Great Blue Heron
After a day of rain and clouds, this morning was sunny although a bit chilly. About 80% of the leaves are off the trees, but the bright sunlight lit up the autumn colors that still hung on the tree branches. I got to the trail at 9:00 this morning, and stayed until 10:45. This is my last daylight savings trip to the Rockfish Valley Trail for 2010, and starting next week the same light will be an hour earlier, so I may switch to hiking the trail during late afternoons for a while. Perhaps I will see one or more species of owls just after sunset. Tim H. reported a Northern Saw-whet Owl on the trail last week, bringing the trail species total to 180.
I saw 25 species on the trail this mornng, but was hoping for 30, as there are at least 11 common species on the trail this time of year that I did not see today. I saw a Great Blue Heron fly up into a tree near the first wooden bridge, and shortly after I crossed that bridge, I saw two Great Blue Herons. One of them might have been the one I saw a few minutes earlier. The other highlight of the morning was a Palm Warbler that was feeding on worms and insects in the field along the upstream trail. There were flocks of Starlings, American Robins, Canada Geese, and Cedar Waxwings.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Bluebird
American Crow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Starling
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Great Blue Heron
Kingfisher
Northern Mockingbird
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Canada Goose
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
Carolina Chickadee
Great Blue Heron
Part of a Starling flock
Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler