from Friends of Shenandoah Mountain and Headwaters Chapter Virginia Master Naturalists, and VMNs from the Rivanna Chapter who are already monitors on the Bird and Wildlife Trail. Plus two US Forest Service Biologists, a retired forester, and our own past advisor and newly retired Fisheries Biologist.
(VMNs: Don’t forget to enter your Volunteer Hours and up to 1 CE credit for the Zoom Huddle and 1.5 CE credits for the day of.)
~130 total Visitors, including a preschool, two families from Richmond, homeschoolers from Highland County, our own HMN basic training class as a field trip, and local birders participating in Global Big Day, mountain bikers, grandparents and grandchildren.
~90 Warblers and Wildflowers handouts (see below) given away. We printed 150.
Wildflower species counted: 59 (includes 14 of the 16 on our handout)
Warbler species counted: 10 (of 16 on our handout)
We saw/heard: Yellow-Rumped, Black and White, Blackburnian, Ovenbird, Chestnut-Sided, Northern Parula, Pine, American Redstart, Black-Throated Green, Cerulean
Total bird species counted: 30, including Scarlet Tanager, Red Crossbills, Indigo Bunting, Red-Eyed and Blue-Headed Vireos, Woodthrush, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Raven
Click HERE for a full-sized, printable version of the above Warblers & Wildflowers handout used to help ID warblers and wildflowers discovered during the event. Thanks to HMNs Erica Eddins, Dave Wendleken, Cheryl Shull and Chris Bowlen for their work on this!
M&Ms (Magic and Meaning)
HMNs should be so proud of the chapter talent and partnerships that made W & W happen this year. Why?
Because Chip Brown and the Wildflower Walks Committee put out the call for new ideas during the pandemic.
Because HMN Cheryl Shull is on both that committee and is the coordinator of Bird and Wildlife Trail loop monitors with Sandy Greene, who all stepped up to volunteer for a socially distanced invitational day for the public. And Because those volunteers agreed to take on service roles like “Scout” and “Kid Activator” for the public that day.
Because Lynn Cameron, HMN Malcolm Cameron and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain were eager to continue our public wildflower partnership, developed the advertising campaign.
Because HMN Dave Wendelken shared his photographs of warblers, and HMN Cheryl Shull and HMN Chris Bowlen of wildflowers, and talented HMN Erica Eddins volunteered her graphic design skills to pull them together in a gorgeous handout for the public.
Because the North River Ranger District, George Washington National Forest, supported the idea, and biologists Meg Riddle and Sarah Davis signed up as experts for the day.
Because the HMN Board granted funds to print the handouts, provide social distanced bucket seats, flags, and team bandannas/masks for each site to identify the naturalists.
Because the HMN Continuing Education Committee granted credit hours for preparation and flexible hours for the volunteers to participate on that day, and because HMN Peggy Plass hosted a Zoom Huddle in advance so we could practice our warbler and wildflower chops!
Because HMN Outreach Chair Erica Eddins visited the sites on that day and took fabulous photos to share.
Because CDC guidance about mask-wearing outdoors changed the week before May 8th, we were able to smile and safely enjoy hikes with people mask free.
Shenandoah Mountain May 8th, 2021.Photo by Lynn Cameron.
Everybody got the message that there’s a lot of biodiversity on Shenandoah Mountain.
Lynn Cameron
Photo at the top of this post shows VMN John Holden leading a group at Braley Pond. Second and third from right are Cohort VII members Tina Dove and Angie Cromer respectively. Photo by fellow Cohort VII member Art Fovargue.
Circle image above is of a stonefly larva and a riffle beetle from Braley Pond. Photo from Erica Eddins.
Photos below are from the W&W site at Shenandoah Mountain Crest on Rt. 250. Click on any photo to launch a slide show of the images.
Visitors viewing the rock display. Photo by Erica Eddins. Retired USFS Forester Charlie Huppuch leading a hike. Photo by Lynn Cameron. A visitor tries out the wingspan banner. Photo by Lynn Cameron. HMNs Dave Forrer and Lisa Klein greet visitors. Photo by Lynn Cameron.
Photos below are from the W&W site at Braley Pond. Click on any photo to launch a slide show of the images.
Braley Pond, May 8th, 2021. Photo by Erica Eddins. John Holden leads a hike. Photo by Jeannie Holden. Sandy working the table. Photo by Art Fovargue. John Holden with visitors. Photo by Art Fovargue. May apple. Photo by Art Fovargue. Birdsfoot Violet. Photo by Jeannie Holden. Bellwort. Photo by Jeannie Holden. Polygala. Photo by Jeannie Holden. Erica Eddins shows a camera shot to Paul Bugas. Photo by Art Fovargue. Paul Bugas with macroinvertebrates. Photo by Erica Eddins.
Photos below are from the W&W site at Hone Quarry. Click on any photo to launch a slide show of the images.
Lady’s slipper. Photo by Sandy Greene. Lots of stream critters at Hone Quarry. Photo by Peggy Plass. Wildflower Explorer. Photo by Rachel Leweke. HMN Brian Lux and Forest Service Biologist Meg Riddle look for stream critters. Photo by Rachel Leweke.Heartbreak Trail. Photo by Sandy Greene.
Take-aways for next year:
It’s good to have everything in close range, so people can see what’s going on.
It’s really good to have an activity or display to engage people right away.
We needed all the volunteers.
It could work to have on-site paper registration for hourly hikes or programs, with a maximum number of participants allowable.
Maps are helpful.
Flags were not as good as having someone talk to you and go show you things. Need to write more on flags.
Field guides were not much used. No internet connectivity at sites means limited id online.
The handouts were very popular. We need one for fish, butterflies. It was good to use common names, and not obsess as we often do as naturalists for a broad audience.
Macroinvertebrates and tadpoles were very popular, as was the wingspan banner (loaned by the Augusta Bird Club). The rock display on Shenandoah Mountain was popular. Fun for the family to use the “dress a broadwinged hawk” kit and BirdSong Identiflyer.
If it had been 10 degrees warmer, we might have had twice the number of people.
We really need to work on posting our photos and sightings to eBird and iNaturalist. So far, no entries have been made from W&W/Global Big Day for these sites.
We could personally invite reporters, elected officials, maybe schools?
The timing was about right. 11am – 3pm would be ok too.
