Rockfish Valley Trail, VA, 5/30-6/4/16

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

I made a couple of short trips to the Rockfish Valley Trail in the past week, and saw a total of a little more than 20 avian species there. The only warblers I could find on the trail were Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, and American Redstart. I heard a strange bird call and it turned out to be a Blue Grosbeak. This species has bred on the trail every year that I have been birding there, but I hadn't seen one there since early spring, so perhaps they have returned for the summer. There were a few Swallowtail and Frittilary butterflies, but hundreds, or perhaps more than a thousand, cabbage butterflies south of the bog area.


American Redstart


Blue Grosbeak


Eastern Kingbird


Eastern Kingbird


Belted Kingfisher


Red-tailed Hawk


Eastern Towhee


White-eyed Vireo


White-eyed Vireo


White-eyed Vireo


White-eyed Vireo


Northern Cardinal


Cabbage Butterfly



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