Hooded Warbler
There was a big push of migrating birds yesterday, with some birders reporting as many as 15 warbler species, both to the east of here and to the west in the Allegheny Mountains. But the corona virus is keeping me close to home, and I hoped that some of the migrating warblers might be up close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I got onto Route 610, and birded on that road between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the parkway. I logged all seven of the breeding warbler species, although I only heard Pine and Worm-eating Warblers, and all but a few American Redstarts kept their distances from me.
Hooded Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Ovenbird
Female American Redstart
Female American Redstart
Female American Redstart
Male American Redstart
Male American Redstart
Wood Thrush
Red-eyed Vireo
I returned to mm. 2 and hiked south on the parkway to the Rockfish Valley Overlook. I had another Hooded Warbler, several American Redstarts, a close-up Cerulean Warbler, and my 8th warbler species of the day: Black-throated Blue. I also saw a very large grasshopper up there.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Indigo Bunting
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Grasshopper
I then drove to Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. It was 1:00 p.m. by the time I started my hike there, and not very "birdy." But I got my 9th warbler species of the day (and my 16th seen and photographed warbler species of 2020) - a Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Mourning Dove
I hadn't seen a Yellow-breasted Chat yet this year, but one was reported on the Rockfish Valley Trail. I know that this species was moved out of the warbler family a couple of years ago, but it's still a warbler to me. So I ended the day with a hike there, and there were almost no birds at all. However, near the end of my hike, I saw a Yellow-breasted Chat fly in one direction, and then back again into a dense tree where I heard it calling. So I got my 10th warbler species of the day, and 17th of the year, but no photo.