Crozet, VA 3/17-19/19

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Old Trail; March 17

I did a bit of hiking here in Old Trail, and ended up with 20+ avian species. Many of the birds were singing, possbly calling for mates.

Photo Unavailable
Field Sparrow

Photo Unavailable
Male House Finch

Photo Unavailable
Female House Finch; male and female Downy Woodpeckers

Photo Unavailable
Northern Cardinal

Photo Unavailable
Great Blue Heron

Photo Unavailable
Black Vulture

Photo Unavailable
Adult White-crowned Sparrow

Photo Unavailable
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow

Lickinghole Creek and Reservoir; March 18

The trail was much drier than it has been for several months, with only a few really muddy sections. Although I logged 24 avian species there, it wasn't very "birdy."

Photo Unavailable
Killdeer

Photo Unavailable
Bald Eagle

Old Trail; March 19

Even though a lot of habitat had been destroyed or disturbed by all the new housing development, I still logged 28 avian species this morning, bringing my three day Crozet list to 34 avian species. Many of the birds were singing.

Photo Unavailable
Red-winged Blackbird

Photo Unavailable
Great Blue Heron

Photo Unavailable
Song Sparrow

Photo Unavailable
White-throated Sparrow

Photo Unavailable
Carolina Wren

Photo Unavailable
Pine Warbler

Male House Finches usually have red on their face, crown, breast, and rump, but sometimes the red pigment is replaced with yellow or orange, presumably due to diet. Over the past two years, I have seen a few with orange coloring, but I saw one this morning with all three colors. I assume that the colors are a result of molting and replacement with different feather color. The orange color may have been a result of blending of yellow and red feathers.

Photo Unavailable
House Finch

Photo Unavailable
House Finch

Photo Unavailable
House Finch

Near the end of my hike, I saw the bark of a tree moving, and immediately thought, "Brown Creeper." When this species has its back to you, it's almost impossible to see against the tree bark. I saw it again about 15 minutes later - presumably the same bird in a slightly different location along the trail.

Photo Unavailable
Brown Creeper

Photo Unavailable
Brown Creeper

Photo Unavailable
Brown Creeper

Photo Unavailable
Brown Creeper


E-mail comments on this report

Return to blog page home