After six inches of rain during the past two days, the sun finally came out. I arrived at the trail around 9:10 a.m. and stayed until 11:00. The Rockfish River was out of it banks in a few spots, and the evaporating ground moisture made for a steamy hike. An occasional breeze helped to make the air a bit cooler.
I don't recall ever seeeing the trail as lush with vegetation as it is now. This made locating birds that were singing in the trees a bit difficult, but I still managed to log 30 species. I hiked the downstream and Glenthorne Loop trails. A Yellow-breasted Chat was singing at the edge of the bog area, and Common Yellowthroats were singing in multiple locations.
Common Yellowthroat
Field Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Blue Grosbeak
First-summer male Orchard Oriole
First-summer male Orchard Oriole
Male Orchard Oriole
American Redstart
American Redstart
American Redstart
Cedar Waxwing
Cooper's Hawk carrying a meal
Eastern Meadowlark
Today's RV Trail list:
Cooper's Hawk Rock Pigeon Belted Kingfisher Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Tree Swallow NRW Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Orchard Oriole American Goldfinch |