View from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Alice and I live only 10 minutes away from the Blue Ridge Mountains here in Virginia. While I do some local wildlife photography in the Virginia Piedmont, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Allegheny Mountains, my go-to and favorite place to be from mid-April through late October is the first 14 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Mountains gets it name from the bluish color caused by trees that release isoprene into the atmosphere and diffract the sunlight. It's also 10 degrees cooler up there. Here's a photo I took today from one of my favorite wildlife photography stops near mm. 7.5. I'm looking west into the Shenandoah Valley, and you can just barely see the Allegheny Mountains in the background. Being up there is a great way to maintain sanity given all the issues we are all dealing with these days.
View from the Blue Ridge Parkway
I headed up to the parkway and Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4, and did most of my birding on Route 610. My firat stop on 610 was at the old tower, and I saw five warbler species there. The first one was a very cooperative Black and White Warbler.
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
There were two Hooded Warblers, but I only got quick views of them flying before they disappeared in the dense foliage. Two Cerulean Warblers were calling to each other. One was high up in the trees, and the other one was a bit lower for a few photos. The lower one looks to be either a female, or more likely, a first spring male.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
There was a female or first summer male American Redstart there, but it wasn't very cooperative. I also saw an Ovenbird, and wished I had gotten better photos of it, as it had one one the broadest orange crown patch I have ever seen on this species.
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
I continued south on Route 610, saw/heard more of these same five warbler species, and heard a Pine Warbler closer to mm. 4 where there are several large pine trees. All of the warblers I saw in this section were very quick looks, at best. But I did see a few other avian species.
Well hidden, vireo nest - about the size of a tennis ball
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Scarlet Tanager
Female Eastern Towhee
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
I got back onto the parkway, and took it all the way to 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 13.5). I heard a few warblers, but didn't see much. The only avian species I added were Common Raven and Yellow-throated Vireo (heard only). I turned around, and took the same route north. When I got back onto Route 610, I stopped where I had heard a Pine Warbler earlier, and this time it was foraging near the road.
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
I heard and got quick looks at an Ovenbird and a Hooded Warbler, but neither of them would stay put for a photo. At one point, I saw movement in the foliage, took a quick shot thinking that it was the Ovenbird, and when I looked at the photo, saw that it the Hooded Warbler!
Hooded Warbler
I ended up with 26 avian species on this outing. I know that there are Worm-eating Warblers along 610 and at several locations along the first 14 miles of the parkway, but I did not see or near them.