Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
After yesterday's great day of birding at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, could it be possible to have another great day today on the trail? My results far exceeded my expectations. I arrived at the trail at 8:00, posted a couple of new photos on the kiosk, and headed downstream at 8:10. Before I even got to the picnic table, I had already logged 16 species:
Indigo Bunting American Crow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Yellow Billed Cuckoo Rock Pigeon Blue Jay Cape May Warbler Scarlet Tanager Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-eyed Vireo Carolina Wren |
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-eyed Vireo
Scarlet Tanager
Cape May Warbler
Song Sparrow
Meeting up with spiders continues to be an adventure for me.
Spotted Orbweaver
As I approached Yellow Bird Thicket and rounded it, walking part way around the bog area, I added five more species: Catbird, Field Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Carolina Chickadee, and an unidentified hawk - probably the juvenile Red-shouldered that I saw there two days ago.
Little did I realize that the real fun was just around the corner. I crossed the first wooden bridge and starting walking south on the east side of Reids Creek. Very soon I encountered a tree where I heard a White-eyed Vireo. Not unusual - I have seen them along this path all summer long. But in the same tree there was a Warbling Vireo, and also a Yellow-throated Vireo.
Warbling Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
And then I saw an unusual warbler. It probably is a first fall male Common Yellowthroat, but it appears to have a pale reddish crown, and there was yellow on the leading edges of its wings. Is this common or unusual? Could it be a hybrid?
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
But the fun was not over. A moment later I was photographing a wren that looked like a House Wren to me. Not unusual to see one on the trail, but I have not seen a single one on the trail this summer - only during previous summers. It looked like it was checking out a tree cavity. However, after looking at the photos on my computer, this might be a Winter Wren. Note the strong eye-ring, pale eyebrow, short bill, and especially the heavily barred, dark flanks. If it is a Winter Wren, September 14 matches the extreme early arrival date for Virginia. [UPDATE: I have heard from several birders that the long tail takes precedence over the heavily barred flanks, making it a House Wren.]
House Wren
House Wren
House Wren
House Wren
House Wren
House Wren
Along this section of the trail I also saw a Tufted Titmouse, a flock of birds that were either Starlings or Cedar Waxwings - I did not get a good look, and an early arrival of a migrating Swainson's Thrush.
Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
I finished my less than two hour hike going part way along the upstream trail, adding Chipping Sparrows and a Belted Kingfisher. A very interesting 31 species on the trail this morning.