Rockfish Valley Trail 8/10/11

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


I wonder if the term "dog days of August" can be applied to bird watching? Perhaps only to bird dogs?? Anyway, it was much cooler this morning when I arrived at the trail at 8:10 and stayed for 2 hours. I saw 24 species. Our resident tail-less Turkey Vulture is still around. I saw an unusual nest a few feet off the ground along the upstream trail. Almost looks like some bird carried a boot there and arranged leaves and branches around it. If anyone knows what kind of bird would build such a nest, please let me know. Perhaps a boot got lodged in this tree during last spring's flood?

The immature Bluebirds now have their blue flight feathers - made for some interesting photos. It seems like some of the summer birds have gone, and I am chomping at the bit for the fall migrants to arrive. The fall Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch formally begins on August 20.

This morning's list:

Eastern Bluebird
Indigo Bunting
American Crow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Cardinal
Turkey Vulture
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Cedar Waxwing
Catbird
Rock Pigeon
White-eyed Vireo
Green Heron
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Orchard Oriole


Eastern Bluebird


Blue-gray Gnatcatcher


Orchard Oriole


Red-bellied Woodpecker


Northern Mockingbird


Eastern Wood-Pewee


Chimney Swift


Immature Indigo Bunting


Tail-less Turkey Vulture


Unusual nest



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