Rockfish Valley Trail; Wintergreen Mountain; Blue Ridge Parkway 4/25/11

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


I started off the day with a 2-hour, 3-mile hike on the Rockfish Valley Trail. Although I did not see any warblers, I did log 28 species. Highlights were FOS Kingbirds, a White-eyed Vireo, and a first year male Orchard Oriole.


Kingbird


White-eyed Vireo


First year male Orchard Oriole

I then headed up to Wintergreen Mountain to look for the leucistic chickadee, but all I saw were a Dark-eyed Junco and a female Hairy Woodpecker. I decided to try the Blue Ridge Parkway to look for warblers, even though it was now close to noon. At Hickory Springs overlook, there were several Hooded Warblers, a couple of Cerulean Warblers, and some American Goldfinches. The birds were fairly stationary, so it was hard for me to locate them in the trees. Down at the mm 7 cirque, I added American Redstarts, Catbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Catbird, Raven, Turkey Vulture, and a Cowbird.


Hooded Warbler


Cerulean Warbler

Today's Rockfish Valley Trail list:

Song Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Eastern Towhee

Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Blue Jay
American Crow
Eastern Phoebe

Rock Pigeon
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Kingfisher
Cedar Waxwing
Tufted Titmouse
Starling

Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
White-eyed Vireo
Eastern Kingbird
Catbird

Northern Mockingbird
Orchard Oriole
Eastern Meadowlark



E-mail comments on this report


Return to blog page home