November 7, 2005 [LINK]

Lake Moomaw field trip

I joined several members of the Augusta Bird Club for a field trip to Lake Moomaw on Sunday. It was the first time I had ever been to that remote mountain recreation area, near the West Virginia border. Led by Allen Larner, our group made a preliminary stop at the reservoir on Back Creek, where Dominion Power has a hydroelectric generating station, about 10 miles to the northeast. The temperature was mild for the most part, but it was quite windy and mostly cloudy. I saw several first-of-season birds, and one life bird: a Red-throated loon, identified by Allen Larner. Most of the birds were too far away for good photographs, however, except for this Cooper's hawk that flew overhead. Sunday's highlights, in rough chronological order (not an exhaustive list):

• Red-tailed hawks *
• Great blue herons (one in tree top!) *
• Bald eagles (2 J, 1 A) *
• Cedar waxwings *
• Goldfinches *
• American coots (FOS)
• Pied-billed grebe (FOS) *
• Ring-necked duck (FOS)
• Greater or lesser (?) scaup (FOS)
• Red-bellied woodpeckers *
• Flickers *
• Downy woodpeckers
• Common loon (FOS)
• Red-throated loon (LIFE BIRD)
• Golden-crowned kinglets
• Ruby-crowned kinglets
• Black-capped chickadees
• Brown creeper
• Towhee
• Cooper's hawk
• Purple finches (M, F)
• Hermit thrush (seen only by me)

* -- seen in more than one location.