It was good to be out birding again, although I still need to take it easy for a few weeks. Walt Childs and I headed west over the Blue Ridge and then north on Route 340. Our first stop was at Strickley Road where we saw a flock of 50+ Horned Larks in the field next to Patterson Mill Road. These little birds were tough to see and photograph in the tall stubble, but I was able to count 51 of them when the flock flew elsewhere in the field.
Horned Lark
Horned Lark
Horned Larks
We continued birding for about 5 hours in northern Augusta County and southern Rockingham County, and ended the outing with 40 avian species.
White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
House Finch
Great Blue Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Shoveler and Green-winged Teal
But it was the raptors that stole the show. We saw at least one distant Bald Eagle, a distant Cooper's Hawk, a Northern Harrier, and three American Kestrels.
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
And we saw at least seven Red-tailed Hawks that ranged from boldly-colored adults to pale juveniles.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
We doubled-back on our return, and stopped at the bridge on Cline River Road where it crosses the Middle River. We often see large numbers of Icterids at this stop, and today was no different, except . . .
There must have been 40 to 60 blackbirds there, and almost all of them were Rusty Blackbirds with a few Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds in the mix. In my prior years of birding, I have seen perhaps a dozen or so Rusty Blackbirds, at most, in a single flock, but never this many together.
Some of the Rusty Blackbird flock
Rusty Blackbirds
Rusty Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird and Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird
Today's trip list:
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Meadowlark
Killdeer
Red-winged Blackbird
Horned Lark
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Flicker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Robin
White-breasted Nuthatch
Common Grackle
Carolina Chickadee
Common Raven
House Finch
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird