Central Virginia 6/6/2020

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Rockfish Valley Trail

It was a hot and muggy morning. There was a report of a Misssissippi Kite at the Rockfish Valley Trail yesterday at 7 p.m., so I went over there to see if it might still be there. I didn't find it, and after 45 or so minutes there I had 15 avian species, including two warbler species: Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-breasted Chat (heard only), and two first of year birds for me: Blue Grosbeak and Grasshopper Sparrow (heard only). I didn't want to spend a lot of time there because of the heat and humidity.

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Common Yellowthroat

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Blue Grosbeak

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Blue Grosbeak

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Chipping Sparrow

Blue Ridge Parkway

I took Route 664 up to Reids Gap, and made my way down to mm. 4, and then took route 610 to mm. 2 of the parkway. I saw/heard all seven of the breeding warbler species, but finding them in the dense foliage was a challenge. Ovenbird and Pine Warbler were heard only species. By the time I finished up there, I was up to 35 avian species. The parkway was jammed with cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, making birding even more difficult.

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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American Redstart

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Hooded Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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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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Black and White Warbler

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Common Raven

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Eastern Wood-Pewee

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Cedar Waxwing

Old Trail

I wanted to make it a double-digit warbler day, so I went over to the tree clusters where I have been hearing/seeing Yellow Warblers ever morning I have loooked for them. Sure enough, I heard two Yellow Warblers singing their heads off, but they were hugging the tree centers in deep foliage to stay out of the sun and heat of the early afternoon. So I didn't see them today, but they made it 10 warbler species seen/heard today, and I am re-posting the photos I took of these two warblers yesterday morning, as I am sure that the two I heard singing today were the same warblers.

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Yellow Warbler

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Yellow Warbler

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Yellow Warbler

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Yellow Warbler

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Yellow Warbler

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Yellow Warbler


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