I went up to the parkway and parallel Route 610 this morning under mostly cloudy skies. The good news was that there weren't a lot of leaves on the trees, and that made locating birds a lot easier. The bad news was that there weren't a lot of leaves on the trees, and that meant there weren't a lot of birds to see! We're still a good week away from good birding there, and really need a warm week for the leaves to open. I got onto the parkway at Rockfish Gap, and then onto Route 610 near mm. 2 of the parkway. I stayed on 610 until mm. 4 of the parkway, and had at least 20 avian species. I'm fairly sure that I saw an owl flying through the trees, and may have heard a Brown-headed Cowbird, but didn't count either of these unconfirmed species.
Downy Woodpecker
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Along the straight stretch of 610 near mm. 3-1/2 of the parkway, I located a pair of Pine Warblers where they usually nest each year, and got my first of the season (in Virginia) Black and White Warbler there as well.
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
I returned along 610, and then got back onto the parkway. I saw a Mourning Dove near the Rockfish Gap Overlook, and pulled onto the gravel pull-off around mm. 1-1/2 between the Rockfish Gap and Afton Mountain overlooks. I heard a Hooded Warbler, and after a while photographed my 9th warbler species in 2022.
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
This morning's list:
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Black-and-white Warbler
Pine Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
American Goldfinch
Common Raven
Northern Cardinal
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Mourning Dove
Hooded Warbler