Cape Henry Audubon Society Birdathon

Nick's summary of this year's Cape Henry Audubon Society's Birdathon follows:

The Birdathon is the only fundraiser the Cape Henry Audubon Society conducts during the year.  The monies raised help the monthly programs, the scholarship fund, and general expenses.  The monies raised are based on the number of species a team of birders records during a full day of birding. The Birdathon was resurrected last year after a two-year hiatus.  Prior to that a team of birders led by organizer Nick Flanders traveled a well-calculated route designed to see as many bird species as possible.  This year's event took place on Sunday, May 21, and we again tried the flexible approach to the CHAS Birdathon as in 2022.  Instead of a single roving group, we allowed each participant to bird on his/her own on the same date (5/21/23) and then combined lists to get the species total. Once again, this format allowed us to cover many different habitats during peak birding hours, and at a more relaxed pace than when most species were found by a single group.

Six different parties submitted lists for the effort, with Nick Flanders, Elisa Flanders, 7 y.o. Maisy Flanders, and 5 y.o. Fisher Flanders roaming across Southside Virginia, David & Missy Clark birding Chincoteague NWR & other Eastern Shore sites, Bob Ake counting in his yard & Stumpy Lake Natural Area, two groups covering eastern portions of the Great Dismal Swamp and their respective yards: Judy & Dianne Hinch and Ken Markley, and Saundra Winstead & Tom St. Andre counting in their yard.

This great bunch of birders turned up a great list of species, with a final total of 133 species recorded across these sites on this date. Interestingly, each group’s list included at least one species seen by no other group, with detections of the following species which are scarce locally in late May: Gadwall, Ruddy Duck, Piping Plover, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Horned Lark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager. 

Enjoy the list below, with initials representing each group that detected each species (N&EF = the Flanders, BA = Bob Ake, D&MC = David & Missy Clark, J&DH = Judy & Dianne Hinch, KM = Ken Markley, and SW&TSA = Saundra Winstead & Tom St. Andre). Thanks much to all the participants! Thanks to all who pledged in support either at the April or May CHAS meeting or since then (and please contact me at nflan005@odu.edu if you need a reminder of your pledge amount).  If you have not yet made your pledge, either at a flat rate or per-species rate, it is not too late. Whether you've already pledged or not, you can now mail checks to our Treasurer, Elisa Flanders, 3825 Pine Road, Portsmouth VA 23703. 

1. Canada Goose    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
2. Wood Duck D&MC
3. Gadwall    BA
4. Mallard    BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
5. Ruddy Duck    D&MC
6. No. Bobwhite    N&EF D&MC J&DH
7. Pied-billed Grebe    D&MC
8. Rock Pigeon    N&EF D&MC
9. Mourning Dove    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
10. Yellow-billed Cuckoo    N&EF BA D&MC KM
11. Chimney Swift    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
12. Ruby-throated Hummingbird    N&EF J&DH KM SW&TSA
13. Clapper Rail    D&MC
14. Black-necked Stilt    D&MC
15. American Oystercatcher    D&MC
16. Black-bellied Plover    D&MC
17. Semipalmated Plover    BA D&MC
18. Piping Plover    D&MC
19. Killdeer    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
20. Ruddy Turnstone    D&MC
21. Sanderling    D&MC
22. Dunlin    D&MC
23. Semipalmated Sandpiper    D&MC
24. Short-billed Dowitcher    D&MC
25. Spotted Sandpiper    BA D&MC
26. Solitary Sandpiper    D&MC
27. Greater Yellowlegs    D&MC
28. Willet    D&MC
29. Laughing Gull    BA D&MC KM SW&TSA
30. Ring-billed Gull    D&MC
31. Herring Gull    D&MC
32. Great Black-backed Gull    D&MC
33. Least Tern    BA D&MC SW&TSA
34. Common Tern    D&MC
35. Forster's Tern    D&MC
36. Royal Tern    D&MC
37. Black Skimmer    D&MC
38. Common Loon    D&MC
39. Double-crested Cormorant    N&EF BA D&MC KM SW&TSA
40. Brown Pelican    D&MC
41. Great Blue Heron    BA D&MC KM
42. Great Egret    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
43. Snowy Egret    D&MC
44. Little Blue Heron    D&MC
45. Tricolored Heron    D&MC
46. Cattle Egret    D&MC
47. Green Heron    D&MC J&DH
48. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron    BA D&MC J&DH SW&TSA
49. White Ibis    D&MC
50. Glossy Ibis    D&MC
51. Black Vulture    N&EF D&MC
52. Turkey Vulture    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
53. Osprey    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH SW&TSA
54. Cooper's Hawk    D&MC
55. Bald Eagle    N&EF D&MC J&DH SW&TSA
56. Red-shouldered Hawk    N&EF BA 
57. Red-tailed Hawk    J&DH
58. Red-headed Woodpecker    N&EF D&MC
59. Red-bellied Woodpecker    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
60. Downy Woodpecker    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
61. Red-cockaded Woodpecker    N&EF
62. Hairy Woodpecker    N&EF
63. Pileated Woodpecker    N&EF BA D&MC KM
64. Northern Flicker    N&EF BA D&MC KM
65. Great Crested Flycatcher    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
66. Ea. Wood-Pewee    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
67. Ea. Phoebe    N&EF
68. Acadian Flycatcher    N&EF BA
69. Ea. Kingbird   N&EF BA D&MC J&DH SW&TSA
70. White-eyed Vireo    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
71. Yellow-throated Vireo    N&EF BA
72. Red-eyed Vireo    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
73. Blue Jay    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
74. Am. Crow    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
75. Fish Crow    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH
76. Carolina Chickadee    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
77. Tufted Titmouse    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
78. Horned Lark    D&MC
79. Purple Martin    BA D&MC
80. Tree Swallow    D&MC KM
81. Barn Swallow    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
82. White-breasted Nuthatch    N&EF BA J&DH KM
83. Brown-headed Nuthatch    N&EF BA D&MC
84. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
85. House Wren    N&EF BA D&MC
86. Carolina Wren    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
87. Gray Catbird    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
88. Brown Thrasher    N&EF BA J&DH KM SW&TSA
89. No. Mockingbird    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
90. Eu. Starling    N&EF BA D&MC KM SW&TSA
91. Ea. Bluebird    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
92. Wood Thrush    BA KM
93. Swainson’s Thrush    D&MC
94. American Robin    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
95. Cedar Waxwing    N&EF D&MC KM
96. House Sparrow    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
97. House Finch    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
98. Am. Goldfinch    BA D&MC J&DH SW&TSA
99. Grasshopper Sparrow    N&EF D&MC
100.     100.Chipping Sparrow    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
101.     101.Field Sparrow    N&EF D&MC KM
102.     102.Seaside Sparrow    D&MC
103.     103.Song Sparrow    BA D&MC J&DH
104.     104.Ea. Towhee    N&EF BA D&MC KM SW&TSA
105.     105.Yellow-breasted Chat    N&EF D&MC
106.     106.Ea. Meadowlark    N&EF D&MC J&DH
107.     107.Orchard Oriole    N&EF D&MC
108.     108.Red-winged Blackbird    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
109.     109.Brown-headed Cowbird    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
110.     110.Common Grackle    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
111.     111.Boat-tailed Grackle    D&MC
112.     112.Black-and-white Warbler    N&EF D&MC KM
113.     113.Ovenbird    N&EF BA KM
114.     114.Louisiana Waterthrush    N&EF J&DH
115.     115.Prothonotary Warbler    N&EF BA J&DH KM
116.     116.Swainson’s Warbler    N&EF KM
117.     117.Common Yellowthroat    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
118.     118.Magnolia Warbler    D&MC
119.     119.Yellow Warbler    D&MC
120.     120.Am. Redstart    BA J&DH KM
121.     121.Black-throated Blue Warbler    BA KM
122.     122.Hooded Warbler    N&EF
123.     123.No. Parula    N&EF KM SW&TSA
124.     124.Blackpoll Warbler    SW&TSA
125.     125.Pine Warbler    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
126.     126.Yellow-throated Warbler    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
127.     127.Prairie Warbler    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
128.     128.Black-throated Green Warbler    KM
129.     129.Summer Tanager    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM
130.     130.Scarlet Tanager    N&EF
131.     131.No. Cardinal    N&EF BA D&MC J&DH KM SW&TSA
132.     132.Blue Grosbeak    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM
133.     133.Indigo Bunting    N&EF D&MC J&DH KM

Bluebird Nest Box productivity update

After a recent nest box check, Pat Quinn reports that the Bluebird Trail at Ocean View Golf Course has fledged 20 bluebirds so far, with 4 more chicks ready to fledge.  

Annual Elections, held at Monthly Program Meeting May 17, 2023 

The following were elected to one year terms (June 2023-May 2024):

Vice President Tom “Morocco” St. Andre

Treasurer Elisa Flanders

Secretary Jutta Helm (starting in October) 

Members/Directors at Large: Ken Markley, Judy Hinch, Mary Jane Hall 

(The President was not put to vote because that position is for a two year term. Pat Quinn is CHAS President. Her two-year term ends May 2024.