Central Virginia 1/15-17/2021

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Ragged Mountain Reservoir; Charlottesville, VA; January 15

I had gotten an email yesterday from one of my neighbors and friend, David Banks. David is an avid hiker, and as he is out on wooded trails a lot, he does a bit of bird watching while hiking. The day before, he had been hiking on the upper trail at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. Around 12:30 p.m., he noticed an unusual bird right along the trail, took a photo and a couple of short videos, and sent them to me for species identification. It was an American Woodcock - a great find, especially for the middle of day. I asked David where on the trail he had seen it, and from memory, he sent me a map of the trail with two points marked on it, and the Woodcock was seen somewhere between those two points.

The trails at Ragged Mountain Reservoir are not locations where I do birding, but I had to be in Charlottesville this morning, and had two hours to kill, so I went to look for the Woodcock. The trail was fairly devoid of birds. I only saw seven avian species there, and no Woodcock. As I was approaching my car on the upper parking lot, I ran into David, and he was hiking there again today. A short distance later along Reservoir Road, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk on the ground, and it was chased away by a Crow, giving me nine avian species. Later that day, I got another email from David. The two way points on the upper trail he had sent me were incorrect, and he realized that on his hike there today, and sent me a new map. He didn't see the Woodcock on today's hike. The photos below are of the Woodcock, grabbed from one of the videos he sent me, and the correct way points that mark the section of the trail where he saw the Woodcock. The woodpecker photos are mine taken on my hike there.

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American Woodcock and trail map (courtesy of David Banks)

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; Pileated Woodpecker

Old Trail; Crozet, VA; January 17

I got a late start, and birded here in Old Trail between 10:30 and noon, and ended up with 26 avian species. There was some sunshine coming through the mostly cloudy skies, but also a brisk wind that made the low 40s temperatures a bit chilly, and yesterday's snow shower made the trails fairly wet. I saw Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in three locations: along the golf course pond (juvenile), Western Park near the lodge (juvenile), and along Slabtown Branch Creek (adult male).

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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

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Swamp Sparrow

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White-crowned Sparrow

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Hermit Thrush

I've been lucky getting some good photos of secretive Winter Wrens for the past few years, and found a cooperative one this morning as well.

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Winter Wren

Today's list:

Canada Goose
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Central Virginia 1/15-17/2021

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

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