Central Virginia 6/16/14

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was hot and humid here in central Virginia. But it also the time of the year when immature birds are starting to move around with only limited parental guidance.

I started out on the Rockfish Valley Trail, and it was fairly quiet, although I did manage to log 24 species there. The highlights were a Common Yellowthroat (I haven't seen one there for a few weeks) and a large kettle of 40 to 50 Turkey Vultures.


Common Yellowthroat


Turkey Vultures


Black Vulture


Female Indigo Bunting


Male Orchard Oriole


Brown Thrasher


Immature Eastern Phoebe


Tree Swallow


Orchard Spider having its breakfast

My next stops were up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, American Redstarts, and Cerulean Warblers. The tree foliage was so dense that it was difficult to see the many birds that were singing.


Cerulean Warbler


Eastern Towhee

I decided to turn west and see if the Purple Gallinule was still in Waynesboro. I didn't see it at the marshy area where I saw it a few weeks ago, but there were a lot of other birds there.


Gray Catbird


Cedar Waxwing


House Finches


Juvenile American Robin


Juvenile American Robin


Immature Common Grackle


Juvenile Common Grackle(?)



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