Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 4/26/2021

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It's about time for the warblers to start showing up. I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and got onto parallel Route 610 at mm. 2. At the old tower, I there was a Hooded Warbler, an Ovenbird, and my first of 2021 American Redstart. This Redstart had orange feathers on its black back, and I think that I had only seen this variation once before.

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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Hooded Warbler

I continued south on 610 to mm. 4 of the parkway, and saw/heard more Ovenbirds, American Redstarts, Pine Warblers, and my first of several Black and White Warblers.

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Black and White Warbler

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Pine Warbler

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Ovenbird

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Ovenbird

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Ovenbird

I got back onto the parkway and headed south. There were Ovenbirds, Bland and White Warblers, and Hooded Warblers at multiple locations. When I stopped at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), I saw my first female American Redstart. Three male american Redstarts were chasing each other low to the ground, and flew around my legs several times. I was standing still, and perhaps they thought I was a tree :-)

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

At that stop, I got my first of 2021 Cerulean Warbler.

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

I continued south to 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 13.5). A pair of Worm-eating Warblers flew over my head, but disappeared before I could get any photos of them. That made 7 warbler species this morning, and all 7 species usually breed along the first 14 miles of the parkway. I ended up with 27 avian species in about 3 hours. On my way back north on the parkway, a Barred Owl was perched on a low branch next to the road.

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Brown Thrasher

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American Goldfinch

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Barred Owl


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