Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 9/19/17

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

I had hope that the northerly winds overnight would drive migrating warblers this way, and decided to see what might be up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. My usual autumn route there is to enter at mm. 0, move over to nearby and parallel Route 610 at mm. 2, return to the parkway at mm. 4, and then make stops at the lower and upper ends of the large cirque near mm. 7.5, and at Hickory Springs Overlook at mm. 12. When I got onto the parkway around 8:30 in the morning, there was still light fog at that elevation. I didn't see any warblers until my stop at Hickory Springs.

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Black and White Warbler

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American Redstart

I continued down to the 3 Ridges Overlook near mm. 14, and then turned back. I stopped near mm.13 when I heard warblers.

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Black-throated Green Warblers

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

My second stop at the cirque was also unproductive, and I got back onto Route 610 near mm. 4. I heard more warblers near the old tower and the fog had just cleared.

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

I then hiked the wooded trail in Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, saw about a dozen woodland species, but no warblers. I stopped up at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch for a while. I was getting ready to head for home, but decided to try my parkway/610 route once again. When I got three-fourths of the way on Route 610 to where I re-enter the parkway, I hit the jackpot! In addition to Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos and a few woodland species, I saw 8 warbler species in a mixed flock, making it 10 warbler species for the day.

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Blue-headed Vireo

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warblers

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Black and White Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Northern Parula

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Cape May Warbler

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Cape May Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler

It was a good birding day!


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