Reddish Knob, VA 9/10/2019

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Walt Childs and I headed up to Reddish Knob in the Allegheny Mountains to look for migrating warblers. During late spring and summer months, there are breeding warblers all along the ride up Briery Branch Road, and then Fire Road 85 to the summit. Now that most of the summer residents have left for warmer winter locations, we searched for mixed flocks of migrating birds. It was fairly quiet until about half way up Briery Branch Road to the four road intersection, when we heard avian activity. There were Scarlet Tanagers, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, and at least one Black-throated Green Warbler and one Bay-breasted Warbler. We heard a Hooded Warbler and a Pine Warbler, two breeding species that have been near there all summer, but these two warblers did not join the birds foraging along the road.

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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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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Female (brown wings) and male (black wings) Scarlet Tanagers

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Male Scarlet Tanager

There weren't any Red Crossbills at the four road intersection, nor any birds going up FR 85 in the direction away from the summit. But I did see an interesting Buckeye butterfly with pinkish-red coloring.

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Buckeye butterfly

We then headed up FR 85 towards the summit. About half way up we found a mixed flock of birds.

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Cape May Warbler

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Cape May Warbler

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Cape May Warbler

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White-breasted Nuthatch

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Blue-headed Vireo

About 1/4 mile before the summit, there's another road that heads down towards West Virginia. Birds seemed to be everywhere from that road up FR 85 to the summit.

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Ovenbird

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Blue-headed Vireo

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Blue-headed Vireo

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Dark-eyed Junco

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American Goldfinch

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Black-capped Chickadee

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Female Scarlet Tanager

On the way down, we saw a Common Yellowthroat, our 9th warbler species of the day on Reddish Knob.

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Common Yellowthroat

We did a little birding on the way back, and ended up with 35 avian species for the day.

Click here to continue my report on Blue Ridge Parkway birding on 9/11/2019

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