Monday, June 14, 2010

Babcock Park and a Black-throated Green

Babcock State Park in Clifftop, WV, was my primary destination on day five of the New River Birding and Nature Festival (April 30th).  The Glade Creek Grist Mill greets you near the visitor's entrance, a mill constructed as a reproduction of the old Cooper's Mill that once ground grain on this creek before the park was established.  The Glade mill was assembled from a collection of other historic mills that once dotted the state.
  
The historic mill and the roaring sound and mist of Glade Creek forms a relaxing center piece for birdwatching and hikes in the park.  And right here at the visitor's center we were greeted by a pair of Black-throated Green Warblers, the male and the female, both busily foraging in a large evergreen near the parking lot.
The male found a worm as we watched.
And got it situated...
and in position for the big swallow.
And just as he was perching for departure, the female (below) popped into view.  Notice that she doesn't have the solid black under her throat, but white with a spattering of black markings on her upper breast.
Here's most of our group, with Connie Toops behind the camera...
pausing just before we took our delicious stroll along the creekside trail.  Plenty of other people were enjoying a day of fishing along the creek's shores.
Below, one of the many Black-and-White warblers we encountered.  This warbler was around us throughout the day and if we didn't see them, we could hear their song, a high- pitched "weesee weesee weesee".
The Black-and-White is known for its creeping like motions while foraging, similar to that of a nuthatch.  This one flew to a trunk beside me, foraged for a moment, then off again to another tree
More often, they hung out over our heads.
Below, two of our leaders for the day, Lynn Pollard (second from right) and Donna Hershberger (right).  Molly Daly is to the left with binoculars raised.  
And below, Connie Toops, one of our bird and botanical experts.



As we boarded the bus before departing this trip, Bill Thompson III stepped inside, "Hey, I want to go on this trip.  You're all chicks in here!  It's a Chick Trip".  I looked around, and yes, we were all females, including our bus driver.

I don't know if this helped account for the laid back nature of the day, or if I should credit the sun warming us to short sleeves, or simply the prevailing mood of field-day five, but our Babcock trip was a relaxing and charmed day of birding.
A patch of Bluets aka Quaker Ladies near the visitor's center.

Links:
Female Black-throated Green Warbler with sketch, my first sighting in TN
WV's New River Birding and Nature Festival
Opossum Creek Retreat
National Park Service, New River Gorge 
Babcock State Park
Connie Toops--Lost Cove Farm
Donna Hershberger--The Music of Nature
Molly Daly--The Catbird Seat
Bill Thompson, III- Bill of the Birds

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #94 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful post and photography of your trip, Vickie! As I looked at your photos, I see many that you could turn into a watercolor (i.e. the Grist Mill and the waterfall)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember being here last year. It was cold and gray the day we visited but still beautiful. However, it rained and we had to eat on the bus! So glad it was nice for you. Love the bluets, one of my favorite wildflowers! I have enver heard them called "Quaker ladies" before!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014
Photo courtesy of Jody Stone

Bird-banding at Seven Islands

Bird-banding at Seven Islands
Photo courtesy of Karen Wilkenson

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014
Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Expeditions

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014
Photo courtesy of Wendy Pitts Reeves

Me and Denali--2012

Me and Denali--2012
Photo courtesy of Bob King

For the Love of It...

...the sage sees heaven reflected in Nature as in a mirror, and he pursues this Art, not for the sake of gold or silver, but for the love of the knowledge which it reveals.
Sendivogius (1750)

Your Uncapped Creativity...

Your Uncapped Creativity...
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, nor how valuable. Nor how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly." ----the great dancer, Martha Graham