Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 15, 1994 TAG: 9404150088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: VIRGINIA EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The organic chemist, who lives in Radford, has been a bird watcher for 15 years.
So when he looked out through binoculars in his back yard Sunday afternoon and noticed a yellow-rumped warbler perched in a tree, he looked it up in a bird guide.
"This was not your local yellow-rumped warbler," he said, and went back for another look.
Seems the warbler VanCantfort spied was an Audubon's warbler, the likes of which have never been documented in Virginia. It's not to be confused with a Myrtle warbler, which is pretty common around these parts.
The only differences between the sparrow-sized birds is the color of the feathers under their chins - yellow on the Audubon's, white on the Myrtle - and more white feathers on the Audubon's wings.
When he first saw it, "I came within a hair's breadth of just ignoring it," assuming it was the common warbler, VanCantfort said.
The warblers are members of the same species, but the specific one in his back yard usually isn't seen east of the Mississippi River. In fact, the Virginia Society of Ornithology, which keeps track of these things, never has recorded a case of an Audubon's warbler in the state.
Teta Kain, field ornithologist and editor of The Raven, the society's journal, said the only other time one possibly was seen was in 1978 near Arlington. But, "it is not an official record and does not appear on our books," meaning no documentation ever was presented.
"It's a nice bird, no question about it," Kain said.
Now VanCantfort and other members of the New River Valley Bird Club are working up the documentation - and taking photographs - so he can go down in history as having seen the bird first. It'll be a nice, er, feather in his cap, VanCantfort said.
"The birding world tends to be a little competitive," he explained. "A first-time sighting can never be replaced. It's a claim to fame."
Clyde Kessler, an English instructor at Virginia Tech and co-president of the bird club, lives down the street from VanCantfort. Kessler, um, flew over as soon as VanCantfort called him about the bird Sunday.
"It's real," said Kessler, a 20-year bird watcher. "It's extremely easy to identify."
The two have some theories on how their feathered friend came to town. Perhaps it got caught up in a storm and was blown horrendously off course, or maybe it got trapped in a truck or train and was transported here.
"There's no way of knowing for sure how a single bird gets where it does," VanCantfort said.
All the same, there's no way of knowing how long it will stay, either.
The bird is migratory, and VanCantfort said it may fly north now that the rainy weather has cleared.
Tuesday afternoon, VanCantfort walked out and heard nothing but silence in his yard. No birds were to be seen. He looked up in a tree, and to his dismay, noticed a hawk perched there. But the hawk left, and the warbler returned. Still, maybe the little guy will know what's good for him and, ahem, fly the coop.
Then again, the little chirper seems to be getting a good feeding off the bugs flying around a neighbor's Chinese elm tree, so maybe it'll stay. It still was there Thursday.
"As long as people are seeing it every day, we'll probably keep gathering information on it," Kessler said.
Ten or so bird watchers have been by VanCantfort's home to catch a glimpse. "All of these bird fans have ... been flocking to my house," he said, and insists he meant no pun.
by CNB