There were reports of a Mourning Warbler seen 11 days ago at Flagpole Knob in the Allegheny Mountains. Tink Moyer and I still needed this species for 2021, I still needed a Blue-winged Warbler for 2021, and Tink still needed a Black-throated Green Warbler for 2021. Neither of us had ever been to Flagpole Knob, and it was only 3.5 miles from the four road intersection going up to Reddish Knob. So we decided to try for the Mourning Warbler.
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Once we got on the the unpaved, rocky road up from the four road intersection, it was a slow, bumpy ride all the way to Flagpole Knob. Once we got there, we saw a few Chestnut-sided and Yellow-rumped Warblers, along with a few other species, but no Mourning Warbler.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco
Cedar Waxwings
On the way back to the four road intersection, we heard a Black-throated Blue Warbler, and stopped to see a few other species. At one point, I got a quick look at what appeared to be a Cuckoo, but only got one photo that is indeterminate. I also saw a hawk that was flying away from us, and from the broad white tail band, think that it was a Broad-winged Hawk.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Cuckoo (?)
Broad-winged(?) Hawk
Deer
We also saw some unusual behavior exhibited by a Blue-headed Vireo. It perched, turned its head upward with bill open, and stayed lake that for several minutes. We finally left with it still in that position.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Once back at the four road intersection, we drove a short distance up towards Reddish Knob, where there's a good spot to find warblers. Tink got his Black-throated Green Warbler for 2021.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-capped Chickadee
We saw two more warblers at that stop. One of them was a Blackburnian Warbler. It appears to be a first fall female, as there is a lot of white in its supercilium.
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
The other warbler there was a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and it also appeared to be a first fall female. It seemed strange to me that these last two warblers were already in first fall plumages.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
With Route 84 going up to Paddy Knob still closed until the end of July, it looks like I will have to be lucky in 2021 to see a Mourning Warbler during fall migration. Tink and I agreed that the drive up to Flagpole Knob was not worth going the 3.5 miles each way, and would only do it again if there were something really special to see.
