Blue Ridge Parkway, VA, 5/16/19

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

I wanted to see if I could add to my 2019 count of 22 Virginia warbler species (26 New World warbler species so far in 2019), but wasn't expecting too much, as most of the migrating warbler species have already moved through the area, and I need to drive to different habitats to find additional warbler species that might be breeding here. But the Blue Ridge Parkway is only a 10 minute drive from my house, so it's fun and easy to look there. When I arrived around 9:00 this morning, the sun was shining brightly and the air was crisp, but it was also quite windy. With most of the leaves in the trees fully out and blowing in the wind, finding warblers in the treetops that I could hear singing was quite a challenge

The good weather also brings out the "crazies" on the parkway. There was wave after wave of motorcycles. I know that I need to share the road with them, but the riders who blast their radios so loudly that they can hear them over the loud motorcycle noise, drives me nuts when trying to listen for warblers. And at one point, there was a car driving at about the speed limit (45 mph), when four sports cars came zooming up behind it, and all four passed it on a double yellow line blind curve. I listened for the possible crash sound. Less than a minute later, a large RV came down the parkway from the opposite direction. A difference of 30 seconds would have meant my calling 911 instead of birding this morning.

By late morning, the wind had died down a bit, and I birded from the start of the parkway to 3 Ridges Overlook. I ended up with 6 warbler species: American Redstart, Black and White, Cerulean, Hooded, Ovenbird, and Worm-eating. Other birds of interest included Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wood Thrush, and Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos. Ceruleans seemed to be singing everywhere I looked.

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Hooded Warbler

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Female American Redstart

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Female American Redstart

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Black and White Warbler

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Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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Rose-breasted Grosbeak

At one point, when I was birding near Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), I noticed a bear crossing the parkway about 100 to 150 feet from me.

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Bear

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Bear

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Bear

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Bear

As the bear started to enter the grassy area, it turned its head and saw me.

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Bear

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Bear

I thought for sure that this bear would now be spooked, and would dart into the woods, but instead, it turned and started walking towards me. I guess it just wanted to say hello.

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Bear

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Bear

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Bear

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Bear

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Bear

But I guess I wasn't that interesting, and about half way to me, it turned and disappeared into the woods.

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Bear

It's been several years since I have seen a bear near that area of the parkway. I see them more often between mm. 7 and mm. 8.


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