Richmond Outside

Tracking an endangered species at Piney Grove

By Andy Thompson | May 14, 2012

Five-day-old red-cockaded woodpecker

Just over an hour south of Richmond, off Route 460 in Sussex county, The Nature Conservancy owns a 3,200-acre tract called Piney Grove. The pine-savanna habitat is home to the the northernmost breeding population of red-cockaded woodpeckers in the U.S. The 44 or so birds at Piney Grove are also the only RCWs (a federally endangered species since 1970) in Virginia. I had the chance to go down there Monday morning to join some scientists with TNC and the Center for Conservation Biology as they attempted to band the recently-hatched chicks for further study. Piney Grove and the RCWs will be the subject of my Friday column, but I thought I’d pass this pic along now. It’s just too cool not to share.

One neat feature of Piney Grove, unlike some TNC properties, is that public has access. There’s an interpretive trail, the Constance Darden Nature Trail (open from from February through October) that anyone can use to get an overview of TNC’s work at the preserve “to restore pine-savanna habitat for the benefit of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and myriad other plants and animals.”

It’s an easy trip down Route 460 from Richmond and absolutely worth the drive.

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Three peregrine falcon chicks hatch on Riverfront Plaza

By Andy Thompson | April 26, 2012

Photo: Lee Walker/DGIF

If the loss of the T-D’s eagle cam has you down — or if you just think spying on birds is fun — you might check out the peregrine falcon cam set up by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The rare adult peregrines have nested on a 21st-story ledge at Riverfront Plaza, 901 E. Byrd Street for a few years. Three falcon chicks emerged from eggs last week, so most of the cam shots are of the mother tending to the chicks. Colleague Rex Springston will have a story in the T-D soon.

Area birders may remember that a single peregrine chick died last yearwhen it flew into a window of a nearby building on its first flight. Let’s hope these three find more luck navigating the downtown highrises. And, if you’re interested, the DGIF website has a lot of great information on peregrine falcon recovery efforts across the state. Here’s a bit on the Richmond pair: “Since 2006 the birds have nested on the west tower of the Riverfront Plaza. The pair continues to be productive, having produced 33 eggs and 26 chicks between 2003 and 2010. Fifteen of these have successfully fledged in Richmond. The pair has also contributed chicks to hacking efforts in the mountains, including 2 chicks released at Breaks Interstate Park and 5 at Shenandoah National Park. Two of the Richmond-produced birds have gone on to become breeders in nearby states.”

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Cast a ballot in the Great Backyard Bird Count

By Andy Thompson | February 15, 2012

The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count starts this Friday and runs through Monday. If you’ve never heard of the GBBC, here’s a description from the official website:

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event…Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

If you’re into birds, you probably already know about the GBBC. But if you’re the kind of person that wonders about the birds that flit through your backyard — maybe you put out feeders but don’t know what’s eating from it — the GBBC really is a fun way to learn more. All you need is a good bird ID guide, and those are plentiful on the Internet. The GBBC is also a great way to get kids into birds.

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