Blue Grosbeak
There was dense fog and light drizzle in the morning, and I hadn't planned on doing any birding today. But the sun came out late morning, so I did a short hike here in the early afternoon. It was quite hot and muggy. I ended up with 15 avian species and a few other critters.
Blue Grosbeak
Carolina Chickadee
Juvenile Indigo Bunting
Juvenile Indigo Bunting
Juvenile Indigo Bunting
Juvenile Indigo Bunting
Fawn
Orange-striped Oakworm caterpillar
This morning started off with a tiny Northern Cricket Frog on our front porch. It was less than an inch long.
Northern Cricket Frog
I drove up to the parkway, and skipped Route 610 on my way south. We had heavy thunderstorms overnight, and the BirdCast radar showed no overnight migration anywhere in the mid-Atlantic area. I didn't expect to see any migrating warbler flocks, but hoped that some migrating species might have settled in to get out of the rain. I also hoped that the parkway would have less traffic early this morning. I was wrong about that. There were lots of vehicles all along the first 14 miles of the parkway, and very few birds. I did get a quick look at a small bear crossing the parkway.
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I thought that I had only seen 11 avian species on the parkway, and no warblers at all, but when I started processing photos I saw that a few of my photos taken where leaves were moving showed a Black and White Warbler.
Black and White Warbler
Red-eyed Vireo
On my way back north, I got onto Route 610 at mm. 4 of the parkway. It was quiet at first, but I stopped at one of my favorite warbler sites there, when I heard and saw some avian activity. I heard the chink call of a Hooded Warbler, and took some photos of the vegetation from where I had heard the calls. A couple of the photos showed what looks like a female Hooded Warbler.
Female Hooded Warbler
There were quite a few woodland species there as well.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Pileated Woodpecker
Indigo Bunting
Red-eyed Vireo
I then saw quite a bit of activity deeper in the woods, so I started taking photos wherever I saw movement. I quickly identified one of the birds as a female American Redstart.
Female American Redstart
Female American Redstart
Identifcation of the other warbler species had to wait until I could get the photos processed and viewed on a larger screen.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
One of the warbler(?) species remained unidentified. In the field, I thought it might have been a Worm-eating Warbler, but now do not think that this ID is correct. I don't think think that it was a Red-eyed Vireo as it has a dark olive brown underside.
Unidentified warbler(?)
The prize shot of the morning was a Blue-winged Warbler. I didn't know what I had photographed until I got home. It's black eye-line dips down in front of its eye, and its underside is quite olive in places. I wonder if it might be a Lawrence's Warbler hybrid backcrossed with a Blue-winged Warbler?
Blue-winged Warbler
I heard the chink call of another Hooded Warbler at the old tower, and got a partial photo of it. A juvenile Broad-winged Hawk flew overhead to the north, and a high flying Osprey flew to the south. I ended this morning's outing with 25+ avian species.
Osprey
Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk
