Cerulean Warbler

Katie Fallon

One of the day trips that I went on during my stay in West Virginia, at the New River Birding and Nature Festival, was to find a Cerulean Warbler.  Previously, during the week, I had listened to a talk by Katie Fallon, who wrote the book "Cerulean Blues", about her quest for this Songbird.  Cerulean's is one of the species of highest concern in the eastern United States, because the population has decreased 80% since the 1960’s.  The main reason, for the decline is the continuing loss of habitat of this beautiful bird, both here in the United States, and in it's wintering grounds in South America.  It breeds in forest with tall deciduous trees and open understory and winters in the areas of broad-leafed, evergreen forests.

Katie Talking to the Group

One of the reasons for the decline is the change in extracting coal from the regions where the Cerulean Warbler breeds.  This change is mountain top removal coal mining, and it may permanently destroy the preferred breeding habitat of the Cerulean Warbler.  A quote from the book, which is a quote from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, "in the core.  Although cerulean warblers range, Kentucky and West Virginia,… Mountaintop coal mining and valley fill operations through 2012 are expected to remove 567,000 hectares (an area roughly the size of Delaware) of suitable forest habitat… The total cumulative forest loss from these activities will likely eliminate breeding habitat for 10 to 20% of the total cerulean Warbler population currently occurring within that core area."

Cerulean Warbler in the canopy

Early in the morning, after breakfast, the small group of us joined Katie and the guides and in four-wheel drive vehicles climbed to the top of Cotton Hill, over a rough gravel road.  However, we arrived at the top, and when we left the car, right over our heads , was a Cerulean Warbler singing.  During the whole trip.  I was able to get some photographs of the Cerulean.  Our Group also Identified about 64 different species of birds during this trip.


Cerulean, are identified by the following: "Adult males have pale cerulean blue upper parts and white under parts with a black necklace across the breast; they also have black streaks on the back and flanks. Females and immature birds have greyer or greenish upper parts, a pale stripe over the eye, and no streaking on the back and no necklace. All of these birds, regardless of their age, have wing bars and a thin pointed bill."

Cerulean Warbler - male

Cerulean Warbler - female

We also observed a pair of cerulean's mating and gathering their food.
I recommend Katie Fallon's book "Cerulean Blues", which is her personal search for a vanishing songbird.  It is available from Amazon.com 

The New River Gorge Birding and Nature Festival

The New River Gorge Birding and Nature Festival starts at 6 AM on the  Monday morning with a program called "Birding By Butt". It takes place on the Meadow at Possum Creek Retreat. Coffee is ready, and then right in the backyard there are numerous birds and also groups walked along the property to see the many different birds and flowers that are there. An excellent breakfast is served at around 8 AM. All the trip leaders make sure that the people can see the birds that were found and they also work to help people find life birds. Another group started the morning at Wolf Trap with bird banding and bird walks. This group joined us for lunch and we continued after lunch to bird the area.

Showy Orchis

Eastern towhee 

Yellow Lady Slipper

The rest of the week starts with a buffet breakfast at Burnwood, then onto the buses for a day of birding, nature and making new friends. There are various trips each day taken people to defend habitats in order to see different species of birds birds, plants, and animals. At midday there is a break for lunch and then the day will finish up getting people back in time for them to rest or bird watching or sightsee on their own. Every evening there is a program presented after an enjoyable supper. These activities take place every day through Saturday.

Indigo Bunting

 red-spotted a Newt butterflies on scat gathering nutrients that they need to help them make cerulean warbler hooded wabler groundhog sunrise at Burnwood Luna moth at the facility at Burnwood
the Cranberry Glades is located at approximately 4000 feet in the southern Appalachians and is noted for the many species of blog plants that are present there including cranberries from which it gets its name .
this is a scenic of rain clouds over a meadow on one of our trips .

 
If you want a memorable experience, and think about attending next years New River Birding and Nature Festival. The website is at: http://www.birding-wv.com/