Cerulean Warbler
I didn't expect to see many birds with the dense foliage on the parkway, but with temperatures in the Piedmont in the 90s with high humidity, I wanted to get to higher and cooler elevations. When I got to the parkway a little after 9:00 a.m., it was already 75 degrees up there, and 80 by the time I left at noon. I got onto Route 610 at mm.2, and back again onto the parkway at mm. 4, and went all the way to 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 13) before turning around. Most of the warblers were high up in the trees, but I got all seven of the breeding warbler species, although I only saw a Worm-eating Warbler and only heard a Pine Warbler. I did not see the Canada Warbler at the south end of the cirque (mm. 7.5)
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
American Redstarts
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warblers
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
I logged 27 avian species on this outing.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Scarlet Tanagers
Red-eyed Vireo
Broad-winged Hawk
While I was on Route 610 the first time, and was trying to get photos of some of the warblers high up in the trees, I heard an almost continuous bird song that I did not recognize. I recorded the song several times. The following recording is two of them run together, and I filtered out some of the iPhone recording background noise that gives the bird song a weird background noise, but also makes it easier to hear. Can you determine what kind of bird is singing this?
Click here to hear the mystery bird song recording.Well, this song was driving me nuts to figure out what bird was singing. I walked back and forth on Route 610, and finally decided that it was coming from a small tree. I wondered if there might be a bird nest in there, and it was a little one calling for mama and papa, but I couldn't see a nest. Here's a photo of the tree. Can you figure it out yet? Don't scroll down past the tree picture unless you want to find out the answer.
Tree where the bird song was located
A few minutes later, the mystery was solved.
Downy Woodpecker chick
Downy Woodpecker chick
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
I stopped at that same tree on my return when the lighting wasn't as harsh.
Downy Woodpecker chick
Downy Woodpecker chick
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpeckers