Crozet, VA 8/3/12

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


With a report yesterday of possible Cinnamon Teals in the ponds at the King Family Vineyards, I headed over there this morning to see what I could find. Cinnamon Teals are extremely rare here, but the wide-spread drought in the mid-western U.S. may be pushing birds to more easterly routes.

All I saw there were some Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and a male Wood Duck that was molting into its eclipse (non-breeding) plumage.


Wood Duck


Barn Swallow

I then headed over to the Western Ridge (Lickinghole Creek) Lake. Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, and Mallards were the only water birds I saw there. I also saw American Robin, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Common Grackle, and Northern Mockingbird. The temperature was relatively cooler in the 80's, but the humidity was very high so I didn't stay there for very long.


Wood Duck


Wood Duck


Wood Duck


Wood Ducks


Mallards


Northern Cardinal

There was a White-tailed Deer and its fawn on the trail there. The fawn wasn't quite sure what to make of me.


Deer


Deer


Black Swallowtail

Next stop was the golf course pond at Old Trail. A pair of Killdeers were hanging out with two Mallards, and three Ring-necked Ducks were swimming in the pond.


Mallards and Killdeer


Mallard and Killdeer


Killdeer


Killdeer


Killdeer


Ring-necked Ducks

On the way home I stopped at the Stoney Creek pond along Hidden Creek Drive - a usual hang-out for Mallards and Wood Ducks, and I saw two of each of these species. A somewhat ragged Broad-winged Hawk flew overhead.


Wood Duck


Mallards


Broad-winged Hawk



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