Red-shouldered Hawk
It was 26 degrees when I started my hike this morning, but at least there was very little wind. I hiked in the Albemarle County Western Park that is within Old Trail, and ended up with 31 avian species, and four White-tailed Deer. As soon as I started hiking in the wetlands area, I heard two Red-shouldered Hawks. One of them (lighter breast feathers) landed in a tree, and the other one (darker breast feathers) headed in my direction and flew almost directly overhead.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
The darker breasted hawk circled around and then landed in a tree near to the other hawk.
Red-shouldered Hawk
I have seen one of the resident Red-shouldered Hawks on almost every hike here this winter, but I haven't the pair of them since last autumn. I suspect that they are looking for a nesting site, and I hope to locate the nest so I can follow their progress with raising some little ones. The last time I was able to document a Red-shouldered Hawk nesting cycle was in 2012, when there was a nest in the backyard of our previous home in Nellysford. Click here to view that report and photos.
I continued my hike in the wetlands area, and saw numerous sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, House Finches and Goldfinches, and heard both Pileated and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Field and Song Sparrows
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Carolina Wren
The two Red-shouldered Hawks continued to leave and return to the wetlands area.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Near the end of my hike, I re-located the flock of about 50 Chipping Sparrows at the edge of the wetlands that I saw almost a month ago. This is a common species here from mid-March through mid-November, but rare in the winter months. In a few previous winters, I had seen a single or pair of them, but not every winter, nor never so many of them as in this winter.
Chipping Sparrows
Chipping Sparrow
10 Chipping Sparrows and 1 Song Sparrow
7 Chipping Sparrows
Chipping Sparrows