Black-throated Green Warbler
After a couple of mediocre trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway the past couple of times to look for warblers, this morning made up for the previous trips. I arrived at the mountain cirque between mile markers 7 and 8 at 8:30 a.m., passing the northern end of the cirque as I did not see or hear any activity, and parked at the slightly higher elevation southern end of the cirque. There is room for a few cars to safely park of the left shoulder (heading south) near the curved road traffic sign.
I would not say that there were birds everywhere; however, for the next hour, there was continuous movement of one to five or six birds flying about in the trees at the south end, mostly eating wild berries from the trees. At first I saw a Carolina Chickadee and then a Tufted Titmouse, and then the warblers and vireos. Mixed in with the latter two families were a Downy Woodpecker, a juvenile male Rose-breasted grosbeak, and an American Robin. The first warbler I saw was a Black-throated Green. Fall warblers can be difficult to identify at times, so I would appreciate any opinions and disagreements with my identifications.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Next I spotted a Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
A yellow colored warbler appeared, but I can not determine if it is a female Yellow, Wilson’s, Hooded, or perhaps a Nashville, and would appreciate opinions. It has a yellow breast, olive wings, I don't think that there were any wing bars, a yellow or white eye-ring, and a darker yellow or olive cap.
Unknown 1 Warbler
Two warblers then appeared at the same time near each other in the same area of a tree – a Magnolia Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler.
Magnolia Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
The warbler show was interrupted by a Scarlet Tanager that wanted its turn at the berries
Scarlet Tanager
At 8:42, a new warbler appeared. It appears to be either a female Blackpoll or Bay-breasted Warbler. From the field marks (softly streaked breast), I would say Blackpoll; however, the VSO annotated checklist has Bay-breasted arriving as early as August 30, but Blackpolls not until September 15. Forty minutes later I saw either another one or the same bird. I would appreciate opinions.
female Blackpoll or Bay-breasted Warbler
female Blackpoll or Bay-breasted Warbler
A Red-eyed Vireo then took its turn gathering berries.
Red-eyed Vireo
But the warbler show at the cirque was not over yet. Next came a female Black-throated Blue Warbler followed by a Blackburnian Warbler.
female Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Finally, another bird landed on top of some tall ground vegetation, and stayed there long enough for me to take a number of pictures, Unfortunately, it was far enough away to make automatic focusing difficult, and the bird was too small at that distance for good manual focus. I think that it is either a male Tennessee Warbler (gray cap), or perhaps a Warbling Vireo, and would appreciate opinions.
Unknown 2
After spending an hour at the cirque warbler show, the bird activity quieted down, so I decided to go to Hickory Springs Overlook (near mile marker 12), my other favorite spot on the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping along the way at the long open stretch just before mile marker 9 where I saw a pair of Black-throated Green Warblers. At Hickory Springs Overlook, I heard a Pileated Woodpecker, and saw some American Goldfinches and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. An olive backed warbler with a gray head and no wing bars flew from the brush on one side of the parkway to the brush on the other side - probably a Nashville, and then a yellow warbler with a black cap and I think a black throat flew across the other direction - probably a Hooded, but I can't be certain on either of these two. However, a Tennessee Warbler let me get close, and a Yellow-throated Vireo was in a nearby tree.
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Before I left Hickory Springs Overlook, I thought that there was a Blue-headed Vireo in the trees as well. However, this bird had white tips to its tail, which is not a Blue-headed Vireo Vireo field mark, so I don't have a clue what this bird was, and would appreciate opinions. Its wing-bars rule out a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
Unknown 3
Still not done yet - At 10:30 I stopped once again at the cirque - there wasn't much activity at the southern end - just a Mourning Dove, but there were birds at the northern end - a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Red-eyed Vireo, and a couple of unusual birds. A Scarlet Tanager I saw there had an olive cap - perhaps a common mark, but the first I have seen on one. And then there was this bright orange bird with a white eye ring. It looked to be about the size of a warbler, but perhaps that was because of foreshortening of the angle at which I saw it. The closest match I could find is a female Summer Tanager, and again, opinions would be appreciated.
juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Scarlet Tanager
Unknown 3
Unknown 3
Unknown 3
I then stopped off at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch for a couple of hours, and saw more than a dozen Broad-winged Hawks, a couple of Sharp-shinned and a Cooper's Hawk, and two American Kestrels. Normally would be an exciting time at the hawk watch, but it did not compare to my morning on the parkway.
Broad-winged Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel