Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 17:03:24 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Todd Day Subject: 2001 VSO Foray--Fauquier County Comments: To: VA-BIRD@list.audubon.org, Marvadel@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings... Each year during breeding season, the Virginia Society of Ornithology [VSO] takes on a field research project aimed at improving our documentation of Virginia's avifauna. Birders from all over the state visit an area about which we'd like to know more and see what is there to be found. It's fun, it can be exciting, and it definitely provides valuable data. The 2001 Foray will be held in Fauquier County, one of the least known counties in the northern part of Virginia. Fauquier is mostly piedmont, but does rise to about 2000 feet on the Blue Ridge. Myself and Roger Clapp will be organizing the foray as birders comb the woods for Summer Tanagers, warblers and vireos, nightjars and owls, search the fields and hedgerows for Upland Sandpipers [which have bred in Fauquier in the last decade], Dickcissels, Savannah Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Horned Larks. Perhaps we will get lucky and find a nesting pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. An emphasis will be on documenting breeding of all species. The Foray is scheduled for the FIRST FULL WEEK OF JUNE, 2001, Monday through Sunday [4-10]. Participants are encouraged to stay for a few days or even the whole week to allow thorough coverage of Fauquier's many uncharted nooks and crannies. Complete information packets, including lodging information, will be available at the VSO Annual Meeting or can be requested from me. Some areas that will be covered include G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area [WMA], Chester Phelps WMA, Sky Meadows State Park, Whitney State Forest, C.M. Crockett Park/Germantown Lake, Airlie, Clifton Farm, Wildcat Mountain Nature Preserve, Bull Run Mountain [one of the last known breeding spots for Blue-winged Warbler in Fauquier County], and several other private farms. Past forays have always turned up new discoveries and exciting rediscoveries. What could be more important for birders to do than to increase our knowledge of the state's breeding birds? For information contact: Todd Day 5118 Beaver Dam Road Jeffersonton, VA 22724 540/349-9094 BlkVulture@aol.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Todd Day Jeffersonton, VA Culpeper County Blkvulture@aol.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================