Cedar Waxwings
There were reports of three Philadelphia Vireos at Switzer Dam yesterday. This is a species that I had seen several times in previous years, but had only gotten marginal photos of this species, so I was hoping to see one today. Walt Childs and I started out at the Rockfish Valley Trail, but it wasn't very "birdy," other than a good sized flock of Cedar Waxwings.
Cedar Waxwings
A few White-eyed Vireos have been on the trail all summer, and I got a distant view of one of them
White-eyed Vireo
After I got home and started processing photos, I saw that I had photographed a Philadelphia Vireo on the trail, but hadn't realized it when I was there. Drats! I would have stayed longer to try to get a better photo.
Philadelphia Vireo
We decided that birding on the trail wasn't accomplishing very much, and it was starting to get hot, so we headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had a few birds at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), including a Hooded Warbler, an immature Cape May Warbler, and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. We got a quick look at a Yellow-billed Cuckoo there, but I was only able to get a partial photo, with most of the bird hidden by leaves.
Hooded Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
We stopped at the south end of the cirque between mm. 7 and mm. 8, and saw a few more birds, including an adult male Cape May Warbler.
Cape May Warbler
I could hear a lot of birds at the north end of the cirque, so we drove down the parkway, and did a little birding there. I saw a mixed flock of birds about 50 feet farther down the road, and when I got there, I saw several Blue-headed Vireos, female American Redstarts, a Tennesse Warbler, a Black-throated Green Warbler, and a male and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Female American Redstart
Tennesse Warbler
Walt had stayed near the car while I was photographing this flock, and told me he had been watching three Philadelphia Vireos out in the open. Double Drats! I missed a good photo opportunity again. I could hear the Philadelphia Vireos as they flew away.
We decided to try a little more birding at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, but there wasn't much there except for our second Yellow-billed Cuckoo of the day (no photos). Walt had parked his car next to my garage, and when we arrived at my house and got out of the car, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was in a nearby tree.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo