Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 9/11/2019

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Other than a few remaining breeding warbler species on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I've seen very few migrating warblers this month along the first 12 miles of the parkway. I decided to try again this morning. I took my usual route from the start of the parkway, and exited onto parallel Route 610 at mm. 2 through mm.4. I encountered a few small clusters of birds, including three warbler species: American Redstart, Chestnut-sided, and Worm-eating, as well as Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos.

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Female American Redstart

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Yellow-throated Vireo

My next stop was at the upper, south end of the large cirque (mm. 7.5), There were quite a few birds there.

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

I then drove to my other favorite warbler spot on the parkway - Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12). The area just to the north of the overlook was loaded with birds.

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Black and White Warbler

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Black and White Warbler

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Black and White Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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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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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

I was really happy to find a first fall female Prairie Warbler in the mix.

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Prairie Warbler

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Prairie Warbler

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Prairie Warbler

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Prairie Warbler

While I was photographing these species, one of the Hooded Warblers I have been seeing there for the past two weeks flew down, but I was too busy photographing other warblers, so I let it go without a photo. After the mixed flock departed, I heard two Hooded Warblers there, plus one Ovenbird, but the Hooded Warblers didn't want their photo taken at that point. Perhaps I offended them by not taking their photo earlier :-) What a morning! 10 warbler species, and 15 warbler species in the past two days.


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