West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 14-18, 2016

Devil Run

West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 14-18, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of March 14-18, 2016

Anthony Creek Back Fork of Elk River Barboursville Lake Bear Rocks Lake Big Clear Creek Blackwater River Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Camp Creek Cherry River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River Clover Run Cranberry River Desert Fork Dillons Run Dunkard Fork Lake East Fork Greenbrier River East River Edwards Run Pond Elk River Evitts Run Fort Ashby Reservoir Gandy Creek Glade Creek of Mann Glade Creek of New River Glady Fork Handley Pond (Children & Class Q) Hopkins Fork Horseshoe Run Huey Lake

Kimsey Run Lake Knapps Creek Laurel Fork (Randolph) Little Clear Creek Little Kanawha Headwaters Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Little River West Fork Greenbrier River Lost River Mash Fork Mash Fork of Camp Creek (Children and Class Q) Meadow Creek of New River (Summers) Middle Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek of South Branch (Hampshire) New Creek North Fork Cherry North Fork of Anthony North Fork of Lunice North Fork of Patterson Creek North Fork of South Branch North River Opequon Creek Paint Creek Panther Creek Paw Paw Creek Pinnacle Creek Pond Fork Raleigh County Airport Pond (Children & Class Q) R. D. Bailey Tailwaters Red Creek Right Fork of Little Kanawha Headwaters

Rocky Marsh Run Rollins Lake Second Creek (C&R) Seneca Lake Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (lower section) Shavers Fork (upper section) South Branch (Franklin) South Branch (Smoke Hole) South Fork Cherry South Fork Cranberry River South Mill Creek Lake Spruce Knob Lake Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Sugar Creek Summersville Tailwaters Summit Lake Sutton Tailwaters Teter Creek Lake Thomas Park Lake Tilhance Creek Trout Run Tuscarora Creek Waites Run Warden Lake Watoga Lake West Fork Greenbrier River Wheeling Creek Whiteday Creek Williams River

Spring Eagle Survey

38 eagles spotted in southern West Virginia during spring survey

PIPESTEM, W.Va. – Sixty-one people gathered and were scattered to 11 survey sites for the 9th annual Spring Eagle Survey, held March 5 in the Pipestem area of southern West Virginia. During the four hours of the survey, they spotted 38 bald and golden eagles soaring the skies.
"The volunteers all have a common interest – birds – and on this particular day, eagles," said Julie McQuade, naturalist at Pipestem State Park. McQuade and other volunteers assist former Pipestem naturalist Jim Phillips with this annual event.
The survey sites included Mouth of Indian Creek; Bertha; Pits; Bluestone State Park; Bluestone Turnpike Trail; Falls Mills, Virginia; Rt. 20 Overlook; Camp Brookside; Brooks; Barger Springs; and Rt. 122. The temperature ranged from 34-53 degrees with a 50-100 percent cloud cover and wind speed of 0-3 mph. There was no precipitation and the water was open.
Thirty-three bald eagles were recorded (11 adults, 8 first years, 9 second years, 1 third year and 4 fourth years). Golden eagles sighted were three adults and one immature. There were four unidentified eagles at nine of the 11 sites. Three nests were reported as having eggs or suspected of have an egg.
Annual eagle surveys are conducted in January and March with the announcements posted to www.pipestemresort.com, "Events." The 2017 surveys will occur Jan. 7 and March 4, 2017

MARCH MADNESS

Yes, March makes me mad. April usually does, too. You start hearing how many days it is until spring; before January is over with. I just crunched a few numbers and I have actually lived around 31% of my life where spring actually happens on March 20. That doesn’t happen within 800 miles of here. We can only wish or hope, but neither ever gets us too far.

We tend to get a little excited when we hear the Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers. But, we always know they will get frozen over. Yes, it happens every year there are signs of life for brief periods and then all is white again. Pussy Willow catkins are soft and fuzzy; covered with yellow pollen. Honey bees are busy in the afternoon sun and then the next day all is encrusted in ice. The poor little catkins hang on; damp and droopy. They never look happy again.

Skunk Cabbage is pretty tough and it keeps on trying to show its true colors. Try it does until it succumbs to the freezes. Often it just wilts into the mud and waits. Freeze, thaw, freeze and thaw over and over; it takes a toll on all involved. Spring will come if we can all hold on. The wait is excruciating. When will it stick and stay? Nobody knows.

Sometime during the month we will get that perfect 5 day period. The fishing rods and rototillers will emerge from hibernation. We want to believe that the cold is over. We hurry up and plant some sugar snaps. We hope the cold doesn’t get them before they get a chance to germinate. The cold always wins. Poor little broccoli and cabbage plants sit in a snowy dormancy; waiting on some sunny days. They never come and we plant again or deal with stunted plants that have given up.

We hit the trout streams hoping for some action. The fish are there; seemingly stacked upon each other. Lethargic fish that is. You can stand there for hours bouncing bait off their noses. They will not move. When it is warm enough to fish it is also warm enough for that dreaded snow-melt to be flowing into the stream. Oh well, it was a nice day for a ride into the mountains and you don’t have to worry about cleaning fish when you get home. On the bright side; at least you could afford the gas without feeling guilty about driving so far.

March is about waiting for better things to come. Serviceberries will be the first to bloom and then the cycle will begin. When? That depends; it might be March or it may be April. The only thing we can do is wait and wait we do. One day we will look up a steep hill and see the real spring green as the ramp leaves glow in the sunlight. They will come as they always do. We can only wait.

Sometime soon the woodcocks will be displaying in the evening sky in a clearing near you. The turkeys will gobble and bloodroot will bloom. I love springtime when it finally happens and I know you do too. But, for now all we can do is wait..

This is my March 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin

(c) High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016:

Anthony Creek Baker Lake (Children and Class Q) Bear Rocks Lake Big Clear Creek Blackwater River Boley Lake Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Buffalo Creek (Clay) Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Camp Creek Cherry River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River (delayed harvest) Coonskin Park Lake (Children and Class Q) Cranberry River East Fork Greenbrier River East River Elk River Evitts Run Gandy Creek Glade Creek of Mann Glady fork Hills Creek Horseshoe Run Kanawha State Forest Pond (Children and Class Q)

Kimsey Run Lake Knapps Creek Krodel Lake Larenim Park Lake Laurel Fork (Randolph) Little Clear Creek Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Little River West Fork Greenbrier River Logan County Pond (Children and Class Q) Lost River Mash Fork Mash Fork of Camp Creek (Children and Class Q) Middle Creek (Berkeley) Middle Fork River Miletree Lake Mill Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek Reservoir Miller Pond (Children and Class Q) Moores Run New Creek North Fork of Cherry River North Fork of Lunice North Fork of Patterson Creek North Fork South Branch North River Opequon Creek Paint Creek Paint Creek (C&R) Paw Paw Creek

Pinnacle Creek (upper and lower sections) Pond Fork Poorhouse Pond R. D. Bailey Tailwaters Red Creek Rocky Marsh Run Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (C&R) Shavers Fork (lower section) South Branch (Smoke Hole) South Fork of Cherry River South Mill Creek Lake Spruce Knob Lake Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Summersville Tailwaters Summit Lake Sutton Tailwaters Teter Creek Lake Tilhance Creek Trout Run Tuckahoe Lake Tuscarora CreekTygart Tailwaters Tygart Valley River Headwaters Waites Run Wallback Lake Warden Lake Watoga Lake West Fork Greenbrier River Wheeling Creek Whiteday Creek Williams River

Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz: Opening Day

Welcome to International Opening Day of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz!  The Blitz challenges birders to seek Rusty Blackbirds throughout this species’ entire migratory range, from the southeastern U.S. through the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Alaska. It’s easy to participate- bird as you normally do and search especially carefully for Rusty Blackbirds- then report your results to eBird under the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” survey type, even if you don’t find a Rusty.  Or, visit one of our Rusty Blackbird Areas of Interest (visit our interactive map at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/) to help us assess consistency of migratory timing and habitat use during spring migration.

Many Rusty Blackbirds spend the winter in the lower South, so our job is largely to document when Rusties get ready for migration and subsequently leave that region to head north to their breeding grounds.  To give you a sense of when peak migratory activity is likely to occur in our area, we’ve posted a list of suggested target dates for each region: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/ .  However, migratory timing can vary annually based on weather and climate, and some Southern states were reporting Rusty sightings into April last year, so any Rusty reports during the Blitz period of 1 March through 15 June will help our effort. 

For more information on Blitz objectives, along with Rusty Blackbird identification tips, data collection instructions, and data reporting information, you can find additional resources at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/.  

We hope you’ll “get Rusty” with us to help conserve this elusive and vulnerable songbird! Also, follow us on Facebook to hear about Rusty sightings, see Rusty pictures, and get the latest Blitz news: https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz